Is someone you love struggling with an addiction?
Do you want to convince them to get help by holding an intervention? If so, then you need to make sure you go about it in the right way.
In this post, we’ll help you to better understand how to hold an intervention.
We’ll ensure that you know what to say, who to have there, and whether or not you should hire a professional.
Read on to learn how to stage an intervention, so that you can get the loved one the help they need before it’s too late.
1. Do your Research
When you’re trying to understand how to hold an intervention, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration.
First of all, you need to be able to answer the question, “What is an intervention?”
Though the site we linked to will certainly explain this in more detail, in a nutshell, an intervention is a meeting between the family members and loved ones of an addict, and the addict themselves.
The purpose of an intervention is to try to get the addict to accept treatment and recognize that they have completely lost control of their lives as a result of their substance or alcohol abuse.
You should also ensure that this is truly the right time to stage an intervention. Get together with the people you want in the room and talk about why this is the moment.
Have you reached your breaking point? Is the addict stealing from you or exploiting you? Is their addiction severely interfering with their life? Do you feel that they have truly hit rock bottom?
If so, then now is likely the time to stage an intervention.
You should also consider the different types of treatment available, and which ones you think will be the best fit for the addict.
2. Pick the Right People
To understand how to do an intervention that’s effective but not overwhelming, you need to think carefully about the people that you want to involve.
In general, you want to keep the number as small as possible. Yes, a large group of people begging someone to get help might initially seem effective to you.
However, to an addict, the attention may feel aggressive and uncomfortable.
Decide who is really essential. Often, family members or roommates and romantic partners are those who have been most impacted by someone’s addictions.
Make sure that you ask these people if they themselves are comfortable participating. Explain to them why you feel that their presence and input would be valuable.
Understand that, no matter how you try to convince them, that some people will simply not be comfortable participating in an intervention.
We know that it’s difficult.
However, it’s best not to press the situation. Make sure that the people in the room truly want to be there if you want to get the best possible result for the addict.
3. Focus on the “Why”
When you’re considering how to best stage an intervention, you need to make sure that you have the words to express why you want your loved one to seek help.
Remember that, although it can be seriously tempting, it’s about more than just piling on the addict about how their behavior is causing you problems. Instead, you need to focus on what they’re missing out on in life by letting addiction control them.
Highlight the good things about the addict — what you miss about them, positive memories, and things of that nature.
Also — and this is the hard part — your intervention should include some sort of discussion of the consequences of the addict not taking the help you’re offering.
Be loving, but firm.
Let them know that now is not the time for a compromise.
4. Consider Hiring a Professional
In some cases, it can be incredibly tough to understand how to stage an intervention on your own.
You may simply feel more comfortable working with someone who has experience as a professional interventionist or a therapist.
You may also fear that there’s a high possibility that your loved one will retaliate or refuse to accept the help.
Or, you may feel that the situation is so extreme that it’s simply too difficult to manage on your own.
Whatever the case, it’s important to remember that help is available. A professional interventionist can help you to craft impactful statements. They may turn you onto programs that you didn’t even know existed, like a wilderness sober living retreat.
They can even offer family counseling services and support groups, like Al-Anon.
After all, remember that a loved one’s addiction can often impact you and your family members. In order to help someone overcome an addiction, you also need to take care of yourself.
Are You Ready to Stage an Intervention?
We know that understanding how to do an intervention can feel incredibly stressful and emotional.
However, making sure that you’ve taken the time to stage an intervention carefully can make the process easier on everyone. The proper preparation also increases the likelihood of the intervention being a success.
Pick the right people, do your research, and focus on the why.
Looking for even more advice about how to help the addict in your life?
We want to be able to help you.
Be sure to check out our website and blog for more information on how to help the one you love win back control over their life.
