What is an intervention?

An intervention is a meeting facilitated by a trained professional between an addict and the influential people in his or her life. The purpose is to break through the addict’s denial long enough to get him or her to enter an inpatient treatment center safely.

At CCS - Confidential Counseling Services, Inc. - we begin the intervention process by meeting with the family (without the addict’s knowledge) to address everyone’s concerns and to prepare for the actual intervention. All details are carefully planned and rehearsed. Arrangements are made with a treatment center for admission and plans are made for immediate transportation to the treatment center if he or she agrees to go. Specific needs of the addict are carefully considered in order to help refer them to the best available treatment center available to meet their treatment needs. Some specific treatment needs that are considered are their mental or physical health, relapse history (if any) or age.

Interventions are not shaming or judgmental. We guide the entire intervention process, helping those involved to confront the addict in an honest, loving and direct way. Family members are encouraged to speak from their heart about the pain the addict has caused them and the addict is asked mainly to listen.

When should an intervention be done?

An intervention should be done when someone you are concerned about is in denial, out of control, and a possible danger to themselves or others. Most families discover that no matter what they try, the situation only becomes worse, because addiction is a progressive, often fatal disease.

If everything you have tried has failed then it is time to do an intervention. While the timing of an intervention is important, waiting too long can have disastrous results.

Although each intervention has different circumstances, the intervention process is the same. It does not matter if the addict is using pot, alcohol, cocaine, sex, abusing prescription pills or has an active eating disorder. There is hope.

Who should be included in an intervention?

Interventions are most successful when the key influential people in the addict’s life are included. They are most affected by the addict’s use and together they are most likely to have a positive impact on the addict’s decision to enter treatment. The key influential people are family, extended family, friends, colleagues or co-workers. The optimal number of participants who should be included in the intervention process is six to eight people. 

Who benefits from the intervention?

While the primary goal of the intervention is to get the addict into treatment it also leads to positive changes for the other participants. Most participants find the following benefits:

• A sense of relief that stems from finally addressing their loved one’s problem
• A feeling of unity in having faced this situation together
• New ways of coping and communicating
• The ability to stop enabling the addict and regain control of their lives
• The comfort of knowing that they did everything that they could do

Should the addict know of the intervention in advance?

No. It is very important that the addict does not know of the intervention in advance. The “element of surprise” is crucial for the intervention to be successful in getting the addict into treatment. Denial of addiction is so powerful that if the addict has prior knowledge of an intervention, he or she will go to great lengths to avoid it.

But won’t the addict feel “ganged up” on?

What is really happening is that the family and friends are rallying together out of love to confront the disease of addiction. It is not an attack on the person. Interventions are the most loving thing that the family can do for an addict.

Planning an intervention without the addict’s knowledge may create anxiety in some of the participants, so it is something we address in the planning stages, and most families feel the anxiety is a small price to pay in order to save their loved one’s life.

What percentages of clients enter into treatment?

At CCS - Confidential Counseling Services, Inc. - we are very committed to the intervention process and have been able to maintain a 90 % success rate of getting the addict into treatment. Each of these interventions that have been successful have resulted not only in the addict going to treatment, but in completing the treatment program as well. In the rare case where the addict refuses to seek help, the other participants usually feel that they have benefited from the intervention themselves, as described above. In addition, those who do not immediately seek treatment often hit bottom shortly after the intervention and eventually choose to seek treatment.

Treatment is the beginning of a long process of recovery and the addict will have to work hard once in treatment to successfully address their problems surrounding their addiction(s). Treatment centers provide the sober environment, professional staff and therapeutic program to give the addict the opportunity to recover. During this process the family can visit and be supportive. It is often a time that brings families together in ways they never could have imagined. In numerous cases the addict has actually thanked their family for intervening and getting them the help that they need. In addition, some family members will seek therapy or 12 step support groups, such as Al-Anon, for themselves.

How long does an intervention take?

The intervention process takes place over three or four days. During this time, we spend 15 to 20 hours planning and preparing with the family prior to the actual intervention. This preparation time is crucial for the success of the intervention since so much is at stake during this process. A number of factors determine the length of the intervention process, such as severity of the situation, logistics and scheduling.

The actual intervention usually takes about an hour, and often the addict agrees to go immediately to treatment. In some cases, more time may be needed following the intervention to address any resistance, denial and obstacles to getting the addict to enter treatment the same day. It is very important that the addict go to treatment that day, which is why arrangements have already been made for safe transportation to the treatment facility.

Should a family consider doing an intervention on their own?

No. It is best that families do not attempt to do this by themselves. Interventions are very complex and delicate matter. They should be carefully planned by a trained professional, due to the serious nature of addiction and the importance of all of the relationships at stake.

What should we do if we are ready to move ahead with an intervention?

Contact us via email or feel free to call us at anytime at 713-542-4649 to schedule a confidential consultation of your situation.