Pretreatment Interventions & Other Drug And Alcohol Intervention Methods |
When It’s Time To Stage A Drug Intervention… When it’s time to stage a drug intervention for a loved one, you will know. Chances are, if you’re even considering intervention as an option for a loved one who is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, it is time to get the ball rolling. If your loved one has lost health, home, relationships, and/or finances as the result of his or her addition to drugs and alcohol, it is time to intervene. Alternately, if you are simply sick and tired of watching someone you love kill himself/herself with drugs and alcohol for a moment longer, once again, time to intervene. An intervention will offer you the opportunity to confront the addict in your life in premeditated, safe, and supportive environment. The Pretreatment Intervention A pretreatment intervention simply refers to the intervention process that occurs prior to an addict entering a treatment facility. The entire goal of an intervention is to convince the addict that he needs help with his devastating problem. In a typical intervention setting, an addict’s family and friends reads a series of letters, each outlining how the addict’s behavior affects the reader. After these feelings have been put on the table in a simple, direct manner, the speaker tells the addict what sort of consequences will be put in place should he or she choose not to accept immediate help. Hopefully, if nothing else, this sort of bargaining will inspire the addict to actually accept the help being offered to him. Other Drug And Alcohol Intervention Methods As outlined above, one of the strongest drug and alcohol intervention methods is to have a treatment plan in place for the addict so that, should the outcome of the intervention be in your favor, he can be immediately escorted to a rehab facility. While outpatient treatment programs can be effective, most addicts need time in an inpatient facility to detox and acclimate to living a sober life. In addition to setting up a treatment plan, it is also suggested that the family attend at least one or two pre-intervention meetings. With the counsel of an interventionist, codependent family members can learn how perhaps they ways in which they have already tried to “help” their loved one have in fact been nothing more than enabling strategies. This is not to blame the family for the addict’s continued drug and alcohol use, but rather to illuminate family behavior changes that can be more helpful and conducive to an addict’s recovery.
