How a Drug Intervention Can Open The Door To Treatment

Recovery from drug or alcohol addiction is a long, hard battle for both the person fighting the disease and his loved ones. Oftentimes, the first step in the journey toward recovery is often initiated by the addict¹s loved ones - in the form of a drug intervention. If performed with adequate preparation, and, ideally with the services of a professional interventionist, the drug intervention will lead the addict directly to the thing he needs most-treatment.

A drug intervention should be performed as soon as possible in order to help an addict recover from his disease. Friends and family should never wait until the addict reaches ³rock bottom². There is no reason to prolong the agony. By then, it may be too late. The devastating effects of drug addiction, which manifests itself in the form of financial ruin, loss of family, imprisonment, and even death, may have already taken hold of the addict¹s life. The sooner the drug intervention occurs, the more pain and suffering that has been endured by all can be avoided.

An drug intervention is one way family and friends can convince the addict they love to seek the help he so desperately needs. In order to successfully facilitate a drug intervention, the family and friends need to learn how to communicate in a language the addict can understand. This language includes being completely honest with the person suffering from an addiction. Speaking openly and honestly with the addict about the effects his addiction is having on those around him is often the eye-opener he needs in order to see clearly enough to accept help.

There are many types of drug intervention models used by professional interventionists. Some of the more typical approaches include the following:

• The ARISE Drug Intervention Model involves family members in a collaborative process that reduces guilt and blame and allows the family, interventionist, and addict to stay focused on helping the addict get into treatment.
• The JOHNSON Drug Interventio Model is a style that raises the bottom for an addict, which can sometimes be death, by compassionately confronting the addict with the consequences of their addiction. The bottom is raised by precipitating a crisis in the addict`s life that is not threatening, damaging, or fatal and compels them into treatment.
• The SYSTEMIC Drug Intervention Model is an alternative to traditional confrontational intervention models because family, friends, and colleagues form a team to work with the dependent person and address the issues in a loving and respectful manner. It is a successful system precisely because the focus is on patient, but firm, coaching instead of negative confrontation.

There is no magic number of people needed to orchestrate a successful drug intervention. In addition to an interventionist, there can be as few as one additional person or as many as six to eight. What is critical is that each of the participants be someone the addict either loves or respects. Potential members of the intervention team are family and friends, as well as teachers, clergy, lawyers, and doctors. Anyone that might have an impact on the addict¹s thinking and emotions should be included in the intervention.

There are several key elements to a successful drug intervention:

1. Provide a sufficient opportunity for all family members and loved ones to voice their concern over the addict`s behavior in a passionate and loving manner
   
2. Provide information/education on the nature of addiction
   
3. Discuss the enabling behavior that has occurred during the progression of the disease
   
4. Direst the addict, and perhaps family members, to treatment.

If an drug intervention is successfully performed, the addict will seek the help he needs on the very same day. To accomplish this, however, each member of the team must be willing to work together toward a common goal and to be properly educated in the execution of an intervention.

Some families and loved ones choose to execute a drug intervention without the guidance of a professional. In most cases, however, it is best to involve the expertise of a seasoned intervention specialist or a drug rehab center in the development of an intervention plan. The professional intervention specialist or rehab center can help the team learn how to reach a common goal and how to use language the addict will understand, while helping to prevent the situation from escalating out of control.

Often, those who are performing the drug intervention worry that the addict will walk out in the middle of the intervention. It is best to have a contingency plan in case this does occur. Generally, the best course of action is to have one or two of the members of the intervention team follow the addict in order to gently persuade him to return to the intervention.

The ultimate goal of a drug intervention is to persuade the addict to get the help he needs with his addiction, and to get it that day. Therefore, it is best to already have a rehab center chosen and ready to admit him. Even if a staff member from the rehab center does not participate in the actual intervention, the center should be aware of the team¹s intentions. The worse case scenario, aside from the addict refusing help altogether, is to have no place for the addict to go for help upon successful completion of an intervention.

When selecting a rehab center for the addict, it is important to consider what type of center is best suited to the addict's needs. The types of programs offered, the location of the rehab center, and the approach used by the center can all have an impact on the overall success. The rehab center will need as much detail as possible regarding the addict including drug, family, medical and psychological histories. Work closely with the staff before the intervention to ensure the center is the best choice for all involved.

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