Intervention: What Can You Do To Help?
As family and friends watch their
loved one’s life spinning
out of control due to a struggle
with drug addiction and fear that
their dependency might eventually
prove fatal, the question that is
often asked is, “What can
I do to help?”. No longer
a taboo subject, drug addiction
is recognized as a psychological
disease and the best way for an
addict to choose the road to recovery
is to be made aware of what it is
he or she is really doing to the
people they love; such a process
is referred to as an ‘intervention’.
By being made aware of the reality
of the situation, the first step
in an addict’s rehabilitation
– accepting that there is
a problem – can be broached
and professional help can be sought.
Drug
Addiction Intervention
 If you suspect that someone you know and care about may be
developing a drug addiction or may already be a drug addict,
an intervention can help the addict to accept his or her problem
and begin the process of rehabilitation. It is important to
note that not all addicts will respond positively to such
a move and may in fact withdraw further from friends and family
as a result of their feeling that what they thought was a
personal secret has been revealed to everyone. Still, to help
insure that your intervention will be successful the following
guidelines should be followed:
- Avoid being judgmental and express support for the addict
to seek rehabilitation
- Stop ‘protecting’ the addict from the consequences
of his or her addiction
- Stop ‘enabling’ the addict by avoiding difficult
questions, paying his or her bills, making excuses for the
behavior, etc.
- Talk to the addict when he or she is straight or not
inebriated
- Be specific about the problem and its effects on everyone
around the addict
- Outline all the consequences should the addict refuse
help and be prepared to follow through with what you have
said
- Have as many friends and family members on hand as possible
to assist in the intervention
- Listen to what the addict has to say and have the number
of a drug rehabilitation professional on hand for all his
or her questions about what treatment will be required
Other Options
If the addict refuses the help that he or she has been offered,
there is not much that you can do barring any exceptional
circumstances. Should the addict require a medical emergency
or become violent, the police can intervene and the addict
may be forcefully placed in a treatment centre against his
or her wishes. Still, there is no need to wait for such an
event to occur and an intervention is worth a try.
Also see our latest article: How to Plan a Drug Intervention |