Addiction Intervention
Addiction intervention often is the families’ only remaining option when dealing with a loved one addicted to drugs and Alcohol that refuses to stop drug or alcohol abuse. This should not occur as the addict does not necessarily need to hit bottom to realize addiction rehabilitation is possible. The addict denies Drug and Alcohol addiction because the moment an addict admits he or she is suffering addiction is the very second something has to be done about it.
Denial and refusal to get help goes against everything the drug addict or alcoholic knows as pro-survival. In other words he needs to commit substance abuse to feel normal, drugs or alcohol have value and mean survival to the addict.
Addiction intervention is used as a last resort and shouldn’t be. Lots of pain and heartache can be prevented when using a professional interventionist to perform addiction intervention. Professional interventionists can be employed despite the anguish of past experiences. Addiction interventions are successful ninety percent of time of the family holds firm. Learn more about interventions, interventionists and how the process works.
Addiction Intervention and Intervention processes
Addiction intervention
Addiction intervention is a pre-planned attempt by one or many people (family, friends, co-workers, neighbors) to get the addict to seek professional Addiction Treatment, enter a Drug Rehab, Alcohol Rehabilitation or Substance Abuse treatment center. Interventions can be held by family members and close friends and take place as part of the addiction rehabilitation process. It is never too early to do an addiction intervention, but it can most assuredly be too late.
The first part in planning an intervention is to find the correct substance abuse Treatment, Drug Treatment, Drug Rehabilitation or Alcohol Rehab program for the drug or alcohol addict. Normally those seeking help will work out the best option for treatment and often the drug Treatment Center or alcohol Rehab will have an addiction intervention company they work closely with or professional interventionist on staff that can assist. Choosing the drug rehab first reduces the confusion and speeds up the process of getting the addict into the substance abuse treatment or drug rehabilitation program
Addiction Intervention processes
Informal Intervention
An informal intervention is usually a conversation a family member, friend or co-worker whom the drug addict or alcoholic trusts and whose opinion he or she values. These interventions are usually non confrontational and often done as a means to handle the drug or alcohol problem before things get out of hand.
Pointers for an informal intervention:
- Understand the components and mechanics of addiction.
- Speak to a professional about doing the intervention
- Find a neutral spot to approach when the addict is sober and in a calming, private place
- Plan what you're going to say & mentally prepare yourself for the intervention.
- Convey your affection and respect to the addict.
- Don’t attempt to make the person feel wronged or ashamed, getting addiction treatment is a good thing, love and help should be conveyed to the person with the problem.
- Stirring already mounting feelings of guilt and shame only cause upset and make matters worse, if things get out of hand, withdraw.
Assumption intervention
This type of addiction intervention is done by leaving information about drug or alcohol addiction and substance treatment lying around in hopes the drug or alcohol addict will become curious and seek drug treatment on their own. Although addiction interventions of this type can be plausible, they are rarely successful although worth the attempt to avoid turning matters confrontational and possibly violent.
Addiction Intervention Models
There are basically two models of addiction intervention that are commonly practiced by Addiction Intervention specialists today. The Johnson Model, which is based on the philosophy, seeks to break the denial of the individual. The second and more recent addiction intervention model is predicated on Motivational Interviewing. It accepts the denial as unimportant to other core issues.
Addiction Intervention - Johnson Model
The Johnson Model of Intervention is named after Vernon Johnson who is thought by some to be the father of intervention. Johnson believed that it was a myth that individuals would wake up one day and realize all of their own volition that they needed to seeks treatment for their alcohol or drug problem.
In the Johnson Model a professional interventionist helps family, friends and even employers to confront the drug addict or alcoholic individual. Many interventionists today will have each family member express their care for the person in their own words. This will be followed by statements of how the chemically dependant person is hurting his or her self as well as hurting the speaker. This will be followed by guarantees of support for the positive behavior of entering treatment, but also an explanation of negative consequences if the individual refuses substance abuse treatment. In this way the proverbial "bottom" is raised so that the chemically dependant person may seek help before doing further damage. If these consequences are not met and held firm, the intervention will not work. The drug addict or alcoholic has to know his behavior is not okay and will not be tolerated anymore or he will never agree to get help.
Addiction Intervention and Motivational Interviewing
In 1991, long after the Johnson Model had been accepted as the best practice model of intervention, William Miller, of the University of New Mexico, and Stephen Rollnick, facult at the University of Wales College of Medicine, developed a research based approach to intervention. Their seminal work Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People to Change Addictive Behavior acknowledges that not all individuals may be open to the direct tactics employed by the Johnson intervention model.
In their work Miller and Rollnick propose a methodological approach which looks at stages of change in the client. Through Motivational Interviewing they seek to have the professional counselor, or interventionist, work with the addict to gain willingness to change. Obviously, inherent in this is an assumption that the drug addict or alcoholic will desire change when they understand how and why their substance abuse is causing harm. The addiction counselors or addiction interventionist appropriate course of action is therefore determined by the driving motivations behind the addicts desire to change. Motivational Interviewing suggests that "client resistance is a therapist problem"; not the problem of the client. In this model addiction intervention professionals take corrective courses in their own actions to bring about change in the client.
Addiction interventionist
Addiction interventionist should have a good understanding of addiction and the components therein. He or she must also possess of sense of leadership and comfort the family in his confidence he will get the drug addict or alcoholic help and on his or her way to Addiction Recovery. An addiction interventionist must have a sense of integrity and personal value in order to properly help the family and loved one. Many interventionists know the proper for addiction treatment needed and should convey those concerns to the family. This means going to the trouble and expense of performing an addiction intervention should result in the drug addict or alcoholic entering the best possible addiction treatment option that will ensure permanent addiction recovery.
Addiction Intervention and AddictionWatch.com
When in need of and addiction interventionist for an alcohol rehab or substance abuse treatment center for alcoholism or looking for the right addiction treatment center, it is important to consider all the facets of alcoholism, Drug Addiction or substance abuse and realize there are alcohol rehab programs out there that do not necessarily have the best interest of you or you’re loved one at heart.
Most alcohol rehab or substance abuse treatment centers for alcoholism offer one of four types of drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs that vary in cost, length and most importantly success. These programs offer many different kinds of treatment for the recovery of addicts, like inpatient treatment, outpatient rehab, detox facilities, and sober living homes. Inpatient or residential alcohol rehab is generally designed for addicts who require more intensive treatment from their addictions where they will reside with supervision and counseling from certified addiction treatment professionals. Outpatient alcohol rehab is usually for those addicts who have less severe addictions and might achieve success in a drug rehabilitation program with a few addiction counseling sessions a week for several hours, then return home at the end of the day. Detox is the first step in recovering from addiction to alcohol and benzodiazepines and offered at some addiction Treatment Centers, but only those with medical equipment and staff on hand to handle the safe detoxification of addicts in a comfortable environment.
For more information and help finding an addiction interventionist or learning more about addiction and alcohol rehab centers, please feel free to explore our website. If you have questions about your drug or alcohol use or that of a loved one, please call us at 1-866-989-4499. We are here to help!
