Conducting A Family Intervention
Conducting a family intervention may seem intimidating and overwhelming. The following advice may help you on this journey. But the most important thing is that the family reaches out to the addict. After that, the addict can choose for himself what path he will take.
As a therapist for a Utah rehab center, I work with addicts and their families, many of whom have utilized an intervention. Most of them have hired a professional interventionist to facilitate the meeting. Many rehab centers, like the one I work for, have professional interventionists on staff who can streamline the process.
If you are attempting to run an intervention without a professional, be forewarned that the odds of success will decrease due to the emotional subjectivity of all of those involved as well as their lack of training and expertise. Some families, however, do not have the financial wherewithal to hire a professional. If that is the case, there are some key guidelines you should follow.
First of all, it is important to get as many people involved as possible, who are connected to the addict. This can not only mean siblings, parents, spouses, and children, but also co-workers, employers, extended family and close friends. The idea here is to get everyone on the same page.
Next, each person should write a brief letter expressing their concern for the addict and why they feel she needs treatment. Real emotion should be expressed, as the purpose of the letters is to touch the heart of the addict and stir up some feelings in her.
The addict may not like this whole thing, not surprisingly. Therefore, love should be expressed first, followed by concerns and then boundaries. Boundaries are safeguards you put into the relationship to protect yourself, not to punish or manipulate the addict.
For example, “I feel frightened and devastated when you use drugs. So, if you continue to use drugs and do not seek treatment, you will be choosing to leave our home (or not be around me, etc).” Another example is, “I feel hurt and violated when you steal from me. If you don’t get treatment, I can’t trust you around me or my house.”
The final factor is to be as brief as possible, allowing each to read their short letter without dragging on too long, and to come to a positive conclusion. The goal is for the addict to take it all consideration and to choose, for himself, if he is going to go to treatment or not. If he chooses not to, it is imperative that all people involved follow through immediately and consistently with their boundaries, until he does get treatment.
For more information contact a Utah Drug Rehab center near you. Utah Drug Rehab centers are great at answering questions and helping those who might be struggling with any form of drug abuse.
