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How To Conduct A Proper Drug Intervention

Author: ChrisChanning
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Word Count: 549
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Living life with a loved one who has an addiction to illicit drugs can be painfully difficult. The first signs of an addiction seem innocent at first, but eventually the defensiveness and secretive nature of drug addicts become more than enough to bear. As drug abuse continues, certain health risks associated with whatever drugs are being abused may come to light, and it is at this point that drastic measures need to be taken to get them off of drugs.

Sometimes one of the best courses of action in the event that a loved one is struggling with a drug addiction is to hold an intervention. Interventions are considered one of the final steps in combating a friend or family member's drug problem, and all interventions do not yield positive results.

When intervening with a drug user who has a mild habit that you are afraid will blossom into full-blown addiction, a small family intervention can sometimes convince them to quit using illicit drugs without the help of therapy or professional counselors. Although not always successful, studies have shown that small private interventions consisting of people close to the drug addict are at least effective enough to coerce the addict into abusing less drugs, buying more time for professional help to be found.

If a drug addict's dependence on substance abuse has become a serious threat to their health, as is the case in many amphetamine, heroin, and cocaine addictions, full scale interventions may be the only thing stopping an addict from dying. Immediate contact with a professional counselor should be made. Counselors will help you figure out the best course of action, set up the intervention, and get your loved one into treatment.

Feelings of remorse or resentment towards someone you care about who is now a drug addict are perfectly normal. What you cannot allow is for these feelings to manifest as sympathy or hatred. Sympathetic friends or family members will be the first to be taken advantage of, and when an addict feels betrayed they are liable to perform irrational acts of violence stemming from their addiction. Stopping drug abuse is the number one goal of an intervention, and you cannot allow your emotions to blind you when someone's life is in the balance.

When an intervention takes place, the key to a success is to make the addict feel that everyone is on their side and concerned for their safety. Use gentle tones and make sure to not become overly frustrated when speaking to the subject of the intervention. Drug addicts are impossible to reason with while using, so make sure to hold the intervention at a time of sobriety and clear-headedness. The last thing you can afford is for an addict to storm out of the house and go on a drug abusing rampage because he feels offended by people who genuinely care about his well being.

What to Do If Interventions Fail

Failure during an intervention is common, and sometimes can hardly be avoided. Be prepared for the worst when holding an intervention. In the case that the drug addict does storm out of the house, contacting law enforcement officers may be the only available course of action left. However, if there is any possibility of convincing the addict to enter treatment, then that course of action should be pursued.