Addiction Intervention

An addiction intervention can help your loved one voluntarily decide to get the help he or she needs. You may have tried talking to your family member or friend in the past without success. Following an addiction intervention plan can help you persuade your loved one much easier than pressuring him or her to receive help.

Learn how to conduct an addiction intervention for your loved one.

The goal of an addiction intervention is to have your loved one understand how much he or she has affected family and friends and decide to either start a drug/alcohol addiction outpatient or inpatient program.

The meeting should include important people in the addict's life and a counselor or mediator (someone unrelated to the person). The outside member should be someone who has experience in interventions and can lead the meeting in the right direction. Emotions will get in the way of effectively helping your loved one; a counselor or mediator will be able to keep the meeting on track.

• Set up a treatment program.

To make the goal of the intervention attainable, you need to have treatment set up so there is no time to go back on a decision. It's best if you can have transportation available for the addict to go straight to the drug or alcohol program location.

• Write personal letters.

Before conducting the addiction intervention, sit down with family and friends and discuss your thoughts about your loved one's life at this time. Reminisce about the good times, and try to remember what the person was like before the addiction took over. Write these feelings in a letter you will share with your loved one during the meeting. The letter should be heartfelt and emotional. Insulting your loved one or using tough love is not beneficial at this time because it will only make him or her defensive and resist your requests.

• Set up ultimatums.

A key component in an addiction intervention is making the person understand that family and friends will no longer enable or continue to pacify the addiction. Each loved one should think of one way he or she has helped the addict buy drugs and alcohol such as providing free housing, lending money or ignoring inappropriate behavior. During the session, you will give him or her an ultimatum; if the addict refuses to receive treatment, he or she will no longer receive the things that enable his or her drug/alcohol use. It's important to keep your word if the intervention is unsuccessful. The person may try to test you to see if you really will no longer provide what you say you won't.

• Set up a location and invite loved one.

Set up a location where you can easily get the addict to meet you. You may have to lie to get the person there without suspicion of the addiction intervention. You might think the addict will walk out as soon as he or she sees everyone gathered around. but usually the person is shocked and curious enough to stay and hear what everyone has to say.

• Explain the meeting.

Once the addict sits down, the counselor or mediator will explain the reason for the meeting. Before asking loved ones to read their letters, the counselor/mediator will ask if the person is willing to receive treatment. It's not until the addict denies help that loved ones begin reading their letters.

• Read letters and give ultimatums.

The loved one who is the most important person in the addict's life should go first. This loved one is usually the most influential to the person so there is a stronger likelihood the addict will listen and agree to treatment. After reading the letter, the loved one should ask if the addicted person will voluntarily seek help. If the answer is still no, the same loved one will then tell the addict that he or she will no longer be able to live rent free in his or her home or receive loans, etc. At this point, the next person will read his or her letter and follow the same steps as the first person.

As soon as your loved one agrees to seek treatment, there is no need to continue the meeting. Family and friends should congratulate and show the person how happy they are he or she has made this decision. Telling the person how proud you are and supporting him or her through this difficult time will further encourage and motivate that person to recover from his or her addiction.

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