When Is It Time For A Drug Intervention?

Considering A Drug Intervention For a Loved One

The “I” word can be a little unnerving for most people. As distressing as it is to watch a loved one spiraling into chaos due to addiction – even contemplating a formal drug intervention to admit them to rehab is a serious step. When someone you love is caught up in the throes of a substance use disorder, it can be difficult to remain objective and rational. 

A whirlwind of emotions and fears rockets through your mind. That moment when you first confirm that your loved one really does have a problem with alcohol or drugs can be earth-shattering. Some people describe it as feeling as if all the blood were drained from their body, or as though someone just opened a door and let an arctic blast of cold air into the room. 

But, if we are to help the person we love regain control of their life, an alcohol or drug intervention may well be what is needed. This article from Eternal Purpose Recovery will help you determine when an intervention may be appropriate and what steps to take. 

What Is An Intervention Exactly?

An intervention is a carefully planned process where family members, friends, or professionals confront a person struggling with alcohol or drug addiction about their substance abuse. The objective of this process is to encourage the individual to acknowledge their problem and accept help. 

Interventions may be done by family members and loved ones alone or with a professional interventionist facilitating. Ideally, one person should be in charge though. Going with a professionally trained interventionist is generally advisable as professionals are successful in getting the person into drug and alcohol treatment about 90% of the time. 

An intervention is:

• An organized appeal and offer of help to someone in crisis.
• Done out of love and concern for the person who is the subject. 
• Planned carefully in advance, with drug and alcohol treatment already lined up.

An intervention is not:

• Done on the spur of the moment or without careful planning. 
• A time to blame or shame the subject for the damage they may have done.
• Guaranteed to be successful the first time around. 

How Do I Know If An Intervention Is Necessary?

Only you can decide this for certain, but there are some factors that merit consideration. Remember, the point of an intervention is to protect the person from their own behavior. If you have offered help to the person before without success or they (or a child) are in imminent danger, these are excellent reasons to plan on staging an intervention. 

When deciding if you need to do an intervention, it may be helpful to consider the consequences both ways. What’s the worst thing that could happen if you don’t intervene? What’s the worst thing that could happen if you do? Most people who stage family drug interventions don’t do it on a whim — it usually comes as a last resort measure of sorts. After many appeals to the person to stop and accept help have failed, or perhaps after the person overdoses or has a serious incident like a car accident or a friend they use with has died. 

Good reasons to plan an alcohol or drug intervention include: 

• Your loved one is in danger of overdose or serious health problems.
• More casual offers of help and expressions of concern have not resulted in change.
• Children are involved, i.e. the person is a parent or guardian of children under 18. 
• They’ve already had serious legal or financial consequences due to using/drinking.

When Is It Time To Do An Intervention? 

If you feel anxious about staging an intervention for a loved one, that is understandable. No one likes doing an intervention. They can be stressful, upsetting, and emotionally charged. It’s natural to have anxiety or even doubts. You may even catch yourself trying to talk yourself out of it or trying to find reasons not to intervene.

People who are conflict-averse, codependent, or passive in particular, often struggle with the idea of an intervention. Drug intervention is the epitome of “tough love”. It can seem mean or even cruel, but the truth is that an alcohol or drug intervention is an act of love, first and foremost. It is tantamount to an attempt to pull someone out of the path of an oncoming train.

 The bottom line is, there are far more reasons why you should stage an intervention than reasons you shouldn’t.

The best time to begin staging an intervention is just as soon as you can — with a reasonable, relatively airtight plan in place and treatment lined up. Addiction is cruel and unpredictable. It’s best not to let it “run its course” and hope for the best.

How Do You Prepare For An Intervention On Someone?

In preparing to stage an intervention, your focus should be on the desired outcome. You don’t do a drug or alcohol intervention with the intent of “scaring” the person into stopping their drug or alcohol use. No matter what promises they make to “straighten up and fly right” during an intervention — you must not capitulate. Remember: an intervention is an ultimatum — not a negotiation. 

The goal of the intervention is to get the person suffering from addiction into treatment. It’s to stop the progress of the disease in its tracks and take the person out of harm’s way, as soon as possible. So before staging the intervention, you should already have a drug and alcohol rehab in California selected. 

An Intervention Is An Ultimatum – Not A Negotiation

You should speak to the rehab and confirm they can work with the insurance or that funds are available for treatment. In a perfect intervention, the person will be on the phone doing a pre-admission screening with the admissions department within 24 hours and they will be heading into treatment in 48 hours or less. 

Time is of the essence here. The willingness to go to rehab, however earnest, can be fleeting. Strike while the iron is hot. Do not give the person a chance to get “cold feet”. Interventions are complex and emotionally draining. These are just some of the reasons why hiring a professional is the best course of action whenever possible. 

Can We Do A Family Intervention Without a Professional?

The success rate for non-professional interventions varies between 40-70%. There are so many variables that this can be difficult to track accurately. What we do know is that boundaries are essential to a successful intervention. 

A professional interventionist not only has training and experience to handle just about any scenario but is also not attached to the subject of the intervention. This means they cannot be emotionally manipulated. It’s also far easier for a professional to see the intervention through to a successful outcome. 

Hiring a professional interventionist can cost between $1500 to $5000 or more. If that isn’t in the budget, the family should still consider bringing in a third party. A trusted person the subject of the intervention respects can work. A priest, pastor, rabbi or imam. Even a former football coach or an old boss they were close to. It’s best if the person leading the intervention isn’t a relative or close friend. 

Things to remember about intervention:

• Professional interventions tend to be successful more often than private ones.
• Hiring a professional interventionist costs approximately $1,500-5,000+.
• If there aren’t sufficient resources for a professional, there are other options.

Eternal Purpose Recovery Has Solutions for Addiction

Planning a family intervention for someone who is caught in the riptide of addiction can be a complex process. Take advantage of all the resources and help you can get at this time — without losing the advantage of surprise. 

While there are no guarantees, well-planned interventions with professional guidance are often successful. As long as everyone involved follows instructions to the letter and no one breaks ranks or enables the person, there are good reasons to have hope for a successful outcome.

If you would like to learn more about drug and alcohol treatment at Eternal Purpose Recovery in California or you have questions about intervention, please reach out to us at 

1-888-294-5153