How can a addict intervention help?

An intervention specialist is usually a licensed psychologist or therapist who is trained in dealing with alcohol or drug addiction. They must possess the skills necessary in order to conduct and supervise the addict intervention in a disciplined and orderly fashion. At the same time, they have to rely on family members, friends, loved ones, and even fellow employees to assist them during the addict intervention and are involved with the individual in question.

The history of addict intervention

Vernon Johnson, an Episcopalian priest and recovering alcoholic, is considered to be the father of modern addict intervention. Johnson wound up devoting his life to alcohol addiction treatment and recovery. From his work, further fine-tuning of the intervention process was done to accommodate a variety of addictions besides alcohol and drugs. Some other addictions that may require a addict intervention:

• Addictions to pornography
• Computer and/or video game addictions
• Gambling addictions
• Behavioral disorders

Johnson’s core beliefs about addict intervention was being able to reach out to the addicted individual before he or she hit rock bottom therefore preventing their lives from literally being torn to shreds. He began conducting what he called “interventions” in his church as of 1962. These were informal meetings which involved the addicted individual’s family, friends, and even their fellow co-workers. They all met together in order to talk to the individual regarding their concerns about their alcohol (or drug) addiction, self-destructive behavior, and the damage it was causing the other individuals participating in the addict intervention, hence the birth of the terminology “family intervention.” As a result of being a priest and the fact that these interventions produced positive results, Johnson created a network which saw his program spread throughout the Midwest and eventually the entire US.

addict intervention strategies

The type of strategy that addict intervention employs is going to vary from one individual to the next since no 2 are ever alike. Family members, friends, and loved ones can help the addicted individual provided they are focused on the needs of the addicted individual. Typically, there are three stages involved in a successful addict intervention. These include:

1. The Assessment Stage – there are certain aspects involved in this stage which include the interventionist learning as much as possible about the individual in question, as well as the substance they are abusing and addicted to. There are a number of questions that need to be answered such as:
• Who will be attending the intervention?
• Who will be responsible for paying for the service?
• What facility will facilitate the individual’s treatment and recovery needs the best?
• Will insurance coverage be involved?
2. The Orchestration Stage – this usually involves the actual addict intervention wherein the family members, friends, loved ones and the family interventionist are involved with the addicted individual. During the process, it is necessary to remember that all of the members in the group should not display any negative reactions to the addicted individual’s reactions. The addicted individual might or might not react angrily and get abusive or violent, but never rule out those possibilities. Educating the members of the intervention group as to how to deal with these situations is critical.
3. Successful Completion of addict intervention – the real measure of success with any addict intervention strategy is how effective the process was at getting the individual to admit that they have a problem. Additionally, that success is also measured by the fact that they immediately seek help by enrolling in a treatment and recovery center which targets their individual needs.

The harsh reality about addict intervention

The harsh reality is that addict intervention (and other types of intervention) have become a necessary facet in today’s society. The mass availability of alcohol and drugs has not only made this an economic endeavor for distributors and traffickers of these substances, it has also mandated the necessity of more rehab programs being developed and more interventions conducted in order to get the addicted individual cured of what they are addicted to and suffering with.

choosing the right addict intervention

We know that choosing the right addict intervention to help you and the suffering individual is not always an easy task. There are a lot of choices out there and not every one of these will suit the needs of the individual in question. The important thing to realize is that an intervention conducted by a certified and trained professional is successful 96% of the time when it comes to getting the addicted individual to admitting to a problem and then doing something about it in order to help themselves. One of our trained professionals will be more than willing to answer any questions that you may have.

When you begin searching for addict intervention, there are obviously some things that you want to consider before making your final decision. Most importantly, you want to find a professional who is not only certified and qualified to conduct an intervention, but that best serves the needs of the addicted individual. Consider investigating a number of addict intervention before you make your decision to hire one in order to make sure that the addicted individual benefits the most from their assistance.