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Interventions

  • Reviewed by: Dr. Carl Williams, Ph.D., LCADC
  • Modified:
  • Reading Time: 9 minutes
  • Reviewed by: Dr. Carl Williams, Ph.D., LCADC
  • Last Update:
  • Reading Time: 9 minutes

Learn how alcohol and drug interventions help guide individuals toward recovery from substance abuse.

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Understanding Interventions

Drug and Alcohol Interventions

Most Americans who battle alcohol or drug use problems can function well enough to keep working full-time. About 73 percent of drug users in the US work part-time or full-time, while 63 percent of full-time workers use alcohol.

If you’re concerned that going to alcohol or drug treatment may damage your employment or career, you are not alone in your worries. Many people put off getting help with alcohol or drugs because they don’t want to lose their jobs or be judged by their bosses and coworkers.

Fortunately, federal regulations and workplace rules are in place to safeguard people trying to recover from a substance use disorder. Understanding your rights and protections as an employee and having a plan in place may help you keep your job while you are undergoing addiction treatment.

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Levels of Care
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Families & Addiction

A Guide to Supporting Loved Ones

What is an Intervention?

A gathering of loved ones and friends voicing their concerns to someone struggling with addiction is an intervention. These loved ones explain their feelings, references, and thoughts regarding the victim’s substance abuse. An intervention specialist might come in handy during meetings, though this is not a must-have requirement.

Loved ones might feel an intervention is necessary when they become worried about a victim’s continued substance abuse and do not want risky behaviors to emerge afterward. Interventions attempt to highlight the potential effects of the individual’s conduct and hopefully influence the addict to consider treatment. Interventions benefit individuals struggling with various addictions such as gambling, alcohol, untreated mental illnesses, drugs, etc.

Drug vs. Alcohol Interventions

You might think drug and alcohol interventions defer, but they do not contrast too much. They are generally similar. The only difference is that professional support is different, and treatment is tailored specifically to an individual’s problem substance.

Alcohol interventions might include professionals showing up and speaking to the victim instead of the family members or loved ones- AA intervention. This is especially vital when the patient is at the detox stage and requires a robust support system to deal with the withdrawal process.

When Intervention is Necessary?

It is hard to know when an intervention is necessary because families affected by addiction struggle with codependent behaviors stopping them from admitting a problem or confronting a loved one. Others in the family might deny that the subject abuses drugs or alcohol and hence become unsure when to conduct the intervention.

So, the first step is acknowledging when a substance use disorder is present. This usually leads to negative physical, mental and emotional symptoms, yet the individual continues abusing the substances. However, an individual with an addiction might develop tolerance to alcohol or drug substances, engage in illegal and risky behaviors, and have problems at work or school.

However, the causes above do not necessarily mean your loved one requires an intervention, only when the substance abuse interferes with the individual’s daily functioning. Remember that individuals struggling with addiction usually battle co-occurring disorders like depression, anxiety, or other mental health illnesses.

Who Benefits From an Intervention?

Once substances hamper your daily functioning, you struggle with addiction and need urgent help. People alienating family and friends face legal issues, experience adverse career outcomes, and physical or psychological damage from substance abuse also needs treatment.

An intervention proves effective when treatment attempts have failed to lead these people toward treatment. But you should also note that an intervention should not be your first option when you stress over a loved one’s substance use. Consider speaking about your feelings to the person before staging an intervention.

Having several hangovers or being unable to hold down a job due to sobriety issues are not enough reasons to call for an intervention. However, if their behaviors persist even after you express your concerns, you might want to stage an intervention. But there is no specific behavior that warrants an intervention since the activity is context-specific; also, try talking to a substance abuse specialist to get other possible options.

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Understanding the Process & Its Impact

How Interventions Work

An intervention involves a room full of loved and trusted people talking to a subject of substance addiction. These loved ones share their concern, tell the individual they care about, and explain how the substance abuse behaviors affect them. An individual in such a position will likely resort to treatment much more quickly.

The individual notices the time and effort to stage the intervention, see the situation’s gravity, and take the individual out of denial. Once the person is out of denial and realizes people around them are suffering, they make a step to make better decisions in the end.

What Happens During Interventions

First, the group staging the intervention plans the event; who will speak, what they will say, the place and time- not telling the victim about anything. This sounds dishonest or a staged ambush, but this maximizes the group’s efforts, leaving the victim no choice but to go through with it. The group gathers in a room, tells their struggling member the location and time, and begins with the intervention.

After the individual arrives, group members start sharing how the subject’s behavior has affected them and voice their concerns for the individual’s wellbeing. If some have a pre-written letter, they read it aloud. But letter reading isn’t necessary if you did not plan on it in the initial planning stage. However, letter writing ensures that no one says an insensitive or counterproductive comment during the intervention.

Make sure everyone speaks in a tone that tells the loved one they need treatment. Remember not to shame, punish or humiliate the individual.

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Key Steps to Take for Effective Support

Staging an Intervention

If you want to stage an intervention but do not know the best way to go about it, follow the below footsteps.

But before that, first, determine who needs to be there and contact close familiar loved ones:

Step 1: Determine who you will include

Everyone in an intervention may have been affected by the subject’s behavior, and some might have negative vibes during the intervention; do not include these people. There is no rule against involving kids in such an activity, but also take caution because the individual might get put off by the presence of the kids. Kids, too, might feel it is too much to handle.

Step 2: Determine who speaks first during the intervention

Everyone present during the activity should talk at the same level in an orderly and structured manner. You do not want to sound like you are fighting for your points to be heard. Set the order for everyone to speak so that no one talks over another person.

Step 3: Write a letter to the loved one

Let everyone present write a small letter of what they would say. This helps everyone know each other’s key points, eliminates redundancy, and ensures they do not leave out any critical information.

Step 4: Consult an intervention specialist if need be

Consult an intervention specialist before staging the intervention to ensure you get the right insights to eliminate any risks of the activity backfiring. These specialists do not necessarily have to be present at the intervention, but their presence is valuable.

Step 5: Determine the consequences and conditions for the intervention

Determine the conditions and consequences of long-term substance abuse beforehand, and communicate that to the individual. Please do not speak to them in a manner that may seem like punishment. It should be borne out of necessity and pragmatic. Someone who knows how to handle conflicts keeps people relaxed and calm while being empathetic and meditative with high-social aptitude.

Ideally, let the individual have a chance to talk and be understood to make them feel that they are also a part of the discussion. In the absence of an intervention specialist, let the subject trust the person leading the intervention.

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Assessing the Impact

The Effectiveness of Drug and Alcohol Interventions

Alcohol and drug interventions are effective because they push individuals struggling with addiction to get the necessary medical help. But when done improperly, interventions elicit a negative response from the victim.

This is especially true when you harshly shame or punish individuals who may choose to alienate themselves, hence delaying treatment.

A harmful intervention is more prone where a medical professional is not present or people fail to seek the advice of a specialist. Interacting with someone struggling with substance abuse is a sensitive matter, not to mention the intricate details involved in an intervention.

It damages anger or irritates an addicted person in a room full of people. At this point, the victim feels rejected and may build a protective wall around themselves and shut everyone out.

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Nurturing Persistence and Patience in Addiction Recovery

Remember that the subject might not seek treatment in the first round; they might not feel like it after several interventions. Recovering is a slow and challenging process, and it might seem that nothing is happening, but keep doing what you do.

Remember, the point is to ensure your loved one lives a productive and purposeful life; recovering is the first step. Your work here is to initiate the process without judgment and be eager to help. Be patient since recovery is not only from addiction but also from employment, relationships, and enjoyment they may have forsaken along the road.

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Written By:

Geoffrey Andaria

Geoffrey Andaria mental health writer at rolling hills recovery center
Rolling Hills Recovery Center

Mental Health Writer

About Author:

Geoffrey Andaria is an experienced mental health content writer and editor. With a B.A. in English and Journalism, Geoffrey is highly educated in freelance articles and research. Having taken courses on social work, Geoffrey is adamant about providing valuable and educational information to individuals affected by mental health and the disease of addiction.

Medically Reviewed By:

Dr. Carl Williams Ph.D., LCADC

Carl Williams, medical content reviewer at rolling hills recovery center
Rolling Hills Recovery Center

Expert Contributor

About Reviewer:

Dr. Williams presently serves on the board of Directors for two non-profit service organizations. He holds a Master’s degree in Human Services from Lincoln University, Philadelphia, Pa, and a Ph.D. with a concentration in Clinical Psychology from Union Institute and University. In Cincinnati, Ohio. He is licensed to practice addictions counseling in both New Jersey and Connecticut and has a pending application as a practicing Psychologist in New Jersey.

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