An intervention is an effort to confront (in a loving manner) a friend or family member’s substance misuse. To help readers understand what’s involved, Rachel Corbett, Business Development Director, and Alexander Tellez, Director of Administration, of Recovery Power Intervention Programs, a professional services organization providing intervention, recovery and care management services, shared the following guest post. 

What is an Intervention? by Rachel Corbett and Alexander Tellez

An Intervention is a way to let the addicted person know that they are loved by their family and friends. It is showing them that their loved ones will no longer stand by and watch them destroy themselves with self-destructive behavior or continue to damage all of their relationships. An Intervention provides help. An Intervention not only invites the addicted person to get the help they need, it also welcomes the family to start a recovery program to begin healing from the impact of addiction in the family. The disease of addiction affects the whole family, therefore the whole family is invited to participate and be in that moment of change. When everyone involved begins receive care and support during this time, goals are made easier and seem more attainable.

A family looking for an Interventionist would want to find someone who is a certified addictions treatment counselor who has experience in crisis intervention. The family can then expect the interventionist to schedule meetings with the whole family and talk to them about the situation and the loved one. They would create a solid plan together to go over all possible scenarios before they approach their loved one. This could include several meetings. There are many intervention models that may be used. The interventionist and the family would find one that would be most effective for their loved one and get them the help and treatment that they so deserve.

Below is a sample intervention test, if the answer is  ‘yes’ to most of these questions — an intervention may be a possible avenue of help for the loved one and family.

Intervention test for families and friends:

Do you tell lies to cover up for a loved one, co-worker or employees drinking or drug use?

Do you find yourself wanting to give ultimatums such as: if you don’t stop drinking I will leave you and offer no help financially?

Has the substance abuser in your life ever caused you deep shame and embarrassment?

Does it make you feel like a failure that you cannot control the drinking or drug use of someone you care about?

Is your resentment and anger getting in the way of you living a happy life?

Do you feel alone and isolated and that nobody else has the same problems as you?

Have you refused social events out of fear that the behavior of the person you care about may be unpredictable due to them drinking or using drugs?

Are you excessively concerned and experience anxiety about how much someone else drinks or uses drugs?

Have you ever tried to control your loved one’s drinking or drug use?

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Guest Author

Latest posts by Guest Author (see all)

• Children of Alcoholics | Guest Author Darlene Lancer - July 5, 2021
• Parental Alcohol Use Disorder Causes Trauma - May 12, 2021
• Opioid Overdose Prevention Tips & Resources - April 26, 2021