During a Professionally-Facilitated Intervention, here are some
tips on what family members and friends may be asked to say
and do.

  ► Approach your loved one when he or she is not high or drunk -- and
        when you're not deeply upset.
  ► Stay calm.
  ► Couch your comments in concern.
  ► Avoid labeling the person an "alcoholic" or "addict."
  ► Cite specific instances resulting from the person's substance abuse.
  ► Stick to what you know, not hearsay.
  ► Talk in "I statements," explaining how the person's behavior has
        affected you.
  ► Be prepared for denial and resentment
  ► Be supportive and hopeful about change.

According to The Partnership for a Drug-Free America...

"The key thing is not to wait for
your loved one to "bottom out,"
have a car crash or develop some serious health problem before you address your concerns.
DO SOMETHING NOW. Remember, ADDICTION IS TREATABLE.
And there are sensitive, trained healthcare providers who can help you deside how to proceed."

What Is An Intervention?
An intervention is a planned attempt by family members and friends to help a chemically-dependent person get help. Interventions have a high success rate when done under the guidance and supervision of a trained counselor and with the help of family and friends closest to the addicted person. Even when drugs or alcohol appear to have taken over one's life, it is still very powerful (and necessary) to be confronted with one's own behavior and the effects it has had on those people closest to one.

The role of family and friends in intervention is vital. There is strength in numbers when family and friends confront the abuser as a group. Yet even though they are sick and tired of trying to control their loved one's behavior, those closest to the addict tend to protect him or her from the consequences of drinking or using. Stopping such "rescue missions" is an essential part of intervention. The addict needs to fully experience the harmful effects of addiction.

What Is The Right Time for Intervention?
Getting the addict to seek treatment as early as possible is the main, if not the only, purpose of intervention. But this can be a challenge requiring careful preparation. You cannot force an abuser, under most circumstances, to undergo treatment. What a successful intervention does is to show the abuser how significant events and situations caused by alcohol or drug abuse have made his or her life unmanageable. Since it is a non-judgmental, non-critical, systematic process, intervention can motivate abusers toward recovery at any stage of addiction by bringing them to terms with the impact of their alcoholism or drug use.

What If the Intervention Fails?
With thorough planning and when carried out correctly, an intervention will often result in an addict agreeing to receive the proper help. But everyone concerned must accept the fact that the addict may say "NO." This scenario needs to be prepared for in advance so that the family moves together to "Plan B."

If the intervention fails, the addict is still alcohol or drug-dependent and, based on statistics, the situation will get worse. Whatever message the family gives the addict at this point is critical. By refusing to seek therapy, the individual is saying, "I still want to use drugs or alcohol. I want to continue the family's suffering. I want to control my own life."

From that point on, family and friends should respond consistently to their loved one with every word and action taken. "Plan B" says, "I understand. Please leave and do not expect any form of support unless you decide to get help." The addicted person is left to run his or her own life, and -- generally lacking the ability to do -- before long he or she is very likely to "DECIDE" independently that treatment is the best option.

On the other hand, uf the family acts disappointed but carries on as usual, then their loved one gets the message that it's OK to continue his or her lifestyle -- and, as a result, will put up even more resistance to the next intervention, having "beat" the intervention team previously.

Obviously, there are certain risks involved with either approach and all risks should be evaluated beforehand. One thing, however, is certain: As long as the addict continues to use drugs or alcohol, the greatest risk is to his or her own life.

What Is "Hitting Bottom"?
Many describe "hitting bottom" as the point when the pressure to quit becomes greater than that which the drug or alcohol is putting on the individual. However, there can be many "bottoms." Obviously some are lower than others, but each can make an addict quit drinking or using. In the final analysis, it is often family and friends who spot a pivotal incident and use it to achieve treatment -- or miss the opportunity and wait.

It is an "old school of thought" and tragically unnecessary to think that an alcoholic/addict needs to be near death to find recovery. A person's "bottom" can be hit at any phase of his or her addiction. Today people of all ages, from child to elder, and in all different stages of addiction, are finding recovery. Therefore, choosing recovery is possible at any time. A planned intervention is a way of bringing that choice to light.

For answers to your questions about Intervention or for more information, call,,,

                                                   FAMILY INTERVENTION NOW
                                                   Alcohol & Drug Abuse Family Intervention
                                                   Burr Cook
                                                   Toll Free (888) 413-3033
                                                   Local (949) 903-3008
                                                   www.family-intervention-now.com
                                                   burrcook@family-intervention-now.com