Drug Rehab: Tips For Staging A Successful Intervention

Well-meaning relatives and friends will often encourage addicts to enter drug rehab. While they may have the best intentions, they also make many mistakes that can actually deter the addict from entering treatment. The purpose of intervention is to give addicts a final push into a program, as well as help enablers set boundaries in order to improve their own lives. While many interventions end unsuccessfully, there are some ways you can increase the effectiveness of your efforts.

Preparation
Impromptu interventions will do little to convince an addict to enter drug rehab. It is far better to plan ahead of time, and plan well. While not absolutely necessary, hiring a counselor or professional therapist to mediate is extremely helpful. It not only will help clear up questions about the process, but they can step in if things become too heated or get off topic. Plans also need to be made for who should be included, and when and where the meeting should take place. Practicing a few hours before can help calm nerves. It is important that everyone present is given an option to speak without interruption, which is why it is recommended to write down exactly what you would like to say.

Treatment
Besides an opportunity to have a frank discussion with the addict, the purpose of most interventions is to push them into drug rehab. An addict, even if willing to undergo treatment, will be full of excuses and reasons for delay, which is why it is crucial to have everything already arranged. This includes transportation, finances, and a packed suitcase. The addict should be willing to leave and go immediately into treatment, and someone should follow to prevent waffling and give one last push.

Consequences
As mentioned before, an intervention is a chance for enablers to change their destructive habits as well. Any consequences for rejecting treatment should be clearly explained to the addict. While it may be different for each individual depending on their relationships, the most common consequence is to cut the person out of their daily lives until they get help. If that is too extreme, refusal to give money, rides, or a place to sleep are all powerful incentives that will not only help addicts, but can improve family life as well.

Some addicts are simply not ready to enter drug rehab. Many recovering addicts often refer to hitting "rock bottom," before realizing that treatment is necessary. While this may not be true for every individual, most people must experience significant consequences as a direct result of substance abuse before they take sobriety seriously. Even successfully pushing an addict into a facility and spending a small fortune, they may immediately flee or get kicked out for breaking rules. Repeatedly paying for treatment is a form of enabling, especially if the addict does not acknowledge the desire to change for him or herself. If a person truly wants to quit using, they will often seek help on their own or explicitly request it from loved ones.