Tips for Conducting an Intervention
When you discover someone you know is suffering from addiction, it can be hard to decide on how to approach the situation of helping them. Often that person does not realize or believe they have a problem and are reluctant to seek or discuss getting help. Conducting an intervention is a great way to get that individual to see their problem and accept treatment. An intervention is a meeting of family, friends, and/or coworkers who gather to discuss the problems at hand. Substance abuse interventions seek to persuade an individual that they have a problem that is affecting themselves and those around them. The goal is to help them realize they have a problem and need to get help. An intervention is a strong, supportive, and loving way to help an individual with an addiction. When done right, they are very therapeutic and helpful in getting an addict help for their addiction.
College
College is a place where young adults go to further their education and prepare for a success life in a career. It is also a place of rampant alcohol and drug abuse. It is well documented that an absurd number of college students have all the attributes to have a dependency issue. Students who use and abuse alcohol and drugs in college are at an elevated risk for addiction because the atmosphere encourages these behaviors. If you know a student or child is suffering from an abuse problem, an intervention is a great way to help them acknowledge the situation and get help.
Close Friends, Family, and Coworkers
The most important part of an intervention is the people that are part of it. Studies state that there should be at least three, but no more than ten people at an intervention. The people that are invited to an intervention should speak to the consequences they have been a part of or witnessed as a result of the addictive behavior. Not everyone has to speak, but it is important for the addict to hear concrete, personal situations that their addiction has affected negatively. It is important to make sure that everyone present should be emotionally mature enough to be a part of the intervention; all members of the intervention must be on the same page. Anyone who is a part of the negative behavior, is an enabler, or has ulterior motives should not be included.
Prepare in Advance
Rehearsing the intervention is an important part of conducting the actual intervention. It helps the participants feel comfortable and prepared for the real meeting. It gives these individuals a chance to discuss their comments, concerns, and questions; the feedback can be invaluable. Prior to the actual intervention, it is beneficial to designate a group leader. The group leader will keep everyone on track and ensure that the intervention is in order.
Plan the Time
It is important that the place and time are agreed upon in advance. Any distractions can cause the intervention to crumble. Therefore, everyone involved should have placed aside one to two hours of time for the intervention. All cell phones and other devises should be away and off to prevent unnecessary distractions.
‘Rock Bottom’
There is a very popular myth that an addict must hit rock bottom before they are able to receive help; this is completely false. As a matter of fact, many addicts get help before they have lost their families, friends, or jobs.
Intervention in College
As a result of the increased drug abuse and addiction problems in the United States, several colleges are participating in a drug free program. The program encourages education on addiction problems to prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Conducting an intervention in college can be successful in getting student to recognize their issues. With the support of friends and family, they can get the help they need. Since the atmosphere is conducive to alcohol and drug abuse, it might be necessary to remove the individual from that institution. Living at home and commuting to school might be a better situation for them to overcome substance abuse.
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