Addiction is never an easy problem to solve. It’s almost never a random occurrence and instead develops after years of a person avoiding some deeply rooted issue or trauma, causing depression or worse. No matter where it comes from though, it’s always hard to watch addiction ruin a person’s life.
People who are addicted to drugs or alcohol may steal and cheat to fund their addictions. They may victimize their family and friends, who want nothing more than to see them get better. To put an end to this kind of better, it’s best to know how to stage an intervention – the right way.
Interventions are rarely done the way Hollywood portrays them. There usually isn’t a group of people sitting around the living room, waiting for someone with an addiction to come into the room. Instead, an intervention should be designed to be as relaxed as possible, while clearly stating that there will be consequences if a person doesn’t accept treatment.
Keep reading below to learn four tips to ensure your loved one gets the help they need.
1. Learn How to Stage an Intervention from Experts
Before you ever schedule an intervention or get people together to do one, you need to do your research. Going into an intervention without knowing what to expect can backfire. It can jeopardize your relationship with your loved one, as they may start to think you betrayed their trust.
Talk to psychologists, counselors, or even faith leaders about how to best intervene on someone’s addiction. Be sure to also do research on your own. And remember that every person is different – there is no surefire way to stage an intervention. Tailor the intervention around them, so that your message will resonate.
2. Have a Clear Goal in Mind
Your intervention should not be over until the person has agreed to something. Interventions aren’t done unless you want to get something done. For the most part, people stage interventions to convince a person that they need to get help and so you the intervention shouldn’t end until they are in treatment.
That means your goal should be clearly defined throughout the group. You should also take steps to ensure your loved one will be able to walk right into treatment, without having to arrange it themselves. You can learn how to arrange treatment for someone by speaking with experts or researching online.
3. It’s About Your Loved One, Not You
The most important thing to understand about interventions is that they’re about the person, not the group. You need to schedule it at a time when your loved one will be able to sit down and talk. You also need to know how to connect with them, whether it’s through shared memories of the good times or concern over the present.
It’s Never Wrong to Intervene on Addiction
Sometimes, you may feel guilty about intervening in someone’s life. It can feel like it’s not your place to cast judgment on someone else’s behavior. Yet, if you truly care about them, then you’ll want to make sure they live their life to the fullest.
This is how you do that.
Learning how to stage an intervention is just one step to getting someone the help they need. Next, you need to learn about their situation. For that, keep reading here. Addiction is becoming an epidemic, and we follow it so you can learn about the lives of addicts.