Welcome
Thank you for visiting Drug Interventions Work. Most visitors to this site are facing the same challenge: someone they care about is struggling with drug addiction, and is unable—or unwilling—to acknowledge the severity of the problem.
That’s why we’re here. Our purpose is to provide information and resources for you when planning an intervention. This is not an easy decision. You’ve probably tried many other ways of dealing with the situation. No doubt, you’ve tried many, many times—without success.
We hope you’ll take some comfort in knowing you’re not alone. Thousands and thousands of family members, friends, co-workers, employers and others have found it impossible to convince a drug addict in their lives to seek help. They, too, had been at the end of their proverbial rope: frustrated, angry, disappointed, sad and afraid that someone close to them would end up just another statistic—a casualty in the real war on drugs.
The good news is, for many of those people who came before you, their interventions accomplished what they intended. Addicts were, gently but firmly, led to understand how deeply their drug using had hurt the people closest to them. As a result, these people sought help through treatment.
What is an intervention?
An intervention is a structured conversation between a person using drugs and those who are closest to him or her, with the goal of helping the user understand how drug use has affected all of the people involved.
Here are some tips that can make an intervention successful in reaching the drug user in denial:
- remain calm, expressing concern when speaking to the user
- focus on specific incidents where the person’s drug using affected
one or more of those present (“I was so worried when the police
called…”)
- avoid blanket statements (“You’re always getting high”
or “You’ll never change”)
- Don’t use labels like “drug addict” or “junkie”
- anticipate denial, anger and resentment from the user
- show support and hope that the user can succeed
The group should reach an agreement prior to the intervention regarding the action they want the user to take immediately following the intervention. This should be some positive, concrete step toward recovery, such as attending a 12 Step meeting, speaking to a doctor or therapist, or entering a treatment program.
Please call now if this is urgent: (800) 231-6025