Intervention is the skill of helping people agree to accept help before they have fully expressed a desire to change.
An intervention involves bringing together family and friends to show harmonious concern to the addict. Intervention should not involve an angry confrontation. Although emotions clearly run high at such an important meeting, our experience is that there is much more love and concern expressed than anger and it is the love and concern that are the effective ingredients at this time.
With every other mental health problem there is an understanding that families often need to step in and direct a sufferer towards appropriate help, even though they may not want to admit help is needed, an addictive illness works in exactly the same way.
People sometimes engage in self-destructive behaviour, rejecting any assistance others may offer. Intervention, when done correctly, is extremely effective in guiding people in the right direction towards accepting help.
The process of intervention has been used for alcohol and or drug abuse for many years and is now also used for many other compulsive behaviours including gambling, sex addiction, computer addiction, and eating disorders.
No family intervention should be undertaken without advice and counsel of a professional, experienced in the intervention process.
People embarking on an intervention often feel hesitant and apprehensive, it is important that they trust the interventionist. If at any point you feel that you are being asked to do something you do not understand or agree with, you would be wise to stop the process and seek an further advice from a professional.
