Why interventions work

Davis says in his personal experience, the interventions he facilitates are a success about 95 percent of time meaning the person is willing to enter a treatment program.

Whether the person ultimately gets sober, however, is unclear, though he does try to stay in touch with many of the families. There are varied professional opinions when it comes to how effective an intervention can be, both in the short-term and in the long run.

One complicating factor is that addiction often goes hand-in-hand with other mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. About 50 percent of people addicted to drugs or alcohol will have other psychiatric disorders, says Saxon.

The primarily concern is that interventions can turn confrontational. A classic example: the intervention scene from the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Sarah Reagan, Ph. One way to locate an intervention pro is to call an established residential or outpatient addiction center and ask for names and contact numbers of the interventionists they work with and would recommend.

If you believe a loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, and you are considering staging an intervention, "be very non-confrontational and non-accusatory, and try not to strong arm the person into doing something.

Do it in an empathic way. Express love, show support and how much you care and want to help. And hope for the best. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. How to Eat Like Chris Hemsworth.

An intervention can motivate someone to seek help for alcohol or drug misuse, compulsive eating, or other addictive behaviors. Discover when to hold one and how to make it successful.

It's challenging to help a loved one struggling with any type of addiction. Sometimes a direct, heart-to-heart conversation can start the road to recovery. But when it comes to addiction, the person with the problem often struggles to see it and acknowledge it. A more focused approach is often needed. You may need to join forces with others and take action through a formal intervention.

People who struggle with addiction are often in denial about their situation and unwilling to seek treatment. They may not recognize the negative effects their behavior has on themselves and others.

An intervention presents your loved one with a structured opportunity to make changes before things get even worse, and it can motivate him or her to seek or accept help. An intervention is a carefully planned process that may be done by family and friends, in consultation with a doctor or professional such as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor or directed by an intervention professional interventionist.

It sometimes involves a member of your loved one's faith or others who care about the person struggling with addiction. During the intervention, these people gather together to confront your loved one about the consequences of addiction and ask him or her to accept treatment.

The intervention:. A successful intervention must be planned carefully to work as intended. A poorly planned intervention can worsen the situation — your loved one may feel attacked and become isolated or more resistant to treatment. Consulting an addiction professional, such as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, a social worker, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or an interventionist, can help you organize an effective intervention.

An addiction professional will take into account your loved one's particular circumstances, suggest the best approach, and help guide you in what type of treatment and follow-up plan is likely to work best. Often interventions are conducted without an intervention professional, but having expert help may be preferable. Sometimes the intervention occurs at the professional's office. It may be especially important to have the professional attend the actual intervention to help you stay on track if your loved one:.

It's very important to consult an intervention professional if you suspect your loved one may react violently or self-destructively. An intervention team usually includes four to six people who are important in the life of your loved one — people he or she loves, likes, respects or depends on. This may include, for example, a best friend, adult relatives or a member of your loved one's faith. Your intervention professional can help you determine appropriate members of your team.

If you think it's important to have someone involved but worry that it may create a problem during the intervention, consider having that person write a short letter that someone else can read at the intervention. An evaluation by an addiction professional helps determine the extent of the problem and identifies appropriate treatment options.

Treatment options can vary in intensity and scope and occur in a variety of settings. Options can include brief early intervention, outpatient treatment or day treatment programs. More severe problems may require admittance into a structured program, treatment facility or hospital. Treatment may include counseling, education, vocational services, family services and life skills training. The term "intervention" can be confusing because it can be used to refer to the various therapeutic approaches used to treat addiction, many of which are evidence-based and effective.

These include motivational interviewing , cognitive behavioral therapy , and couples therapy. These evidence-based treatments and several others, typically take time and commitment on the part of the person with the addiction but are generally helpful. What we are discussing in this article is not a treatment per se , but rather a planned attempt by a group of people to persuade someone they have a relationship with to either quit alcohol or drugs on their own or go into a treatment program.

Interventions should be carefully planned and developed by professional counselors who are experienced in such procedures. Most alcohol and drug treatment centers have counselors who are trained to help families prepare for the confrontation, which always takes place in a "controlled" environment, specifically selected to put the person in a position in which they are most likely to listen.

Many times, these interventions take place in the workplace, with the full cooperation of the employer. Sometimes the intervention comes as a total surprise, but newer techniques have been developed in which the members of the intervention team tell the person with the addiction that they are talking with a counselor about their drinking or drug use several days prior to the actual intervention.

This process may be led and guided by an interventionist who is hired by the family or group. Examples of substance and behavioral addictions that may prompt an intervention include:. From a professional standpoint, interventions cannot be recommended, simply because there is not enough research available to support their effectiveness. While a few studies were conducted on the effectiveness of interventions in getting people into treatment during the late 20th century, they typically showed that family members chose not to follow through on confronting their family members.

One study showed that when they did follow through, they were able to get their family member into treatment, but in the end, this was a very small number of people, and the outcome of therapy was not reported. Bear in mind that all therapies no matter how effective were at one time unproven, went through experimental stages and refinements, were funded for research, and finally, enough studies were conducted showing their effectiveness that they became accepted the practice.

Some clinicians have had the experience of working with people whose families have conducted interventions that have been helpful in persuading their loved one to get help. Others have had much more negative reviews, in which the intervention was poorly conducted or the person with the addiction was not in a place to hear the feedback, and it caused an even greater problem for them and an even greater rift in their family.

There are several types of drug and alcohol interventions. The type of intervention that your medical professional recommends will depend on your goals, unique experience with addiction, and family dynamics. CRAFT has replaced interventions as the preferred method of getting people struggling with addiction therapy and help. Rather than targeting the person with the substance use disorder, this evidence-based method aims to work with the concerned significant others CSOs so that they can assist the identified patients IPs.

If you decide to have an intervention for your loved one, you'll need to take a few necessary steps to help you prepare logistically and mentally. If the person agrees to get help, it's best to already have a treatment center, counselor, or meeting in mind so you can take action immediately. Make sure to find out beforehand about whether your loved one's insurance plan will cover treatment as well as what steps are required for admission.

Treatment options may include:. Depending on the situation, an intervention can involve the following people:. It's also important to consider who should not be on the intervention team. For example, someone your loved one dislikes or a person with an unmanaged mental health condition or substance use disorder.

Unfortunately, there is no current system for evaluating the credentials of interventionists and very little information on which to base your decision. If you feel an intervention might be right for your loved one, here are some common-sense considerations—not based on medical fact or research—to think about in making the decision to employ an interventionist:.

Such consequences may include:. Professional intervention is not an option for every family and every situation.

The decision to choose the intervention path is one that should be made carefully and with the advice of an experienced counselor. Confronting someone with an addiction is a very risky approach, and can just as easily backfire, making the addicted person feel attacked, alienated, and misunderstood instead of feeling supported. In these cases, an intervention can even worsen an addiction, causing the person to seek comfort in alcohol and drugs, and to seek out the company of those who "understand," such as drinking buddies and drug dealers.

Whether or not your loved one decides to seek help, you can likely benefit from the encouragement and support of others in your situation.