Get Involved Now: Steps for Staging an Addiction Intervention
You’re not imagining it — addiction is on the rise throughout the world.
You never thought it could happen to someone you know. But, whether it’s prescription pills, alcohol, street drugs, or even gambling, there’s no denying that a close friend or family member is struggling with addiction.
You want to stage an addiction intervention to help them get their lives back on track and encourage them to seek help.
Read on to learn how to get it right.
1. Decide Who Should Be There
First, decide who should be present at the addiction intervention.
Usually, this includes close family members, romantic partners, and sometimes friends. These people should be involved even if the relationship between them and the addict is strained, if possible.
It should not involve people who are also addicted to drugs or alcohol. In many cases, it’s best that young children sit out interventions, but it’s a personal, family-based choice.
2. Set Consequences
This is often the most difficult part of addiction intervention, but it’s also one of the most important.
Even if you think you’re giving a loved one with an addiction money, food, shelter, rides, or other favors because it’s helping them?
In reality, what you’re doing is enabling them to keep being an addict. Stop making it easy for them to keep acting how they have been by putting firm and tangible boundaries in place.
Tell them what you’ll stop doing for them if they don’t get help. Outline your consequences clearly.
3. Consider Hiring a Professional
Especially if the goal of staging an intervention is to get the addict to enter into a Detox Rehab program, you may want to hire an expert to help guide you.
They’ll be able to introduce you to the top programs for a specific addiction.
They can also keep the addiction moving forward, help you to articulate your thoughts, and even tell you how to proceed if the addict walks out or says no.
4. Approach with Love
The key to how to stage an intervention?
Remind the addict that you’re coming to them from a place of love. Tell them how their addiction has impacted your life. Make certain to focus on the things you miss doing with them, because you’ve taken a backseat to their addiction.
Bring up specific happy memories, and tell them that you want them back in your life more than anything.
Stage a Successful Addiction Intervention with These Tips
Now that you know how to stage a successful addiction intervention, it’s time to begin the process.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, to be honest, and to express a wide range of emotions. Remember that there are also counseling resources available for loved ones of addicts.
Need more help understanding addiction? Want to learn more about effective treatment options?
We can help.
Spend some time on our blog to learn more about how to stop the cycle of addiction — whether you’re suffering yourself or someone you love has a problem with drugs or alcohol.