Does Intervention Help?

Addressing the drug addiction or alcohol addiction of someone close to you can be a difficult situation to handle. The last thing you want to do is turn the person away and send them deeper into a cycle of addiction. But at the same time if someone has a serious issue with drugs or alcohol, an intervention may be the most effective way to convince them to seek treatment for their problem. A drug intervention or alcohol intervention is the organized attempt by the friends or family of an addict to get them to get professional help for their addiction. The confrontation is usually directed with the help of a licensed treatment professional.

Direct Intervention vs. Indirect Intervention

There are two different ways that an intervention can be carried out. A direct intervention is a confrontational meeting with the individual that has the drug addiction or alcohol addiction. An indirect intervention involves working with family members in order to help them be more effective in helping the addict in question. Oftentimes, family members develop co-dependency issues, and when they believe they are helping the alcoholic or addict their behaviors actually attribute to the addiction. This includes things such as giving someone with a drug or alcohol addiction money, allowing them to be under the influence, giving them a place to live, or anything that makes it possible for them to continue their addiction.

Whether the intervention is direct or indirect, the main goal is to get the individual in question to attend drug rehab or alcohol rehab. This can be extremely difficult at times, considering the stubborn nature of addiction. Drug addiction and alcohol addiction are mental diseases that affect a person's judgment, and they can quickly take over their life. Convincing someone to go to drug rehab or alcohol rehab through an alcohol intervention or drug intervention can prove to be much harder than it sounds. Addiction can be very powerful, and it can become the most important thing in one's life - even more important than family and friends.

As popularized by the television series Intervention, drug and alcohol interventions can save lives. Typically, an intervention consists of friends and family members reading letters describing how the person's addiction has directly affected their lives. This tactic can be very effective, as it showcases the impact of addiction from every angle. Addicts and alcoholics sometimes do not realize how much their substance abuse affects the ones around them. For friends and family members, it can be extremely painful to watch the ones they love waste their lives on drugs and alcohol, and letting them know in which ways they are affected by addiction can shed light on the situation.

Intervention can be very helpful in getting addicts to seek professional help for their problem, and it can save lives. Many people have been able to turn their lives around because of a drug intervention or alcohol intervention that was initiated by people who care about them. Interventions can come as a wakeup call and let addicts know how hurtful their behavior can be to the people that love and care about them. 

What To Expect At An Intervention?

Those who have a drug addiction generally follow a pattern or cycle to their drug abuse. With an intervention, that cycle is broken. This can be a devastating, earth-shattering, but most importantly eye-opening experience for the addict. The whole point of an intervention is to educate the addict and their loved ones about addiction and how to handle it in a productive way. Drug and alcohol intervention allow an addict to regain the life that they thought was lost forever. Surrounded by the people that they love and care about, an addict is more likely to know that they are not alone, and that they can beat this addiction and successfully live a healthy and sober life.

There are two main drug and alcohol addiction intervention styles that exist (but there are much more out there). This does not mean that the drug intervention has to be strictly one or the other, but it does show that there is structure required to successfully have an intervention. It is important that the family receives professional help with a drug addiction intervention in order to achieve their goal of showing their loved one that he/she has a problem and needs help. Sometimes, self-lead interventions can cause serious issues with trust and boundaries within the family. They can sometimes veer away from progress. That is why these intervention styles exist – to help promote a successful recovery.

The most common intervention style is the Johnson Institute Model. It allows for the addict to realize that they don't need to destroy their lives, or hit rock bottom, to get the help they need. Through the Johnson Model, the family and friends of the addict can confront he/she about their negative and unhealthy behavior. Each person doing the confronting will explain how the individual's addiction has impacted their lives. The main focus of this type of drug intervention is to get the addicted individual the help they need.

A close second in popularity, the Family Systems Model does much of what the Johnson Model does, but in a way that strongly considers the needs of the families affected by the addict's destructive behavior. This model supports the family through counseling, which empowers them to detach themselves from the addict's negative cycle of abuse. The Family Model is extremely helpful in addressing the immediate needs of the family.

Although both of these models address the situation of an intervention in different ways, with the help of a certified intervention therapist, you and your loved ones can personalize the situation of drug addiction intervention in your own way and to your own benefit. If you feel that it is necessary, you can address both the needs of the addict and the needs of the families involved. Either way, it is extremely important that you get help for any type of situation where the abuse of drugs or alcohol are present. Do not wait to get the help you need.

Drug Intervention

Millions of Americans fall victim to drug and alcohol addiction each and every day. There are also millions of Americans who have overcome this devastating problem. Drug addiction not only destroys the lives of the users, it also destroys their families. A family may consist of brothers, sisters and parents, but more often, a family is made up of many close friends, relatives and even co-workers – the people who create a loving and caring support network. When addiction causes a person to lose control of their life, this network is the first to notice and the first to respond. It is important that these people create an environment of love and support, rather than one of hostility and hate. An intervention specialist can help to bring awareness to the addict and their family members on how exactly this can be done.

Addiction can control a persons life. This person may completely lose sight of who they are and who they want to be. It is devastating to love a person who can only function with drugs or alcohol in their system. It often seems as though an addict only loves their drug of choice and nothing else. Yet, no matter how off track they get, many addicts still believe they are in control of their lives and their drug use. Many addicts have a tendency to be completely unaware of just how much damage has been and is being done to their bodies. Because their friends and family watch this destruction unfold, they feel that it is up to them to do something to bring this individual back to themselves. This is called an intervention. An intervention is a selfless act done by a loved one to show an addict that they are cared about. This is often the first step towards the understanding of addiction – both for the addict and the loved one.

A drug intervention or alcohol intervention needs to be done with an expert or specialist. Many times, the addict is in extreme denial. They may not listen to what their loved ones have to say about addiction and treatment. They see substance abuse intervention as an attack on how they wish to live their life. Having a professional in this environment to help direct and focus the intervention can be very effective in helping the individual accept treatment and decide to change for the better.

Intervention for drugs and alcohol is a big step. This step shows how much the individual is cared for, and also provides a smooth transition into drug and/or alcohol treatment. An intervention is extremely important for an addict, of course, but it is just as important for their family and friends. It not only shows the addict that they need treatment, but it also allows their loved ones to better understand what the addict is going through and how to be supportive. It is never too soon or too late to tell and addict that you are concerned about their well-being.