How to Do a Drug Intervention

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If someone close to you is struggling with addiction, one of the ways you can offer support is to learn how to hold a drug intervention. A drug intervention is an opportunity for loved ones to come together and express the ways in which addiction has affected them and the reasons why they love and support their friend or family member and want the best for them, including professional treatment.

There are several steps to take to hold a successful drug intervention. 

Decide on Participants

One of the most important steps when figuring out how to hold a drug intervention is deciding on who will be there.

Not every family member or close friend has to be in attendance. In fact, you need to pay particular attention to the relationship between the person for whom the intervention is being held and the people who are participating.

For example:

  • Is there a family friend or godparent with whom the individual struggling with addiction has a close and trusted relationship?
  • Does the individual have an estranged relationship with a parent?
  • Is there a fight among siblings that might come out at inappropriate times during the intervention?

It is important to decide on the participants based on their positive relationship with the person for whom the intervention is planned. Don’t plan to bring people who don’t have a good relationship or people your loved one doesn’t trust, even if they are direct relatives.

Write What to Say

The next step is figuring out what you want to say. An intervention should not be a spontaneous event. Rather, everyone who has been invited to participate should write down what it is they want to say to their loved one.

Don’t be afraid to share the things you write with someone else who will attend the intervention as well, giving one another a chance to review or edit where necessary.

Practice 

Additionally, you’ll want to practice with everyone. Figuring out how to do a drug intervention takes practice and rehearsal, especially when it comes to reading important and intimate information that might elicit an emotional response.

  • Find times when you and all the other participants can get together and practice as a group going over who will say what, in what order.
  • Take time to practice on your own reading over what you plan to say so that you know what inflection, pauses, or tone might be best.

Find a Location and Time

Find a good location and a time for the actual intervention. This step should come after everyone has been invited and written what they want to say. You want to be as prepared as possible for the intervention.

The location you choose might work more effectively if it’s someplace neutral, a location that your loved one may or may not be familiar with but wouldn’t be apprehensive about visiting.

The time you choose should work for everyone, including the person for whom you are staging the intervention. If possible, you want them to be sober during the intervention, and it might take a while to find a time frame that works for everyone. In many cases, going to a third-party location like a doctor’s office or a professional interventionist can be useful in encouraging openness and attendance for everyone.

Work with a Professional

The Differents is a trusted drug rehab in Reno and can help you learn how to hold a drug intervention. We can even offer locations that are neutral and more suitable to your intervention needs. One of the most important parts of an intervention is having a location for treatment available in case your loved one decides to move forward. 

At The Differents, we offer clients several outpatient programs for Reno substance abuse treatment at a stunning location nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains. With our programs, you can present your loved one with several viable options if they decide to pursue treatment at the end of an intervention.

Calling our team gives you a chance to ask questions about our programs and how to do a drug intervention properly. We work with you to verify insurance so that you know, if your loved one agrees to get help at the end of your intervention, you have a place set up and ready for them right away.

Overall, figuring out how to hold a drug intervention might seem overwhelming at first, but there are several resources that make it easier, such as working with a professional and practicing ahead of time what you want to say. If you are ready to learn more about interventions and our outpatient programs, call the team at our luxury drug rehab in Nevada today.

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