Interventions

Stop the cycle of addiction with intervention

An intervention is for but not limited to alcohol addiction, drug addiction, compulsive gambling, eating disorders, and mental illness. Interventions bring families and friends together and allow everyone involved to understand the addiction or disorder and break the cycle of suffering.  At Assistance In Recovery, we stress the need for immediate action, helping to “raise the bottom” for those in need before they destroy their lives beyond repair. For more on the intervention services offered by Assistance in Recovery, choose form the following:

• Alcohol Interventions
• Drug Interventions
• Mental Health Interventions
• Eating Disorder Interventions
• Gambling Interventions
• Sex Addiction Interventions

How (and Why) Interventions Work

However painful and confusing to deal with, drug addiction and alcohol addiction are treatable.  You may have spent all you have on helping a loved one get better, but found they’re still a slave to alcoholism, drug abuse or other destructive behaviors.  Whatever your circumstance, do not give up hope. We can help.

Phone: 800-561-8158

Or complete this confidential form and tell us about your situation, learn more about how to initiate an intervention and what to expect from the process:

Intervention is the most effective way to access recovery.

Intervention offers an empowering experience. Families or friends leave with an understanding of each person’s role in the recovery process, as well as a renewed ability to lead their own fulfilling lives. Intervention services create the opportunity for the individual to evaluate actions, consequences and potentials.

Interventions are either direct, involving a confrontational meeting with the addict, or indirect, working with a co-dependent family to encourage them to be more effective in helping the addict.

The use of interventions originated in Minnesota back in the 1960s with Dr. Vernon Johnson. The Johnson Model was subsequently taught years later at the Johnson Institute. There are some pockets of thought within the substance abuse treatment and intervention industry that the uninformed alcohol or drug dependent person is negatively affected by so-called “ambush” inherent in the Johnson Model direct intervention. However, beyond anecdotal evidence, there are no scientific studies which confirm that theory.

Two of the major models of intervention that are utilized today are known the Systemic Family Model and the ARISE model of intervention. While the ARISE model utilizes a predominantly invitational approach, in practice many of the same aspects of the Johnson Model are used. Systemic Family Model interventions may use an invitational approach but often utilize the direct approach. Both models rely heavily on having the family as a whole enter a phase of recovery. This helps take the focus off the addicted individual and notes the need for the entire family unit to change in an effort for everyone who is involved to get healthy.

Plans for an intervention are made by a concerned group of family, friends, and counselor(s), rather than by the drug or alcohol abuser. Whether it is invitation model or direct model, the addict is not included in the decision making process for planning the intervention. A properly conducted direct intervention is planned through cooperation between the identified addict’s family or friends and an intervention counselor, coordinator, or educator. Ample time must be given to the specific situation; however, basic guidelines can be followed in the intervention planning process. (Note that an intervention can also be conducted in the workplace with colleagues and with no family present.)

A drug intervention or alcohol intervention with Assistance In Recovery brings families and friends together, educates those affected by a loved one’s behavioral health problem and allows everyone to understand the disorder itself, as well as how to break the cycle of suffering.

The Intervention Process

Our highly trained and educated intervention specialists “raise the bottom” to help addicts and alcoholics receive the help they need before they destroy their lives and those of others.

Addiction affects not only the individual, but the entire family system.  One of the most important pieces of a successful intervention is involving the right people.  Our interventionists will assist you every step of the way as you assemble your intervention team.

Prior to the intervention itself, the family meets with an AiR intervention specialists, for a pre- intervention meeting.  During the pre-intervention meeting, the interventionist will educate the team about drug addiction, alcoholism, gambling addiction, sex addiction or other relevant behaviors.

Family members and friends may prepare letters in which they describe their experiences associated with the addict’s behavior, to convey to the addict the impact his or her addiction has had on others. Also during the pre-intervention meeting, a team member is strongly urged to create a list of activities by the addict that they will no longer tolerate, finance, or participate in if the addict does not agree to check into a rehabilitation center for treatment.  We want to make it as difficult as possible for the addict to continue the abuse cycle.  These consequences may be as simple as no longer loaning money to the addict, but can be far more serious, such as losing custody of a child. Family and friends read their letters to the addict, who then must decide whether to check into the prescribed rehabilitation center or deal with the promised consequences.

An intervention with the correct planning and carried out correctly will often result in an addict agreeing to receive the proper help. But there will be interventions where the addict refuses treatment.  Our interventionists are there to provide support to your family in the event that this happens, and help carry out the consequences of their continued use.

By refusing to seek treatment the addict in general is saying to the family “ I still want to abuse drugs or alcohol. I want to continue the family’s suffering. I want to control my own life.”

The family will be supported by the interventionist as they respond to the addict with the list of consequences decided upon during the pre-intervention meeting.

Drug and alcohol interventions are empowering experiences.  Families leave with an understanding of each person’s respective role in the recovery process, as well as a renewed ability to lead their own fulfilling lives.  Interventions create the opportunity for the addict to evaluate actions, consequences and potentials.

Real life interventions in the media

The A&E television series, Intervention, follows participants who have addictions or other mentally and/or physically damaging problems, in anticipation of an intervention by family and/or friends. Each participant is given a choice: go into rehabilitation immediately, or risk losing contact, income, or other privileges from the loved ones who instigated the intervention.

While AiR does not fully condone the A&E series, it has brought a wide-spread awareness to the general public of “what an intervention looks like.”