Watching someone you love caught in the undertow of addiction is one of the most emotionally painful experiences there is. An addiction intervention is often the last resort for loved ones who feel like they are helplessly watching the person they love destroy themselves. But when is an intervention needed? This article will help you decide.

When to Begin the Intervention Conversation

The truth is if you are discussing intervention with your family and friends already or you’re about to–there’s a reason for that. Trust your instincts. If you feel the need to think seriously about intervening, then it’s time. The truth is we have heard from countless families who wish they had sought help to stage an intervention. 

For what it’s worth, we’ve never spoken to anyone who truly regretted it. So, if you’re thinking about intervening, don’t keep it to yourself. Discuss it with people you trust not to ruin the element of surprise. 

One approach to a weighty decision is often to first weigh the pros and cons.

The pros of staging an intervention include:

• Stopping the danger almost immediately.
• Provides structure and a plan where there was only chaos
• Potentially saving the life of someone you love.
• Beginning the healing process for the family
• Getting professional help for the person you love. 

The cons of staging an intervention might be:

• Emotional turmoil, interventions can be pretty dramatic.
• Resentment from the person being intervened upon (at least in the beginning)
• Embarrassment, if you’re wrong about addiction being present. (unlikely)
• Risk of escalating the situation if the intervention fails.
• Setting boundaries can cause strained family relationships

Listen to Your Gut

Let your instincts serve as an early warning system. Don’t ignore them. Also, remember that denial can be a serious obstacle when it comes to helping someone else with addiction. Not only their denial but your own and that of others. No one wants to believe the worst about someone they love. When someone in active addiction denies using, the temptation to believe them can be deceptively powerful. Others may rise to that person’s “defense”, even when you have plenty of evidence suggesting there is a problem. 

Moving Forward with Intervention

Once you decide to move forward with staging an intervention, it’s important to keep a lid on things. The element of surprise is essential. So is careful planning. There is a lot that can go wrong in an intervention, unfortunately. Addiction is a wily beast. It will look for absolutely any opening to wriggle through and it will find it. There are few things as determined as an addiction that’s been cornered. 

Any plan for intervention must not only be airtight but it also must be executed with precision. Now, we don’t mean that things won’t get messy and emotional. They probably will. The precision part is in your actions. Everyone must present a united front, do their part, say their piece, and hold any boundaries that are set. This is essential. The better you can do these things, the better the chances for success. 

When is an Intervention Needed? If You’re Unsure, Talk to Recovery Care Partner

The bottom line is that your best bet is to hire a professional interventionist whenever possible. There’s one very simple reason for this. It dramatically increases the odds of success. In order for an intervention to succeed, the person must effectively “surrender” and comply with the conditions. 

Generally, that’s going to be admitting to a program for addiction treatment, among other things. As explained above, there’s a lot that can go wrong in an intervention. A trained professional who is not emotionally involved and who has conducted dozens of these is in a much better position to create an effective plan, coach the family and lead you to a successful conclusion. 

For expert addiction consulting and intervention support, contact Recovery Care Partner at 855-727-2887