A sense of hopelessness and resignation abound.
Plenty of adjectives and feelings can and do describe what the experience of chronic drug use is like for the addict and the loving bystander, but those two appear to be present in all cases.
The user, your loved one – your brother, sister, mother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin, friend – seemingly resigned to their drug use. Denying the reality of the issues and problems it’s creating for themselves and others. The tension and terror. Perhaps they’re even content in the cocoon their drug of choice seems to provide.
The family and friends – you – increasingly hopeless as drugs sink their teeth in further. The grip getting tighter and tighter as time presses on.
You wonder what you can do to break through and reach them. To snap them out of the stupor of a substance use disorder.
That’s where drug intervention programs come into play and can serve as a literal and figurative lifesaver for all involved.
An intervention is a deliberate process by which change is introduced into an individual’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The overall objective of an intervention is to confront a person in a non-threatening way, allowing them to see their self-destructive behavior, and how they affect themselves, family and friends. Usually, this process of a drug intervention program involves several people who have prepared themselves to talk to a person who has been engaging in some sort of self-destructive behavior. In a clear and respectful way, they inform the person of factual information regarding his or her behavior and how it has affected them. The immediate objective of an intervention is for the self-destructive person to set aside the “denial” factor, become open-minded and accept help.
An intervention can be a helpful tool for any person, be it a friend, colleague or family member who is resistant or in denial to address his or her problem. At one time, there was an attitude that people couldn’t be helped unless they “hit bottom.” At Footprints of Serenity, our alcohol & drug intervention program in California help build our clients from their rock bottom with a strong foundation in the early stages of recovery.
- Intervention Planning
- Family Aftercare
- Recovery Coaching
- Treatment Assistance
- Case Management
- Sober Companionship
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As defined by the Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs & Health, an intervention is “a professionally delivered program, service, or policy designed to prevent substance misuse (prevention intervention) or treat a substance use disorder (treatment intervention).”
In more practical terms, an intervention is a deliberate and planned process by which change is introduced into an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The overall objective of an intervention is to confront a person in a non-threatening way, allowing them to see their self-destructive behavior and how it affects them, their family, and friends.
In essence, the concept of an intervention can be thought of as holding a mirror up in front of the addict, the one you care so deeply for, in an effort to truly make them see what they’re doing to themselves and those around them. How it affects not just their own life but the lives of everyone they know.
An important part of the process, as you may already be aware, is for them not to know an intervention is coming.
For it to be unexpected.
Why though?
There are a couple of main reasons why making sure it’s unforeseen is critical to success. One, if they know it’s coming, they can simply avoid showing up altogether and two, being given advance notice affords them a chance to create a defense that rationalizes their drug use in their minds, which can work to further cement their “need” to continue using and create a stronger barrier to accepting aid.
An intervention is jarring by design, it’s meant to surprise them and catch them off guard in a way. To compel them to honestly confront the effects their drug use is having in a genuinely candid way.
The Surgeon General’s report goes on, “…mainstream health care has long acknowledged the benefits of engaging family and social supports to improve treatment adherence and to promote behavioral changes needed to effectively treat many chronic illnesses…”.
To that end, usually the process of a drug intervention program involves several people – close family and friends whose message will resonate most – who have properly and thoroughly prepared themselves to talk to a person who has been engaging in some sort of self-destructive behavior.
Clearly and respectfully, you’ll inform the person of fact-based information regarding his or her behavior and how it’s affected them. Additionally, you’ll explain the effect that their drug use has had on you too.
For an intervention to have the greatest chance of success it should be professionally delivered. Which is to say that it needs to be overseen and guided by an intervention specialist who understands the process, the nature of addiction and how to help you navigate this delicate situation.
As you might’ve discovered on your own already, confronting someone who’s addicted in the wrong way may actually serve to entrench the substance abuse even more and increase their reluctance to agree to assistance.
Ultimately, our entire drug intervention program is working towards a singular, immediate objective; to get the addicted person – the one you all cherish so deeply that you’d put an intervention together for – to finally set aside the denial factor. To see the light so to speak, open their mind and accept the help that you’ve pre-arranged in consultation with your interventionist.
Drug addiction is a life or death issue and the power of an addict to deny there’s a problem at all is plainly a difficult one to overcome. An intervention is among the best tools at your disposal to create a revelatory moment for them. One that shakes them out of their trance and allows them to clearly see that they’re loved and should take the treatment being offered.
Because nothing else has worked.
Most people attempt to confront a persons behavior or situation through reasoning and discussion, usually one-on-one with little or no resolution (often times making the situation worse and creating more resistance). When these attempts fail, frustration may lead to anger and can go on for years.
An intervention includes friends and loved ones who support the individual towards a change. Executed in a logical, controlled, and loving manner. Focused on positive change in the individuals lifestyle with an open-mind. This has proven to be highly effective for our clients.
We have put together a network of treatment centers, detoxes, outpatient facilities, hospitals, psychiatrists and therapists in order to provide each of our clients with complete options when they come to us for substance abuse interventions. Our goal is to make the recovery process easy and inclusive so that both, the family and their addicted loved one, get the help they need.