The person has a history of mental illness. The person is likely to get violent in reaction to the intervention. The person has exhibited suicidal behavior. The plan will depend on the severity of the addiction. [3] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Generally, having a session with a therapist can help a person gauge the level of care they need. It may be possible to treat the person in an outpatient setting. It may be enough to have a therapy session once a week. Or they may need inpatient treatment. [4] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Don’t invite people the person doesn’t like or trust. The person you’re trying to help could end up becoming upset and leaving instead of being receptive to getting help. Don’t invite people who might disrupt the intervention by getting too emotional or coming to the person’s defense. For example, the person you’re trying to help might be close to his little sister, but if she might end up taking his side and telling people he doesn’t really need to go to rehab, she’ll be doing more harm than good if she’s there during the intervention. If you think a certain person should be there, but he or she might disrupt the intervention, have him or her write a letter that can be read out loud instead of coming in person.
The treatment plan should incorporate ways your loved one can get professional help to overcome his or her addiction. This could mean going to rehab, getting psychotherapy, or beginning some kind of outpatient treatment program. Research facilities and decide what makes the most sense for the person you’re trying to help. Figure out what steps are required for admission, and have everything set up in advance. You may also need to figure out how the treatment will be funded. Prepare a list of support groups that your loved one can sign up for right away. You might want to offer to drive the person to the Have a plan in place for making sure the person physically gets to the treatment facility. If it’s an inpatient facility, have a plan of action for transporting the person there. If it’s an outpatient facility, assign a loved one to be responsible for driving the person to and from the facility on a regular schedule.
If family members have been hosting the person or lending him or her money, consequences might include cutting off financial aid, or asking the person to find another place to live. For those closest to the person, the consequence might be getting a divorce or changing the relationship in another way. Consider legal consequences as well. For example, instead of bailing the person out of jail after a drunk driving incident, family and friends might vow not to help out next time. There will be no more “rescues. ”
Communicate openly with one another and take notes on what the loved one is doing that is harmful to himself and others. Gather the facts about the person you are dealing with. Make confidentiality a clear rule for all partakers in the meeting. Consider creating a list of actions and behavioral patterns that will no longer be tolerated. Next to each activity, write what your action will be if the person continues these behaviors. Have people write down what they plan to say. It’s not necessary for people to memorize their lines; this isn’t a performance. The important thing is to cover all the bases without straying too far from the program. Anticipate the person’s reactions and have responses ready. If the person reacts defensively or with anger, everyone should be prepared to handle it without disrupting the intervention.
Make sure the plan doesn’t seem contrived. Ask the person to do something that’s not out of the ordinary. Everyone should already be gathered in the space by the time the person gets there. When the person arrives, state that it’s an intervention and tell the person that everyone has something they want to say.
Yelling or acting angry and confrontational is not advised. The person you’re trying to help might just get up and walk away if this takes place. People should keep these feelings to themselves for the sake of having a successful intervention. That said, it’s fine to express some amount of emotion. Expressing sadness and hope that things will get better could help move the person to action. It’s OK to cry. Avoid trying to lighten the mood or otherwise derail the serious discussion taking place.
Discuss what will happen if the option isn’t taken. It should be made clear that if the option isn’t taken, there will be consequences. Be ready for the person to express anger, start crying or even laugh. Stress the seriousness of the situation and don’t back down.
Many people feel cynical and negative during recovery, complaining about the treatment facility, the therapist, the other members in the support group, and so on. Do not give in if the person asks to end the treatment plan early. Resist the temptation to commiserate, since this can damage the person’s resilience. Don’t accept half measures. The person may argue that just two weeks of rehab was enough to cure the addiction, or that going to counseling three times a week is too much. Do what you can to help the person stick to the original treatment plan that was approved by a professional, since half measures don’t usually work. [6] X Research source
Even if the person refuses treatment, this doesn’t mean the intervention was pointless. Now the person knows that his or her family thinks there’s a serious problem. By getting these issues out in the open, family can stop the process of enabling the person’s addiction.
If another crisis happens later, take advantage of it. For example, if the person ends up in jail or in the hospital, use that experience to show the person that he or she really does need treatment. Having a second intervention may be helpful. Remember, you are helping him or her to heal. Sometimes, we need to endure the pain of a loved one in order to provide the person with the help needed to get well.
