Do Interventions Work?

Helping Someone Suffering From Addiction: Do Interventions Work?

It can be one of the most difficult things to see someone you care about become hooked on drugs or alcohol. Oftentimes, the last person to be aware of the problem is the addict themselves, which is usually due to the drug-seeking behavior and the avoidance of treatment and negative consequences. You may have considered an intervention, but do interventions work?

In a country that saw 20.2 million people afflicted by substance use disorder in 2014, you are not alone. But what can you do to help the addict realize that they need to get help to get better? In this article, we will answer the question “do interventions work?” and look at how to perform one.

What is an Intervention?

An intervention in substance abuse is when people who care about the addict come together at a planned time to talk to the addict about their substance use disorder in an effort to make them suddenly come to the realization that they need help. It can be done with just one person and the addict, but usually involves several people in the addict’s life to present a more united front. Peer pressure is among the forces at play in an intervention that can help the addict see that they need help.

Do Interventions Work for Addiction?

Many of us know what interventions are, based on what we’ve seen in movies and television shows, but in reality, do interventions work? According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, the answer to the question “do interventions work for addiction?” is yes. According to their data, if the services of an intervention specialist are used, then 90 percent of interventions will result in success, which in this case is getting professional help for a problem that they can no longer handle alone.

How to Do an Intervention with an Alcoholic or Drug Addict

During an intervention, everyone’s emotions can be highly charged. The easiest mistake that people make during an intervention is letting their emotions get the better of them, turning the exercise into a witch hunt. The ultimate goal of the intervention is to make the person realize the damage that their substance abuse is causing and that the abuse of drugs or alcohol is a disease that requires professional care to beat.

The ways on how to do an intervention with an alcoholic or drug addict are as follows:
