Be wary of common misconceptions about interventions when planning one. Before starting, realize that interventions aren’t as seen on TV and aren’t the only way to quit. They’re essential, but they aren’t the ultimate and only solution to addiction recovery. 

Use a family intervention guide, or consider hiring a professional interventionist. Research common misconceptions about interventions and share those resources with everyone involved. Everyone must understand what interventions are for and how they work (or don’t work).

Interventions are the First and Last Chance 

An intervention is the first step in a lifelong road recovery process. An intervention doesn’t replace years of therapy and hard work; the group shouldn’t expect to do all the work themselves. They don’t even have to get it right the first time. Relapse rates are high, and an expected part of recovery—they don’t mean the first intervention failed. Interventions are not the entire sobriety journey. They are only the first step. 

Interventions Don’t Matter Because Addiction is Incurable 

Many people call themselves recovering alcoholics, not former alcoholics, for one reason: addiction lasts for their entire life. They will almost certainly fail at least once. Successful addiction recovery relies on the will to continue and constant vigilance against triggers…which only one person can make happen. 

So if the intervention is only the first step, and they are likely to relapse, why bother with an intervention? 

An intervention starts the process. For some people who haven’t caused a major catastrophe, it could be the only possible wake-up call. Many high-functioning addicts who aren’t in financial or legal trouble won’t make a change without this organized confrontation. 

The people involved also benefit from interventions. The rare opportunity to air their grievances in a rational, constructive setting helps them gain closure and sympathy. That same process furthers the intervention’s ultimate goal—to make the subject understand how they made others feel. That realization should push them toward recovery, but everyone involved should remember that recovery takes many forms.

There’s Only One Way to Quit

Some people think “cold turkey”—immediate cessation of all drug or alcohol intake—is the only way to recover from addiction. However, addiction is a complex disease that requires a far more nuanced approach. 

While organizing an intervention, research the potential results and possible goals: 

• Convince the subject to enter detox or residential rehab 
• Start therapy to address the issues that drive them to use alcohol or drugs
• Taper or otherwise reduce their intake 

Demand the subject commit to a specific, definable plan during the intervention. Rather than a vague promise to quit, lay out clear expectations for them to follow and direct them to resources the group chose. While a select few can quit cold turkey, consider these alternatives. And remember that, despite the intervention, they could still relapse. It’s difficult to cut through years, months, or decades of damaged pleasure circuits in the brain. 

A Relapse Means an Intervention Failed

Interventionists may feel pressure to get everything right the first time. They think if the subject relapses, even months or years after, their hard work was for nothing. But addiction recovery is too complex to measure success rights as a binary yes or no. Many people in recovery will relapse. The group can counter feelings of failure because of that relapse with intervention goals not focused on sobriety: 

• Inform the subject of the consequences of their actions 
• Convince them to begin treatment or therapy 
• Educate them on the potential consequences 
• Reduce, but not eliminate, intake 

Use these measurable and more manageable goals to measure the group’s success realistically. A moderate, reasonably achievable goal also encourages attendees to take the gentler, more understanding tone encouraged by modern treatment modalities. 

Drama and Arguing During Interventions

While the group should be firm and confident as they deliver their intervention statements, they must remain calm. Never scold, shame, or shout during an intervention. The participants should come to help (both the subject and each other), not to retaliate. 

Interventions Should Wait for “Rock Bottom”

The group might want to wait until something terrible happens to the subject. The consequences of addiction are many and varied, but all change someone’s life forever: 

• Termination from work 
• Driving under the influence (DUI) convictions
• Criminal charges for possession, distribution, theft, or robbery 
• Separation and divorce
• Foreclosures and evictions caused by economic difficulties 
• Overdose and health complications 

Waiting gives the group powerful points that reinforce their arguments. They can confront the subject at their most vulnerable, when they are more willing to listen. 

This approach is effective in these drastic situations—but not everyone reaches that point. People with so-called “high-functioning” addictions balance their responsibilities with their drug use indefinitely. The group could wait months, or years, for a crisis that might never appear. They might even overdose or die of chronic illness before the group feels it’s “the right time.” 

Rock bottom pushes people into treatment effectively, but its permanent legal or financial consequences may make that treatment more difficult. In the United States, job loss often terminates health insurance, making paying for treatment more difficult. Criminal convictions often lead to terminations and additional financial consequences such as difficulty finding work in the future. And brain damage from overdose or other health complications may inhibit their treatment. 

The consequences of waiting for rock bottom could be dire. Ignore the mty that it’s required—if the group thinks someone needs an intervention, they should start planning right away. The work is challenging and stressful, but ultimately rewarding. More importantly, the group isn’t responsible for their loved one’s recovery. They only need to start it.  

People Don’t Need Treatment After Interventions 

An intervention will motivate someone to change but won’t give them the years of discipline they need to move on. Addiction recovery takes many years. The memories and commitment from one emotional meeting will never stay with them that long. 

The intervention will instead push them to enter professional care. In treatment, they can develop the skill set and build the support network they need to develop that discipline. 

There are many different forms of professional addiction recovery: 

• Social support at group therapy

• Psychological and psychiatric care from therapists 
• Detox and round-the-clock care at rehab facilities 

Follow Never Alone Recovery for More Information on Ways to Provide Support for Families of Addicts 

Try Never Alone Recovery’s information-packed blog for more information on how interventions work. Use that information to plan, and use that plan to support your loved ones on their treatment journey.

Once they commit, take advantage of the Never Alone Program’s suite of addiction recovery consultants. They’ll help post-intervention family and friends transition into insurance-approved rehab. Rehabs that take insurance are not easy to find, but Never Alone Recovery has the resources to find one.