Drug Intervention

If you have a drug or alcohol problem, and you realize that you need help, this section isn't for you. But if you have a friend, loved one or employee who is struggling with addiction, he or she may need help to realize the gravity of their situation. This section is for you.

Many people feel that unless an addict wants help, they can't be effectively treated. It's just not the case. Study after study has shown that those who enter drug treatment programs involuntarily (at the urging of family, employer or even the court system) can be just as successful in acknowledging and conquering their addictions as those who entered treatment of their own free will. When family, friends or an employer believe that the user needs help but refuses to seek it alone, "intervention" is the mechanism for breaking through the alcoholic/addict's denial. So what is intervention supposed to do?

If the progression of drug and alcohol addiction can be compared to an elevator's descent past dozens of potential stops on different floors, intervention is an attempt to end the user's elevator ride before he or she reaches the bottom.

Intervention involves bringing together a group of people with the addict to explore how his or her drug-related behavior has affected all their lives. Ideally, this meeting should take place when the user is not high or drunk, and when members of the group are not agitated or upset. Group members express their concerns, calmly but clearly explaining that they cannot continue to overlook the damage the user's behavior is inflicting on everyone involved.

The goal of intervention is to convince the alcoholic/addict to take concrete steps immediately following the meeting to get help for their addiction. Generally, this means moving the drug or alcohol user directly into a treatment program. Following the intervention, the alcoholic/addict may be very agreeable to get help, but he or she may also have a long list of reasons why doing so right now isn't possible.

Putting it off-even for a few days-is the typical alcoholic/addict's clever negotiating strategy. However, the intervention group must be firm in their resolve that delaying treatment (whatever the excuse) will not solve the user's core problems.

Intervention is a serious process, and some families or friends may feel the need to enlist the help of a trained professional. An interventionist can work with you to plan and conduct the intervention anywhere in the country. For more information on intervention, or for a referral to someone who can help, please call (800) 344-8794.