An intervention is an attempt to convince a loved one to enter a treatment program for a substance use disorder (SUD), mental illness, or behavioral addiction. An intervention is a process. It’s not something that can be planned in a few hours or a day’s time; it requires several meetings in which the intervention team discusses and prepares for the following:
- Concrete examples of the behaviors and consequences that have affected each individual on the team, the group as a whole, and the person with the addiction.
- Clear boundaries that motivate the person to seek treatment. For example, one boundary could be that the relationship will end if the individual does not go to treatment. A bottom line can also include cutting financial ties or access to certain resources.
- A treatment plan for recovery and sobriety.
It’s crucial that all members stick to their scripts and hold firm to their word—indefinitely enforcing whatever boundaries they’ve laid out. This encourages the person with the addiction to go to treatment. Any other approach most likely enables the person to continue using, placing them at greater risk of death or danger.
Are Interventions Successful?
This is a complex question that depends on how you and your family define a successful intervention. For some families and individuals with SUD, success indicates undergoing therapy and treatment that leads to total abstinence or permanent sobriety. For others, success is less substance use or a controlled use that reduces the amount of danger to the individual.
Generally, a successful intervention will reduce the amount of drug or alcohol use. Evidence shows that interventions are generally effective for people struggling with drug or alcohol abuse and dependence. In short, it never hurts to have a well-planned intervention—it may not generate immediate or obvious results, but it shows the person with the addiction that their loved ones are aware, concerned, and ready to offer support.
Interventions in the Media
A&E’s Emmy-awarding winning reality TV show “Intervention” has an impressive success rate. In the show, the person struggling with an advanced addiction is interviewed and followed throughout their daily life. Audiences get to know them in the thralls of their SUD and also who they were and what they experienced before addiction took hold.
Later, the show films families and friends being interviewed by a therapist or licensed interventionist. The therapist helps them gather facts, information, and letters that address how their loved one’s SUD has affected their lives. During the intervention, the group outlines what will happen if the person doesn’t go to treatment, with the therapist present to mediate. Most participants accept treatment. More than half of those who accept treatment successfully complete the program and stay sober—a true success story.
Why Recovery Centers Are So Crucial in an Intervention
An intervention’s success is deeply connected to the availability of professional, quality treatment. People need a safe, well-equipped space to detox and recover from their SUD with individual and group therapy to help ensure long-term sobriety. That’s where Waypoint Recovery Center comes into the conversation. We conduct medical and mental health assessments and provide individual, group, and family therapy, health and wellness resources, and post-treatment support. We offer all this through evidence-based practice and education geared toward the neurological, emotional, and psychological factors that addiction influences.
Receive Intervention Support For Your Loved One in South Carolina
We have two locations in Cameron and North Charleston. Both are equipped to guide you and educate you further on intervention best practices and treatment plans. Don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. We’re rooting for you and your family!
