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Do Interventions Work?
Many interventions result in the person suffering from addiction agreeing to go to treatment. There are many factors that can influence whether your intervention is a success.
Some people who are living with addiction do not agree to go to treatment at the time of the intervention. While this isn’t the desired outcome, it doesn’t mean that the intervention was a failure. If the person living with addiction begins to think about the effect their disease has on their family and starts to consider treatment, the intervention had a positive effect.
To increase the chances that your intervention is successful, it’s important that you work with a professional. Other factors that contribute to a successful intervention can include:
Plan the intervention ahead of time. When you’ve dealt with a loved one’s addiction for years, it’s normal to have moments when you feel fed up. While it can be tempting, this is not the best time to stage an intervention. A successful intervention takes planning and is not the result of a moment of frustration that leads to an ultimatum.
Do your research and understand what your loved one is facing. Learning more about substance use disorder and why it can feel impossible to simply stop using is key to a successful intervention. The more you understand your loved one’s addiction, the more you’ll be able to create a successful intervention.
Communicate with other family members before the intervention. Decide who should be on the intervention team. Choose people close to the person who is struggling with addiction. Do not include people who are struggling with their own addiction to be a part of the intervention team.
Ask for a decision during the intervention. Many people who are living with addiction try to buy themselves time by asking for a few days to think about whether they’d like to attend treatment. Their reasons for delaying treatment may sound valid (needing to check in with their employer, or needing to find childcare, for instance). Planning the intervention ahead of time can make these questions a non-issue.