Intervention 101:
Handling Objections

Most families go into an intervention knowing there will be objections, but with no real plan on how to handle them. The key is in the word, ”plan.”

The simplicity of it is this—an addict will object, so plan to handle the objections. What will they be? What specific objections will your addict come up with? You could probably name a couple right off the top of your head. So the question becomes, how do you handle them? It’s not as difficult as you may think.

As an interventionist, objections are key. If you don’t know what your addict’s objections are going to be, that’s one thing, but most families, given the opportunity, can list them out one by one. The solution is to plan for a response, one by one.

What about my girlfriend? What about my pets? What about my apartment? What about my job? These are just a few of the most common objections I come across. Going into an intervention without any ideas or any plan on how to respond to such objections is the same as going into an intervention with no plan at all. This is why planning is so important.

If your addict is going to object because of his job, then you need to have a response in mind. When it comes to jobs or enrollment in school, the fact of the matter is that those things will be handled much more effectively once your addict is in good shape again.

For example, right now you could give your addict a corner office and a scholarship to the best school in the country, but because of his current condition, none of that will matter. Jobs and school will swirl down the same toilet as the rest of his life. But if his operating basis is repaired and restored, any educational or employment opportunity can have hope.

So take the time to plan these things out. List out every objection you can think of, then take the time to plan a rational response. This is just one of the ways you can ensure your intervention will succeed.