How Do I Stage an Intervention For a Loved One?

Watching a friend, family member, or loved one struggling with alcoholism, addiction, and substance dependency is difficult. The frustration and helplessness can be overwhelming, but it is essential during this time to focus on the one who needs your help. You can make a difference and create a safe and supportive space for your loved one. 

Hostile confrontations never end well, but if you plan to speak to your loved one about the problem, you will have to plan it carefully. At this point, an intervention may be helpful.

So how do you stage an intervention? 

How Do Interventions Work?

Four key points make for a successful intervention, especially one meant for an individual suffering from addiction. These four key points include:

#1. A Well-Thought-Out Plan

It’s okay to ask for help, and in this case, the best person to go to is a therapist or intervention specialist. Professionals can guide you on the best approach or strategy that you can devise to minimize the chances of hostile responses.

#2. Relevant Information

Before staging the intervention, you should have your loved one’s medical history and other personal documents ready in hand so that no time is wasted in checking into rehab should your plan succeed.

#3. Support From Friends and Family

Understand that an intervention is not a one-person job, and the more people you get involved, the better. Reach out to close friends and members of the family to get them involved. Brief them on how the situation needs to be handled gently and patiently.

#4. All the Right Words

It always helps if you know and rehearse exactly what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it when the time comes. Focus on the facts and do not let yourself get emotional.

How Should You Confront a Person Struggling With Addiction?

When approaching your loved one who is struggling, it may help to keep the following in mind:

• Always be gentle, supportive, and understanding

• Do not raise your voice or lose control of your temper

• Do not resort to blames and accusations

• Having multiple plans ready at hand, should the first fail to work out

• Try to plan the intervention around a time when your loved one is sober

• Focus on solutions, but also highlight the consequences of continuing to abuse substances

• Do not let yourself get manipulated; remain steadfast

How Can You Create an Environment Better Suited for an Intervention?

The environment and time for an intervention can set the tone for how it will pan out. Both factors must be decided and planned out after careful consideration. 

A few things you can do to make the environment less stressful for what could be a life-altering conversation include:

• Carefully observe your friend or family member and note the times during the day when they indulge in drug or alcohol use. Then pick a time when they are sober and can think rationally.

• Try preparing or ordering their favorite meal and inviting them to sit down and eat with you.

• You can also play their favorite music or begin a game they enjoy as a way to get them involved before you start talking.

• Bringing a gift or writing a meaningful letter can also help release the tension, guilt, or stress that may have been building up within the person over the past days or weeks.

• If you have decided to involve other people, make sure that only friends and family members can be trusted for the right support, encouragement, and guidance. Additionally, these should also be people that the person this intervention is being planned for trusts completely.

• Have a list of resources ready at hand; this includes names and details of therapists, rehabilitation centers, and different treatments that have helped individuals addicted to similar substances recover successfully. Facts, numbers, and the correct information play a vital role in helping individuals struggling with addiction make better, more informed decisions.

What Should You Do in Case the Intervention Fails?

Interventions don’t always work out the way you want them to — practice, try, or rehearse as you might. It always helps to have a plan B to fall back on. 

It is easy to get frustrated, give up, and even show anger when things don’t pan out as they should have ideally. However, you should not abandon your loved one, especially when their life and wellbeing are at stake. It is important to remember that this does not mean you can’t set boundaries. 

Staging an intervention is one small step in the right direction towards sobriety for a loved one. It can help a person struggling with addiction feel loved, supported, and nurtured within a comfortable environment. Equipped with the right information at the right time, they can start seeing therapists, initiate treatments, and attend support groups before their addiction robs them of rational decision-making capability. Friends and family members have a vital role in identifying signs of addiction and helping out when needed.

At The Forge Recovery Center, we are dedicated to helping you and help the ones you love. Before they step into our facility for treatments and therapies, you can play an essential role in showing them the bigger picture and helping them focus on the road to recovery.

Your efforts will eventually bring them to our doors and eventually to a healthy, sober life. To learn more about our program and how we can help you, call today.

Written by

Brian Moore

Content Writer

Reviewed by

Jeremy Arzt

Chief Clinical Officer

April 22, 2022