Drug and alcohol intervention is without a doubt a very sensitive and delicate thing. Make no mistake, this is something that cannot be taken lightly and it is something that should be approached with care and consideration. The fact of the matter is that substance abuse and addiction is such a delicate and sensitive issue that the crisis can get bad and it can get bad fast if those who are involved with it are not careful. Studies show that ninety percent of those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol are not in fact willing to seek out rehab and will in fact just continue to use and abuse drugs and alcohol no matter what. The fact is that such individuals fully believe that they are in control and that they can handle their own addiction and still be able to live well and live successfully. Such is of course not at all the case.
With the knowledge that ninety percent of those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol will need to be rehabilitated, it can be safely extrapolated that nine out of ten addicts in the United States will need to be intervened on. That is just the way it is and it has always been that way, the only difference now is that there are far more people in the United States today who are addicted to drugs and alcohol than there ever used to be before. There have been some big changes in the nation and the issues and these problems have just gotten worse and worse and have shown no sign of getting any better any time soon either.
What to Watch Out for in an Intervention
An attempted intervention is better than a lack of an attempt. That is a stable datum that can be applied to anyone’s concerns or considerations about doing an intervention. The truth of the matter is that drug and alcohol addiction in a person who is not willing to go to rehab cannot be defeated unless that person actually does get the help that they really do need. The fact of the matter is that such individuals cannot move forward or really start to succeed until they are actually intervened on and put through rehab. So, with that in mind keep in mind that any attempts or efforts you make at intervening with them, no matter their success or lack thereof, are better than a complete lack of intervention attempts.
There are a few tips that can be gone over to try and create the highest degree of success as possible when it comes to intervention. There are a few key, “Do not’s”, that when examined closely can help someone see just what they should avoid doing to try and maximize their success rates when it comes to their upcoming intervention attempt:
- An intervention is not coercive. Don’t ever try to force an addict into anything. Don’t threaten them. Don’t coerce them. Don’t try to control them. Don’t make a big deal out of your authority or higher position. None of this will work on an addict, and they will just become defensive and unpleasant and become very unwilling to go to rehab.
- An intervention cannot be shame-based. You can never make an addict feel ashamed or shame them into going to rehab. The approach to intervention that is a successful one does not include this. In fact, a successful approach to addiction recovery starting with intervention actually begins and ends with love and compassion, not shame and blame.
- An intervention cannot be hurtful or angry. This is the key here. Interventions have got to be as pleasant as possible, with as much compassion and love and understanding and solidarity as possible, never hurtful words or angry attitudes.
- An intervention cannot be an ambush or an uncaring attack on the person. Doom and gloom have no place in an intervention. That is an unpleasant and uncaring approach that simply does not work. Attacking an addict will just result in the addict getting more defensive and unwilling to go to rehab as it is.
- An intervention absolutely has to be a planned interaction between an individual and a group whose sole purpose is to modify the individual’s dependence on a harmful substance or practice. The whole idea is to show your love and hope for the person, not show them harm or anger.
There are few mistakes that you can make in an intervention. The above are really the only ones, and if these tips are followed and followed properly then it is likely that better successes will be had overall.
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