Intervention for Family Members
Staging a family drug intervention can alert an addict to the severity of their addiction and the impact it has on their life and the lives of the people they care about. It’s tricky to know when to intervene, but there are some behavioral signs that can help you determine the right time to act. Drug addiction is expensive to maintain, so there may be an increase in borrowing or withdrawing money from a family account. An individual’s normal behavior may become more aggressive or secretive. Complications with daily activities, such studies or work, may arise. There may also be a marked decline in health, accompanied by a lack of care in personal appearance and decreased energy. If these signs arise or if the family member is openly using, it may be time to stage a family drug intervention.
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Intervention for a Family Member: Do’s
- The first step in arranging a family drug intervention should be to speak with a counselor, especially if the family member in question has a history of mental illness, depression, or anger management issues. With professional guidance, the intervention will have the best chance of success.
- Before the intervention, the family should find the right rehab program for their loved one. BetterAddictionCare has a pre-screening assessment that scans our nationwide recovery network for your specific criteria, but there are guides to finding inpatient or outpatient programs independently.
- Determine the consequences to be enacted if the addict refuses to seek treatment. This can include cutting off monetary assistance or housing arrangements.
- Choose a quiet location and a specific time to prevent any interruptions or distractions.
- Speak clearly and express how the addiction is impacting the rest of the family as well as any fears for the safety of the individual. It may help to read from a letter as a way to better organize your thoughts.
- Lay out the proposed plan for treatment and ask for a decision to commit to it. If the addict agrees, help them make the arrangements to enter the program.
Intervention for a Family Member: Don’ts
- When choosing the intervention group, don’t include family members who may do the addict more harm than good. Someone who may defend the addict’s behavior or become uncontrollably emotional should write a letter to be read at the intervention rather than attend in person.
- Don’t go back on the consequences if the addict refuses treatment. Enabling behavior, especially within families, makes the addiction much easier to maintain.
- Don’t tell the addict what the meeting is about. Invite them to visit or have a meal, as on any other ordinary day.
- Don’t shout or become angry. The intervention is for the addict, and they need to feel comfortable and safe enough to listen to what’s being said.
Post-Intervention Help for Families
Even after an intervention, an addict may feel that they can still rely on the family to bail them out of future trouble, and may not see the need for treatment. They may not like the program plan or may prefer to put off the decision. This does not signal the end of hope; post-intervention help for families is available. At BetterAddictionCare, you can speak with a counselor to determine what next steps to take. If arranging rehab details is too confusing to navigate alone, our professional team of highly trained client care specialists can coordinate transportation and insurance requirements. Our services are 100% confidential, and someone is always standing by to help.
If you or a family member need to start healing, call today or fill out our contact form.
Resources
Beavers, W. R., & Hampson, R. B. (2000).
Carlson, R. G., & Dinkmeyer, D. (2006).
Cox, M. J., & Paley, B. (1997).
Dolan, Y. M., & Holt, M. S. (2014).
Falicov, C. J. (1998).
Fraser, M. W., Walton, E., Lewis, R. E., & Pecukonis, E. (2010).
McDaniel, S. H., Hepworth, J., & Doherty, W. J. (2014).
Patterson, G. R., & Forgatch, M. S. (2010).
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