Staging a drug intervention does not have to be extremely complicated. A good approach is to let your loved one know everything positive he can gain from a treatment program.
If you are actively seeking help staging an intervention for drug or alcohol abuse or addiction, call out toll free addiction recovery hotline 800-281-9728 24 hours a day. Our trained counselors are here to assist you. Please feel welcome to call in with any questions or concerns you have.
One way to do this is to choose participants very carefully. If you want to keep the intervention positive, select people who will cooperate. They should have the same goal as yourself, which is to show him why treatment is in his best interest.
An intervention is your opportunity to show him that you and others are concerned about his substance abuse. Threats, accusations, or reminding him of everything wrong he has done, can cause him to become defensive. Nothing can be accomplished if he refuses to talk, leaves, or starts an argument.
Thinking clearly about what he stands to gain from treatment can be easier if you have assistance from an intervention specialist. An interventionist is likely to know more about addiction treatment than you are aware of yourself. This person can give you accurate, detailed information about what your loved one can expect from a treatment program, the options available, and how to choose the right one. You will then be in the best position to provide this information to your loved one.
Keeping the overall tone of an intervention positive includes making decisions for its outcome ahead of time. You need to plan what to do if he agrees to treatment, and what to do if he does not. Before you stage the intervention, you should be familiar with the treatment center you have chosen, and be prepared to make sure he arrives safely. If he agrees to treatment, it is better if he goes to the center immediately after the intervention. This will eliminate the risk of him changing his mind.
Your plan for what to do if he says he does not want treatment must be based on common sense. It is your opportunity to stop enabling his drug abuse, and to stop taking on his responsibilities. Everyone who is present should know this, and be willing to cooperate. It will not be helpful to your loved one if you or someone else gives him his own way.
Basing the consequences on common sense can include thinking about the ways you have been affected by his drug addiction. It may involve money or other resources, his behavior, making excuses for him, or some other factor. You can inform him you will no longer do these things for him if he refuses treatment. Do not let anger or other emotions take over, and make sure you will keep your word.
A successful intervention will benefit everyone concerned. You do not need the burden of being responsible for someone who should be responsible for himself, and you do not need the damaging effects addiction has had on you and your life. Forcing your loved one to acknowledge the facts about his addiction, and to make a choice, will also benefit him.
If your loved one is like many addicts, he will do the right thing and consent to treatment. Even if he does not, a drug intervention in is a big step for everyone concerned, and as with all other states, you will find plenty of support in Maryland if you seek assistance. Regardless of the outcome, it can be a positive experience, because everyone will know where they stand. It is a way to begin moving forward while helping him see he needs a treatment program.
