The Intervention Process

The list needn’t be exhaustive. What are needed are people who have been personally affected by the user’s behavior, and who can speak about how the user has changed physically and emotionally.

These people should meet before the actual intervention to formulate a plan. Someone should contact a treatment center or substance abuse counselor, to make arrangements for the drug user’s next step.

The participants should determine what they will say, and what they expect the user to do. They should also be prepared to deal with the drug user’s objections. There should be agreement among the group as to the consequences they are willing to impose, if the user does not agree to get the help the group desires.

Then, it’s time for the intervention. If all goes as planned, the meeting will lead to the drug user expressing his or her willingness to take the next step. This step should immediately follow the meeting (if the goal is for the user to enter rehab, the user should be transported to the rehab center and admitted right away). Drug users will find dozens of “reasonable” reasons for postponing this, but any delay only allows the user’s defenses and denial to be rebuilt.

Intervention Specialists
Like surgery, an intervention is a serious and delicate matter. While all those involved hope it will be successful, many things can go wrong—any of which decreases the odds for success.

Precisely because family members and others may have begged, pleaded or threatened the drug user before, he or she may not be open to hearing what the intervention participants are trying to communicate. Old hurts and past failures may interfere with the present attempt to help the user deal with his or her addiction.

For these reasons, many people find it useful to enlist a professional to oversee the intervention. This can be a substance abuse counselor, therapist or clergy member. There are also people who undergo specialized training in this field. They are known as “intervention specialists” or “interventionists.”

These people understand the dynamics of an intervention. They know how drug users may try to lie or talk their way out of taking action after the intervention. They can also moderate the conversation, circumventing arguments and keeping the process on track. Interventionists are skilled at holding the drug user’s feet to the fire, dismissing excuses and irrelevant matters, while moving the meeting toward its desired outcome.

If you’re considering an intervention, you can receive a referral to a trained professional by using our “contact us” form for more information.

Please call now if this is urgent: (800) 231-6025

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