Interventions are often required when your loved one needs addiction treatment. Especially when an individual is unaware of their addiction, an intervention can be very effective when implemented correctly. Denial is a natural response to intervention. By hosting an intervention, you can help a loved one see the severity of their situation and seek help.
Your primary job during this time is to provide support and encouragement. You can host a successful intervention by following some simple steps. Keep in mind that it can be overwhelming. If planning the event feels like too much to handle, it can help to work with a professional interventionist.
What Is an Intervention?
An intervention is a gathering of friends, family, and loved ones. Intervention is typically associated with addiction or substance use disorder (SUD), but it can be used for other ailments as well. The group gathers to help a loved one experiencing SUD, behavioral addiction, mental illness, or chronic conditions. However, you could host interventions for all sorts of reasons. You may look to help a loved one leave a toxic relationship or live a healthier lifestyle.
What Happens During an Intervention?
The primary goal of an intervention is to make your loved one aware there is a problem, educate them on their options, and ultimately convince them to seek help. You will also provide resources to your loved one during an intervention. Additionally, the loved ones who gather can speak about how they have been affected by the addiction or illness.
It is important to note that this is not a time to make a loved one feel shame or guilt. However, hearing narratives about how their struggle has impacted the people they love can motivate them to seek the necessary help they require.
Interventions must be planned, though. You don’t want the intervention to fail. If you go into it without a proper plan, emotions will likely get the better of everyone. By thoroughly planning ahead, you can keep the intervention on track if things begin to go awry.
10 Steps to Hosting an Intervention
Once you understand more about interventions, their goal, and what situations warrant an intervention, you can begin to plan one effectively. Here are ten steps you can follow to host a successful intervention today.
#1. Seek Professional Help
This is optional, but seeking professional help increases the level of support and prevents you from planning one alone.
#2. Create an Intervention Team
Intervention teams consist of friends and family members who will gather to help a loved one. They’ll often participate in the planning.
#3. Make a Plan
An intervention is not something you can wing. Schedule a specific date and time, create a guest list, and develop a procedure to follow along with. You should have an itinerary long before you intervene. This will include the order in which people will speak.
#4. Research and Gather Information
As mentioned, part of the intervention consists of offering resources and treatment to your loved one. In order to provide the best information, you must research viable options. You must also obtain foundational knowledge. Ultimately, you need to know the basic facts about their illness to educate them.
#5. Write Out Your Narratives
Individuals attending will also want to write and rehearse their narratives or impact statements. You must prepare what you want to say and practice it. Emotions can run high during the event. Preparation is the best way to combat these intense emotions. These statements should not be used to attack your loved one. They should come from a place of honesty and compassion.
#6. Provide Support
In addition to offering resources, you must also provide support. That includes being involved throughout detox, rehabilitation, and recovery. You may provide car rides to and from treatment. Also, you might attend family counseling and group meetings with your loved one. Recovery is a long-term process, and your loved one will appreciate feeling supported throughout their sobriety journey.
#7. Set Boundaries
You must also set boundaries during an intervention. Your loved one needs to know what you will do if your loved one refuses treatment. You should implement consequences that protect your well-being. It may seem harsh at first, but these consequences show how serious you are about a loved one seeking help. Also, you should be prepared to follow through on the boundaries.
#8. Rehearse
Next, you must rehearse the plan. That includes each person reading through their narrative statements. An intervention is not time for tangents. Rehearse at least once to help individuals know what they will say, how long it will take, when to speak, and when to cede the floor.
#9. Manage Your Expectations
In addition to setting boundaries, you must manage your expectations. Not everyone seeks treatment immediately. You must understand that you can’t force your loved one into treatment. Also, a “no” isn’t a failure. Many people say no initially but come around in the days or weeks following.
#10. Follow Up
Lastly, follow up with your loved one. You should ask how the treatment is going and what you can do to help. When they are exiting treatment, you can talk about their continued support needs throughout recovery.
Many individuals struggling with addiction, mental illnesses, or other chronic conditions may not realize the severity of their situation. Interventions are often required when helping your loved one seek treatment. An intervention occurs when friends and family of your loved one gather to address the issue and offer help. The staff at Excel Treatment Center can help you prepare for an intervention. We believe it’s never too early or late to seek treatment. When your loved one is ready to seek treatment, we can offer them various levels of care that meet their unique needs. They’ll get access to all our support programs, setting them on the path to recovery. For more information, call Excel Treatment Center at (833) 883-9235.
