Addiction and The Holidays: Staging A Family Intervention

The holiday season is a great time for families to gather and celebrate the joys of the year while enjoying each other’s company. It’s also a time when families can get together to discuss personal issues impacting them. While the holiday can be a joyous time, it also presents the opportunity to host a drug addiction intervention as it is often one of the few times a year the entire is in one spot. While confronting someone’s drug use during an intervention, it’s best to learn tips on how to conduct an intervention for drug use. Knowing the ins and outs of the intervention can ensure it runs smoothly and potential conflicts can be minimized.

What Is a Drug Intervention Program?

A drug intervention program involves an organized process aimed at helping someone with a substance abuse problem recognize the need for treatment and enter a recovery program. The key aspects of a drug intervention include:

1. Gathering a team: This typically involves family, friends, and sometimes a professional interventionist who specializes in this process. The team plans the intervention.
2. Confronting the person: The team confronts the person about their substance abuse in a caring but firm manner. They present specific examples of how the person’s behavior has negatively impacted their life and relationships. Knowing how to talk to a loved one about rehab is a crucial aspect of this step.
3. Offering treatment options: The team offers the person a treatment plan, often with plans already made for them to immediately enter a rehabilitation program or facility. The goal is to motivate the person to accept help.
4. Setting boundaries: The team makes it clear they will no longer enable the person’s substance abuse and are prepared to detach if the person refuses treatment. This creates accountability.
5. Providing support: If the person agrees to treatment, the team commits to providing ongoing support and encouragement throughout the recovery process.

A drug addiction intervention can be an important first step in overcoming substance addiction. Having a professional interventionist guide the process can increase the chances of a successful outcome.

What Is Brief Interventions For Drug Use?

Brief interventions for drug use entail short, focused sessions aimed at helping people reduce or stop their problematic drug use. The primary goal is to motivate people to change their drug use behaviors, even for those who may not be seeking professional treatment. These meetings are typically short, ranging from five to 30 minutes, though they can be up to a few sessions. The sessions use motivational interviewing techniques to help the person explore and resolve their dismissive thinking about changing their drug use.

Brief interventions can take place in a variety of settings, such as primary care clinics, emergency departments, or community organizations. Research has shown that brief interventions can effectively reduce drug use and related problems, especially for mild-to-moderate substance use. The brief, non-confrontational nature of these interventions can make them more accessible and appealing to people who may not yet be ready for intensive addiction treatment. They provide an opportunity to initiate behavior change before more severe problems develop.

What Are the Different Types of Interventions for Addiction?

There are several different types of interventions that can be used to address addiction issues. The main types are:

1. Family Interventions:
   • Engage the family and other loved ones to help the person with addiction recognize the need for change.
   • Focus on how the addiction is impacting the entire family system.
   • It can involve family therapy and developing a coordinated plan for treatment and recovery.
2. Crisis Interventions:
   • Occur when the person’s addiction has reached a critical point, such as a health emergency or legal crisis.
   • Aim to quickly motivate the person to accept immediate treatment.
   • It may involve involuntary hospitalization or legal mandates in extreme cases.
3. Brief Interventions:
   • Short sessions lasting less than an hour using motivational interviewing techniques.
   • The goal is to raise awareness and prompt the person to consider changing their substance use.
   • It can take place in primary care, emergency departments, or community settings.
4. Peer Interventions:
   • Involve intervention and support from people who have been through addiction and recovery themselves.
   • Examples include recovery support groups, 12-step programs, and sober companions.
   • Provide hope, guidance, and accountability from those who understand the recovery journey.
5. Clinical Interventions:
   • Conducted by trained addiction treatment professionals, such as therapists or counselors.
   • It can include individual or group therapy, often incorporating evidence-based approaches like CBT.
   • Focus on uncovering the root causes of addiction and developing coping strategies.
6. Workplace/Organizational Interventions:
   • It occurs when an employer or organization intervenes to address an employee’s substance abuse.
   • It may involve an employee assistance program or disciplinary policies.
   • Aim to motivate the person to seek help while maintaining employment.

The type of intervention used often depends on the severity of the addiction, the person’s readiness for change, and the resources available. Many effective treatment approaches combine multiple intervention strategies, but one of the most helpful methods involves using an interventionist perspective on addiction.

What Are the 5 Stages of a Successful Intervention?

Interventions for substance abuse and addiction typically involve a five-stage process to effectively motivate the person to seek treatment. The first stage is about preparation, where the intervention team gathers information about the person’s substance use, plans what they will say, and makes arrangements for immediate treatment if the person agrees to get help. The second stage is confrontation, which involves the team coming together to openly and compassionately express how the person’s addiction has impacted them and their loved ones.

If the confrontation is successful, the third stage is offering treatment options. The team presents the person with specific treatment recommendations like detox, often having already made arrangements for them to immediately enter a rehabilitation facility. The fourth stage is commitment, where the person agrees to accept the offered treatment. At this point, the team reiterates their willingness to support the person throughout the recovery process. Finally, the fifth stage is follow-up, where the team continues to provide encouragement and hold the person accountable for the commitments they made during the intervention. This ongoing support increases the chances of the person successfully completing treatment and maintaining long-term sobriety.

Find Help After a Drug Addiction Intervention at Resurgence Behavioral Health

There are over 37 million Americans who are current illegal drug users, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, so many family members may have someone abusing drugs or alcohol. Drug addiction intervention has proven to be a great way to motivate friends and family to seek treatment. However, after an intervention, it’s important to find the right addiction treatment center for their needs. Resurgence Behavioral Health provides comprehensive addiction treatment services, including detox and behavioral health services in California, to help patients overcome drug and alcohol abuse. Their programs are designed to support patients at every stage of the recovery journey. To learn more about how addiction services help patients at every stage of recovery, please contact us at 855-458-0050 to speak with a helpful admissions specialist today.

External Sources

• National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics – Drug Abuse Statistics
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – SAMHSA Releases New Data on Recovery from Substance Use and Mental Health Problems Among Adults in the United States
• National Library of Medicine – Early Intervention, Treatment, and Management of Substance Use Disorders

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

Research | Editorial