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Planning an Intervention
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How To Plan an Intervention for Success
With 14.5 million people aged 12 and older in the United States dealing with alcohol use disorder (AUD), having a relative with alcohol dependence may be likely. People with AUD may be suffering the effects of addiction without knowing it. They may even be unknowingly hurting their loved ones in the process.
Concerned family members may consider planning an alcohol intervention to help their addicted loved one. Successful interventions for an alcoholic would mean that the person with AUD proceeds with necessary treatments to overcome their addiction and alcohol dependence. Here are some strategies to ensure a successful alcohol intervention to get a loved one the help they deserve.
Learning how to plan an intervention with support from a professional interventionist, therapist, or treatment center can provide the best chance of recovery.
Planning an Intervention
Gather Concerned Loved Ones
Successful alcohol interventions require careful planning and teamwork. A concerned family member or friend can reach out to other concerned loved ones to help with the intervention. When enough concerned people have expressed their desire to help their loved ones, seeking help from mental health professionals, therapists, or a professional interventionist is a good idea to organize the intervention.
Addiction professionals and mental health experts understand the different possibilities of alcohol addiction interventions. They can help concerned individuals prepare for the time when they face their addicted loved one. A professional intervention may include education about substance abuse, dual diagnosis conditions like anxiety or major depressive disorder, and the psychology of addictive behavior.
Planning an Intervention
Assess the Situation
During the planning stage, family members and friends who have gathered can discuss the extent of the addiction. They can assess how serious their loved one’s substance abuse issue is by noting whether there have been significant changes in their behavior. Understanding the addicted person as both a patient and a family member helps bring empathy and compassion to the process.
The intervention may call for different levels of treatment, depending on the condition’s severity. For instance, the addicted loved one may be struggling with denial, relapse, or even showing signs of suicidal ideation. In some cases, addictive behaviors may also involve domestic violence, codependency, or co-occurring mental health conditions like major depressive disorder.
Planning an Intervention
Prepare a Script
It may help to list the behaviors that an addicted individual has been expressing and how they affect others. Listing their behaviors may help the team understand how they feel about their loved one’s behaviors and that they want to see positive change. Professional guidance from a therapist or health professional can improve the script’s effectiveness.
Since interventions are planned events and do not occur at the spur of the moment, the event can potentially incite feelings of anger and resentment, regardless of intentions. Sometimes, the person undergoing intervention will feel a sense of betrayal. Including a message of empathy, compassion, and understanding may improve the addicted loved one’s response to intervention and help avoid defensiveness.
Planning an Intervention
Set Ultimatums
Professional interventionists can help concerned loved ones navigate the potential ill feelings by preparing them for the potential intervention failure ahead of time. A failed intervention might be the addicted loved one refusing treatment. Crisis intervention may then be needed to keep both the individual and the community safe.
In that case, they will continue with their concerning behavior. So, it would help to come to terms with setting an ultimatum if they refuse treatment. For instance, if a loved one’s addiction has turned them physically abusive toward their spouse, the spouse should be at peace with removing themselves from the abusive situation, especially if there are children involved. In other situations, parents may need to set limits around finances, drug use, or refusal to seek rehab or medication.
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