It is normal to feel worried, angry, helpless, or afraid when a loved one is stuck in a cycle of substance use. Many families opt to stage a drug or alcohol intervention to help a loved one. It is important to plan any intervention carefully, and to use assistance from treatment professionals whenever possible. Families often only have one chance to create an effective intervention.
Skywood Recovery offers experienced professionals and an evidence-based program that is designed to help you through the process of drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation from beginning to end.
We help families with every step, including intervention, safe detoxification, rehab treatment, family counseling, and aftercare support systems. Skywood Recovery can help your loved one recover safely from both substance use disorders and mental health concerns. We offer you the following tips to help your family on the path to recovery.
Tip #1: Don’t “Wing It”
A successful intervention is never spontaneous. Plan ahead and prepare for the event by choosing a location, choosing a date and time, choosing the invitees and selecting a helpful licensed interventionist, if possible. It is a good idea to gather everyone together before the intervention to do a practice run.
Remember to have two or three treatment options readily available before the intervention. Call ahead and speak with any potential treatment programs to ensure that they have space for your loved one.
Additionally, consider planning transportation to drug rehab, an escort for your loved one, and even a packed bag of personal items so that your loved one can immediately head to drug addiction treatment at the end of the intervention. You want to be prepared to send your loved one to treatment as soon as the intervention is over.
Tip #2: Stay Positive
Substance addiction devastates not only the health, safety and sanity of the person struggling with the disease but each and every person they come into contact with as well.Though it’s difficult, it’s important that you stay as positive as possible. Especially when it’s your turn to confront your loved one during the intervention, make sure to be nonjudgmental, non-blaming and relay the facts of your experience plainly while letting them know that you love them and want good things for them through treatment.
Many people find great comfort by meeting with an experienced mental health counselor or therapist before an intervention. Support groups for family members are also very helpful. Remember, you cannot fully help your loved one if you are not in the healthiest, strongest frame of mind possible.
Tip #3: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
As you positively prepare for your loved one to show up as expected to the intervention, to be sober and receptive to what you have to say, and to choose drug rehab with a minimum of fuss and leave immediately for the treatment they so desperately need, prepare yourself for the fact that one or more of these things won’t happen.
Preparing for the worst means preparing for what could happen while hoping for what you want to happen. For example, have lots of water and healthy snacks on hand for intervention attendees and your loved one should everyone need to stay and wait for him or her to be clearheaded enough to understand what is happening. If you fear physical violence, make sure that everyone is safe and that the room is clear of anything that can be used as a weapon.
- Prepare for the idea that you may need to call the police if things spiral out of control.
- Prepare for verbal abuse and accusations from your loved one.
- Prepare for anger and denial.
- Prepare for your loved one not to choose drug rehab.
- Prepare to have to follow through with the consequences for refusing treatment that you decided upon in advance.
The very best way to prepare is to have someone on your side who has seen it all and been through it before. Experienced intervention professionals will already be prepared for these things and can help you through every step of the process.
Tip #4: Opt for a Professional Interventionist
A professional interventionist can relieve you of an enormous amount of pressure and allow you to focus on your personal contribution to the proceedings as opposed to managing everyone else and trying to maintain an even emotional keel at the same time.
From the initial planning phase to escorting your loved one to drug rehab, a professional interventionist can make sure that the essential components to the intervention are implemented and bring an objective, balancing view to the event itself.
Tip #5: Secure Your Drug Rehab
Before you begin your intervention, make sure that you have already done everything you need to do in terms of securing a bed for your loved one at the drug rehab of your choice.
You will need to do all your research ahead of time, choose a facility, tour it if you like, set up an initial appointment and date for your loved one’s arrival and reserve their spot. Pack a small bag of personal items according to the guidelines of the drug rehab you have chosen and prepare to escort them to the treatment facility. If your loved one agrees to go to drug rehab, you need to make sure that they can do so immediately.
Contact us today at 269-280-4673 for more information.
