With the growing publicity and popularity of A & E’s show Intervention, many people are becoming familiar with the intervention process. It has gotten to the point where it is not uncommon for me to be leading an intervention and have the addict walk in, peruse the room and smugly remark, “Oh I’ve seen this before on TV. This is an intervention. Lets just get this over with.”

And from my experience, the truth of the matter is that whether the addict has seen the show or not, really has not impacted the success of my interventions one way or another. Regardless of the Intervention show, most of the addicts I’ve dealt with have had some inclination that something would be happening to them by way of family involvement or intervention. It is just a matter of time before the family steps in with a formal intervention and occasionally the addict will ask why the intervention did not take place sooner.

The impact of the A & E Intervention show has affected how the family participants of an intervention perceive how the process of intervention works. For example, most of the Intervention shows I’ve seen typically use a surprise party approach where family participants communicate with the addict by reading a series of letters. I want to make it clear that this is an excellent approach and one that has been successful going back decades. The proof is in the pudding. Look how many addicts on the show make it to treatment (though keep in mind they do use some of the most respected interventionists in the industry).

Where I see an impact on the family members is when I receive a call from an intervention participant who is already prepared with intervention letters before I have even assessed the case. They’ll proudly tell me that they have seen almost every episode of Intervention, they’ve prepard their letters and they are ready to go full speed ahead. While I fully support their enthusiasm and eagerness to get things rolling, I do point out that there is much more to do.

For example, the pre-intervention meeting. In the Intervention show, there is not sufficient coverage of what goes on during this meeting. My hunch is that the reason for the minimal coverage during what I believe is a critical component of the intervention process, is that it would be far too boring for TV. The minutia that is so important during this phase would likely cause a mass exodus on the part of TV viewers. Viewers are presented a taste of what goes on during the pre-intervention meeting, but the all important, and time consuming, nuts and bolts are left out.

While I absolutely love A & E’s Intervention show, I think it is important for viewers considering an intervention to call professional interventionists, ask questions and understand that there is much more to the process than what is depicted on TV. For information on interventions, visit Steven Lodge Interventions, or call 866 534 4443.