Are Holidays the Right Time to Stage an Intervention?

The holidays are a time when family reunites and though they might enjoy their time together they also must deal with unresolved conflict in some cases. Families who are concerned about someone’s alcohol or drug use might wonder if they can use the holidays as an opportunity to reach out to them. As long as it is planned thoughtfully and carefully, there is no reason why you can’t stage an intervention during the holidays.

In fact, the holidays may present a prime opportunity to talk to someone about their substance abuse. The family may already be worried about how to handle this person’s drinking at family gatherings or consider not inviting them at all. Instead of avoiding the problem or pretending it isn’t there for the sake of getting through the holiday, it may be time to deal with the issue head on.

An intervention during the holidays makes sense for a number of reasons. The family is already gathered together including relatives that live far away and whose presence may have more of an impact on the addict. Having lots of family members around can create more awareness about the addict’s behavior when they see how problematic their substance abuse has become.

Interventions always work best when there is a group of people present who have genuine concern and want to provide positive support for the individual struggling with addiction. A bigger group of loving family members who want the best for their niece/nephew, grandchild, cousin, etc will make the intervention more meaningful. Strong family bonds can help break through the thought process of the addict and help them see that they need treatment.

How to Organize an Intervention

The important thing to keep in mind when you are considering an intervention is that it must be thoroughly planned beforehand to prevent any problems from coming up. A poorly planned intervention can leave the situation unchanged or even cause the issue to become worse. Give yourself ample time to start working on the intervention and contacting everyone that you want to include before the holidays come up.

The first step in staging an intervention is educating yourself on addiction and how to approach the conversation about their substance abuse. Gather as much information as you can so that you are not entering the situation blindly. Try to research their particular problem and the methods of treatment so that you know how to discuss the topic of getting help with them.

As you research and learn more about addiction you can start gathering people together who feel the same way as you do about the situation. Make sure to find people that you think can get through to the person but also confirm that they have a solid understanding of how to approach the problem as well. Avoid including anyone that has a lot of anger and resentment toward the addict and might create a highly charged scenario.

Once you have a group of people that you feel that you can trust with putting together an intervention, make sure that everyone is on the same page about what to say and how to talk to the addict. Set a date and location as well as a structured plan so that you feel confident about the group doing their best and succeeding in getting the person help. It might be a good idea to include some non-family members so that they can focus more on the facts of the situation and have less of an emotional response.

Getting Treatment for an Addict

The ultimate goal of any intervention is to make sure that the addict is able to admit that they have a problem and need to get treatment. Before the event takes place make sure that you research a local treatment center and can quickly get the person admitted to the program immediately after the intervention is complete. Waiting too long could result in the person changing their mind or continuing their abuse as they delay their treatment.

At the intervention you can present the addict with the treatment options you have researched beforehand. You can tell them about the treatment and ask them to accept on the spot so that there is no time wasted. Ideally, the addict will say yes to the treatment center and you can get them enrolled right away to complete their initial detox process.

If you are at all concerned about staging a successful intervention you can find a professional interventionist to help you with every phase of the process. They can assist you with setting up and completing an intervention during the holidays. Consulting with any addiction professional can help you ensure that your intervention will go smoothly and your loved one will get the help that they need.

The post Are Holidays the Right Time to Stage an Intervention? appeared first on The Gooden Center.

source https://www.goodencenter.org/holidays-right-time-stage-intervention/