Call our Free 24/7 Helpline Now

How To Run a Drug Addiction Intervention

It’s very difficult to plan and execute a drug or alcohol intervention. You may feel nervous, scared or unsure as to how the intervention will go or how your friend or loved one will react when confronted with her addiction issues. If you don’t know what to do and you’re looking for help, contact Orchid Recovery Center. We can provide you with professional resources that will help you plan and execute an intervention strategy that has the best chance of success. Don’t try to do it all on your own; let our professional interventionists help.

How to Run a Drug Addiction Intervention: Who to Include

The most important attendees at an intervention aside from the addict herself, of course, are her closest family and friends. If they are willing to be involved in the intervention process, their presence and comments can play an important part. Their part will be to write up a statement to be read at the intervention that explains how the addict or alcoholic is a worthwhile person, listing the traits of the person that they like, and then follow by listing specific incidents in which they were hurt by the addict’s behavior due to drugs.

These statements can be useful in helping the addict realize that, while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they are not the person that their friends and family members are used to or like to be around. The hope is that being confronted with these facts in a loving way, the addict will seek help.

It’s a good idea to gather everyone together to rehearse the intervention at least one time before it takes place.

How to Run a Drug Addiction Intervention: On Your to-Do List

Before you stage an intervention, you should prepare for the eventuality that the person you are intervening for decides to accept what you are saying and chooses to enter rehab. With that in mind, you should arrange for their stay at a detox and drug treatment center and take care of all the details ahead of time. To help facilitate the process of getting them into treatment before she changes her mind or tries to stall, you should also pack personal items and clothes for her and have a ride to the facility or airport and an escort waiting.

How to Run a Drug Addiction Intervention: What to Expect

When you arrange an intervention for an addict, unfortunately, one of the best ways to get her to show up is to trick her into coming. Many people view this as deceptive, but if she knows ahead of time that an intervention is planned, then she most likely will avoid the event completely. Once she arrives and realizes what is happening, she will likely be surprised and confused. Be prepared to give her a moment as you calm her down before you allow her gathered friends and family to say what they’ve rehearsed.

After everyone has spoken, present her with your ultimatum: go immediately to treatment or… Be prepared to take her according to the prearranged destination, but also be prepared for her refusal. If she does not want to go to treatment, you must be strong and follow through on your ultimatum. She must know that her addiction is hurting her and those around her and it is no longer an acceptable situation. If it is her job, her home, her marriage or her relationships that are at stake, you must be prepared to do the hard thing and stand by your demands.

Drug Rehab at Orchid Recovery Center

Here at Orchid Recovery Center, we provide women with treatment and support for their alcohol and drug addiction and abuse problems as well as pre-existing trauma and co-occurring disorders. Contact us at Orchid today if you need assistance orchestrating an intervention for your loved one or if you have chosen us as the destination for your loved one.

Further Reading

Where do calls go?

Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser: ARK Behavioral Health, Recovery Helpline, Alli Addiction Services.

By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.