How To Write An Intervention Letter

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If you are about to partake in a drug or alcohol intervention, your intervention specialist will likely ask you to write out a letter that you will read to the individual in question during the intervention itself. Not only are these letters useful in communicating various concerns, but they also prove a useful tool in keeping the participants collected, focused and on-track. Because emotions can run high, it’s important for each participant to have a well thought out statement to prevent them from allowing their emotions to get away from them. In the guide below, we will walk you through a few tips to help you write your intervention letter.

The first rule of any intervention letter is never to cast blame or anger towards the individual in question. Because the addict has already been put in an awkward position, they will be listening intently for any reason to lash out at the people “at fault”. Once an argument is sparked and anger owns the day, the intervention is at a high failure risk. A well written letter will allow you to avoid such instances while maintaining a clear and positive mindset.

There are several traits typically found in a good intervention letter. Begin by communicating your concern and love for the individual. Because you are an important part of the addict’s life, you need to make sure these statements come directly from the heart.

Secondly, you’ll want to recall a specific instance where the addict has been particularly helpful and kind towards you; Perhaps you can remember a time where the individual has accomplished a goal and made you proud. Gratitude and affirmations are the last thing an addict will expect to hear. By beginning your letter on a positive note, you will lower the addict’s guard, thus removing any energy focused towards you and turning it inwards towards the addict themselves.

In the next section, made a brief statement regarding your newfound understanding of addiction as a disease, along with your desire for the individual to obtain help through formal treatment. This statement will work to put the addition into a medical scope of thinking rather than a moral one. If an addict is able to view their actions as a treatable disease, they will be all the more likely to accept the help they need.

At this point, you should begin listing various facts associated with the addict’s negative behavior. Think back and recall several specific events to help illustrate your concerns. Be sure to only include events of which you have first-hand knowledge, rather than “he said, she said” –type instances. By using first-hand experiences to place the addition into perspective, the addict will have little room to argue.

End your letter on a positive note, repeating your concern and love for the individual before asking them to accept the help that is being offered. If you choose, you may also include the consequences associated with treatment refusal, incompletion or relapse.

By staying positive, focused and loving, you will find your recipient more open to hearing what you have to say. Once you are finished reading, allow your intervention specialist to direct the remainder of the group.

Alcohol Intervention – Steps for Planning the Process

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If you’re in the midst of planning a drug or alcohol intervention, you’re going to need all the help you can get. Whether the individual in question is a family member, friend, partner or spouse, taking the time to strategize your actions is key in helping your loved one obtain the help they need and deserve. In the guide below, we will offer up a few helpful tips to help you through the planning process.

Step 1 – Once you’ve asserted that an intervention is the best course of action, the first step is locating an intervention program. Studies have shown that the majority of interventions performed with the aid of a trained professional result in higher success rates. Not only can these types of programs guide you through the actual intervention, but they can point you in the direction of the treatment programs best suited for the loved one in question.

Step 2 -  If at all possible, try to base your intervention around a recent occurance in your loved one’s life. This event could be anything from a family fight to legal troubles. Studies show that following these types of events, individuals are much more likely to open themselves to exterior help.

Step 3 – Ideally, you’ll want to make certain that the individual is not using during the intervention. Select a location and time where you are positive that your loved one will be unable to obtain alcohol or drugs. If on the intervention date there is evidence to suggest inebriation, you may want to consider rescheduling.

Step 4 – Do your best to stay calm, collected and patient. In some cases, the subject may choose to argue, yell, cry and deny complaints that are thrown their way during the meeting. Take deep breaths and remain composed, allowing the intervention specialist to do their job. Intervention participants who contribute to a hostile environment only distract the subject from the real topic at hand. By keeping your negative emotions in check, you will be doing your part to move the process toward a positive resolution.

Step 5 – Be ready. Once your loved one has agreed to treatment, get them moving. The faster you can get the individual to treatment, the less risk there is for reconsideration and second thoughts. Transport your loved one to their home, help them pack their bags and get them on the road as quickly as possible.

Keep in mind that though you may experience some initial resentment, it’s important to remain positive and loving throughout the experience. By showing your support and commitment to the process, your loved one will be able to start their recovery with a confident and optimistic viewpoint.

How To Plan A Family Intervention

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If the need for a family intervention has arisen, the thought of confronting a close friend or loved one may have you feeling a little nervous, scared and anxious. Truth be told, an alcohol or drug intervention is never an easy event to deal with. Though the feelings can be overwhelming at times, there are ways to ease these tensions through planning, communication and a great deal of perseverance. While you may initially end up causing the recipient of a fair amount of emotional pain, it’s important to understand that in the long run, your efforts will be directed towards the greater good. In the following guide, we will walk you through a few steps to help you through the intervention planning process.

Step 1 – Get in touch with everyone that will be involved in the intervention and schedule a meeting to find out about each individual’s concerns. Though the subject matter will revolve around the individual in question, it’s important not to include them in this initial get together.

Step 2 – Seek the aid of an intervention specialist in the weeks leading up the target date. Professionals such as these will be able to provide you with insight and tips to help you through the planning and implementation process.

Step 3 –Plan on rehearsing the intervention with the specialist you hire to help determine how you should receive expected opinions and responses, keep your cool and react to the responses provided. The better prepared you are to deal with potential reactions, the better the potential response and outcome.

Step 4 – Write out a list of behaviors and actions that will no longer be tolerated from the individual in question. After each item, jot down the consequences that will be incurred in cases where the individual continues to behave in the manner specified.

Step 5 - Follow-through is key in any intervention situation. It’s important to commit yourself completely to any consequences listed, avoiding empty threats at all costs.  Consequences can be as simple as a refusal to support the individual in monetary fashion or as painful as cutting off all ties. Be sure to make preparations ahead of time just in case.

Step 6 – Next, jot out a list of current and potential losses that may or may not have already been experienced due to the behaviors exhibited by the intervention subject. This list can include anything from possessions and employment to freedoms and relationships.

Step 7 – Potential treatment plans should be organized and arranged well in advance of the intervention. Such plans must be enacted directly following a positive response, and as such, it’s necessary to have your facilities, travel arrangements and financial aspects in order prior to beginning the discussion.

Step 8 – The individual in question should be confronted in a private room with everyone in your intervention party present. Keep a calm, composed and loving demeanor while explaining to your loved one that you are simply there to help. Once the initial shock was worn away, the intervention can begin.

Do I Need a Professional Intervention Services?

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When is it time to call on professional intervention services? There’s no time like the present. While the process of intervention is misunderstood by the public at large – it’s about coercing or forcing treatment. Rather it’s helping a person who is struggling with addiction to see that they are greatly loved, and that a ray of hope exists for a new life. A life free of the pain and lies of addiction.

What is an interventionist?

An Interventionist is most often a professional counselor who is trained to help individuals who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, as well as their family members and friends. Interventionists undergo specialized training which allows them to assess a person’s level of addiction, and whether a detox and an in-patient rehab are necessary. Some interventionists also specialize in and assess other compulsive, damaging behavior such as sex or gambling addictions. While each interventionist will employ his or her own style, in all cases, the overarching tone of the intervention should be one of love and respect.
Why Does My Family Need a Drug Addiction Intervention?

There are simply times in our lives when we can use the input of an unbiased professional. Addiction is often a disease which effects entire families – often the drug user is not the only person in denial regarding his or her problem. Families can benefit from the aid of an intervention specialist because they often too emotionally invested to take a full inventory of the problem. One of the major benefits of a drug addiction intervention is getting everyone involved on the same page. Addicts are masterful at spinning tales for different family members in order to obtain money to support their habits, or to hide their escalating use. When under an interventionist’s guidance, friends and family have shared information and compared notes, a much clearer picture of the situation develops. This may be the first time everyone invovled realizes just how deep their loved one’s problem has become.
Time For a Drug Intervention - Get the Support You Need

So, the intervention is a planned. Addiction is an emotionally charged issue and can be overwhelming. Without professional perspective and insight, an intervention may not be the success that you are hoping for. – in fact, it may backfire. If, on the other hand, you’ve worked with a professional the effort is a compassionate and nonjudgmental with the focus firmly on getting your loved one to agree to treatment. No matter how well-prepared you may be, this will still be a trying, emotionally-charged day for all concerned. To guide and ease this transition and to increase the odds your loved one will agree to treatment, a professional interventionist is the perfect solution.

Is It Time for a Family Intervention? Part 2

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Often, a drug intervention marks a definitive step in getting a person struggling with addiction into treatment. Is it time for you to speak with an intervention specialist? Read on for more tell-tale signs that you’ve put it off long enough, and the time is right to get your loved one the help that they need.

When addiction escalates, addicts will try to hide their use in any way possible. Alcoholics will arrive at family gatherings and events already drunk, in order to not appear to drink excessively. People who are addicted to opiates will store their pills in non-prescription bottles, such as aspirin containers, so that those around them won’t suspect that they’re using. If you’ve noticed subversive behavior, it’s time to break the cycle of denial. A family intervention is often the first time an addict is forced to admit that others have seen through their ruses.

Blackouts are common among heavy substance abusers and a sign of a serious problem. If you notice a loved one frequently “forgetting” actions or conversations, chances are the addiction has progressed to a dangerous level, and treatment is crucial.

Addicts often have unexplained money problems. Although they may be manipulating the people around them into financing their drug or alcohol use, eventually the cost of substance abuse will lead to financial problems.  If you or family members have been enabling the addict through providing money, an intervention is the time you’ll let them know that the supply has run dry.

Have you noticed that your loved one has been experiencing an unusually high number of accidents and injuries? How about DUIs? Casual drinkers often correct their behavior after one mistake. If you know someone with multiple DUI’s, that simply means they are unable to stop themselves from drinking. An alcohol intervention may stop them from harming themselves, or others.

As addiction progresses, formerly friendly and sweet people begin to exhibit irrational behavior and dramatic mood swings. Often overreacting, especially if anyone mentions their drinking or drug use, their emotional states are erratic and unpredictable. Often mood is related to how long ago they last used, what they used or if they are suffering from a hangover. Withdrawal symptoms aren’t pretty and are often only safely managed with 24 hour medical supervision. It hurts to see someone we love ride these emotional roller coasters – as difficult as an addiction intervention may be, it is could be the first step to a happy new life for someone you care for.

Is it Time for a Family Intervention? Part 1

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Does a person you know and love need a family intervention? Usually a last resort to encourage an addict to get the treatment they need, interventions are most effective when guided by a professional intervention specialist.

One warning sign of advanced addiction is when the addict begins to isolate him or herself. If you notice that the substance abuser now refuses to participate in activities they used to love, this could mean that the addiction is progressing. Often, addicts narrow their experiences to only include other addicts, or they prefer to be alone in order to focus 100% of their time on getting high. Getting friends and family in the same room during a drug intervention is a high-impact way to break through the user’s self-imposed exile.

Another key factor which often influences families to seek drug intervention programs is when the addict’s tolerance has built up to the point that the addict is consuming potentially lethal quantities of a substance. If you’re noticing escalating use which you feel may result in the user’s death, an intervention is critical.

Have you noticed that the person using drugs or alcohol is exhibiting mental health issues? As addiction deepens, mental health issues often develop or previous minor issues get worse. Depression, panic attacks, phobias and paranoid behavior can all be indicators of drug or alcohol dependency. Often, people begin using substances in order to self-medicate for emotional or psychological issues, but addiction only makes root problems worse.

Most alcoholics and drug users expend a great deal of energy trying t fool the people around them that they don’t have a problem, so if you notice sudden changes in the addict’s appearance, this is a giant red flag. As the need to obtain the user’s substance of choice overtakes all other concerns, personal appearance will deteriorate. Disheveled appearance generally does not occur in the early stages of addiction. It’s time for a drug addiction intervention.

These are just a few general warning signs. The fact is, people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol will deny they have a problem, and will do everything they can to remain in denial – even if the only person they fool is themselves. If your family and friends have reached the conclusion that it’s time to take direct action and get a loved one to recognize the true scope of their problem and enter treatment, it may be time to learn more about drug intervention programs.

Family Intervention – Are You Ready?

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Are you ready for a family intervention? If you and your family and friends have already planned a drug or alcohol intervention for a loved one who is struggling with substance abuse, please the following checklist to ensure you are fully prepared. If you have not already sought out professional guidance or intervention services, we urge you to do so. Interventions are highly emotionally-charged events and are more often successful when led by an expert. This checklist is for general purposes only.

Do you have 3-8 people who are close to the addict who are willing to speak and assist in the intervention?

Is everyone in agreement that the addict not be tipped-off to plans for the intervention?

Do you have a plan to guarantee the addict’s attendance at the intervention?

Have you written a one- to two-page letter to the addict?

Have you edited this letter, removing finger-pointing blame, anger and judgment?

Have you listed the ways you may have been enabling him or her?

Do you have a treatment center standing by, ready to admit the addict for care?

Do you have a concrete plan for covering treatment costs?

Have you made airline or transportation arrangements for the addict?

Have you packed a suitcase for the addict?

Have you joined an Al-Anon or Family Anonymous group for support during this emotional time?

As you see, there are a great many details to be considered when planning a drug addiction intervention. Though this may be a trying time for your family, you are not alone. Contact an intervention specialist to increase the odds that your loved one receives the help they so desperately need.

Putting it on Paper – How to Write a Drug Intervention Letter

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It’s time to stage an addiction intervention for someone you love, and you’ve been asked to write a letter – where to begin?

Guidance with an Intervention Specialist

Interventions are stressful situations for everyone concerned. Emotions may run high during the intervention and it is difficult to remember everything you might want to say to the person struggling with alcohol or drug dependency. Writing and reading a letter during an intervention ensures that you get your feelings across uninterrupted, and in a constructive manner. Your intervention specialist will have more specific guidance, but what follows are a few general tips.

First and foremost, you letter should start with a statement of love and concern. Chances are many difficult emotions may arise when reading what you have written. However, this is the first step in the healing process. Talk about the happy times you spent together before alcohol and/or drugs became a problem.

Next, think back to a time when the subject of the intervention has done something wonderful for you, or been especially important in your life. During an intervention, addicts assume that they will be called out on prior bad behavior – they’re often surprised and genuinely moved when confronted with gratitude.

Finding an opportunity with Family Intervention

Follow this with a statement of facts about negative behavior that come from your own first-hand knowledge. Stick to specific examples of things that you have seen that are directly related to alcohol and or drugs. Be graphic and specific about dates, times and places. Don’t minimize. Often, the person struggling with addiction won’t remember some of the things that have taken place. A family intervention is an opportunity for the addict to see just how bad things really have gotten. Tell this person what these actions have cost in terms of your relationship to each other. Share your hopes for what the relationship could become once he or she accepts treatment.

Lastly, finish up with love, and ask the addict to accept help for the illness.

When everyone on the intervention team follows this rough outline, the addict’s denial will begin to be worn away. The combination of loving support and hard facts often get those struggling with addiction into a place where they are able to accept help.

For more information on our intervention services, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help.

Tips for a Successful Drug Intervention

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A Drug intervention is a powerful way to help addicts see the true extent of how drug or alcohol use is affecting their own lives and the lives of those around them. Interventions can be difficult for everyone involved, but following a few simple guidelines will increase the odds for success.

Invite Close Friends and Family Members

The ideal number of people should be from four to six adults who have been directly impacted by the addict’s behavior.

Do it with Love

People struggling with addiction need to know the intervention is being done out of love.  Addicts should understand that the people around them still love them despite their mistakes, and that there are people who fully believe that they are capable of turning their lives around.

Be Prepared

Before conducting the intervention, all people involved should meet at least once before hand to discuss the plan for the intervention. Deciding the order in which everyone will speak and anticipating all possible reactions and scenarios will help to mentally and emotionally prepare all participants.

Location, Location, Location

The  family intervention should happen in a location where the addict feels comfortable. Most experts also recommend that the intervention happen when the addict is sober, so that he can listen and comprehend what is being said and the consequences he or she may face by not entering treatment.

Choose Consequences

Every participant in the drug or alcohol intervention should clearly state the consequences they are prepared to enforce if the addict chooses not to go through treatment. Consequences should center on no longer enabling the addicts behavior, whether it is cutting off the money supply the addict requires to continue using, severing all personal contact or even no longer providing a place for them to stay.

Have a Treatment Plan In Place

Since the ultimate goal of an intervention is having the addict enter rehabilitation, prior research and preparation is essential. Plans should be in place to move the subject of the intervention into treatment on the very same day. It’s a good idea to have bags packed, and arrangements in place for caring for children and pets. Anticipate any excuses the addict might use to avoid entering treatment and eradicate them.

Listening is Key

If at any point during the intervention, the addict begins asking for information regarding the treatment center and the amount of time he or she will need to stay, this is a sign that the addict is considering entering treatment.

Trust a Professional

Utilizing the services of a professional interventionist is a good idea as they can aid in every step of the process from early planning to the logistics of the intervention itself. People experienced in intervention services are skilled at keeping participants focused and productive and can assist in diffusing confrontation during this highly-charged, emotional experience. Having a professional on hand provides support for all involved and most importantly – the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’ve done everything possible to get your loved one into the treatment they so desperately need.

 

Drug and Alcohol addiction; Intervene Now

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Drug and alcohol addiction are difficult subject matter; especially if someone you love is caught up in the throes of addiction.  You desperately want to talk to them about what’s going on, try to get them to see that the way they are living is ultimately destructive.  But it’s hard to get the words out, and they don’t seem to want to hear them anyway, so many times people just give up on talking to addicts, instead waiting for them to hit their bottom and ask for help.

Nobody wants to be lectured about their life, their choices, and their behaviors.  No one wants to be judged by others.  So often times we keep our opinions to ourselves in order to avoid further alienating an addict.  The conventional wisdom in our culture is that you can’t tell an addict the truth – that they need help now – because you have to wait for them to have some epiphany about their substance abuse and it’s effects.  The conventional wisdom has lead to the tragic death of too many addicts whose lives could’ve been saved with a drug addiction intervention.

Seeking help with an Intervention Specialist

Interventions can be successful when they are done the right way; and that means not trying to do it on your own without help.  An intervention specialist is a professional who has been extensively trained on how to stage an intervention with positive results.  Addicts will go into treatment because of an intervention, so it’s is imperative that if you choose to try an intervention on a loved one that you do so only under the guidance of a specialist.

People who have never dealt with addiction on a personal level have a difficult time trying to understand what an addict is going through.  Why can’t they just stop drinking or doing drugs?  Why can’t they just straighten up and fly right and stop all this nonsense anyway?  Having a trained professional walk you through the process of an intervention program is so beneficial because often times they are recovering addicts themselves and understand the power of addiction in an intimate way and can relate to an addict on a level that you as a family member simply aren’t capable of.

Don’t wait to seek intervention services

It doesn’t matter what substance someone you love is abusing, whether it be alcohol or drugs of any kind, intervention services can help you help them get on the road to recovery.  You don’t have to wait for them to ask you for help; you can help them today.  Putting together an intervention may seem like a scary and extreme way to go, but isn’t just letting someone potentially kill themselves the truly scary and extreme route to take?  Substance abuse is suicide; it is usually just a longer, more drawn out method than others.  But you can intervene and help stop someone from taking their life and it can work.  It isn’t easy to do.  It probably won’t be the most pleasant experience you’ve ever had, but in the end, it will be totally worth it because eventually your loved one will be back, clean and sober and ready to heal your relationship.