The Three Stages of an Addiction Intervention

Addiction interventions vary depending on the needs of the individual being intervened upon, but most follow three predictable stages.

Pre-Intervention

Prior to an intervention is a long and critically important planning stage. A small group of family, friends and trusted advisors coordinate schedules and plan a time to intervene when the addict is most likely to be sober and/or receptive to feedback. Together, they decide who will speak first and rehearse the details of the intervention.

If a professional interventionist is involved, they will spend time on the phone or in person with each participant to learn about their relationship with the addict and how it has been affected by the addict’s behaviors. The more the interventionist can learn about the group dynamics and the addict’s patterns, the better positioned they will be to identify manipulation and denial in the addict’s responses.

In the preparation stage, participants explore all of the possible reactions and excuses the addict may give and practice ways to respond without giving in, getting angry or escalating the situation. A professional interventionist can ensure that adequate planning makes the intervention run smoothly.

Intervention

With appropriate planning, the intervention should proceed as rehearsed. While no one can predict the response of the addict, planning prepares all participants for the full spectrum of reactions without losing sight of the ultimate goal: getting the addict into treatment.

One by one, each participant will share their stories and express their love and concern. Each will ask the addict to accept the help they’re offering and explain the consequences if the addict chooses to refuse help.

A professional interventionist’s role throughout the intervention is to keep the exchanges productive. Someone who has performed many interventions will be able to anticipate escalating emotions and call out excuses and manipulation from the addict in a calm, effective way.

Post-Intervention

Ideally, the addict will accept the offer of help and enter treatment immediately. A professional interventionist will have coordinated transportation with an appropriate treatment program and will ensure that the process of getting help is seamless.

Once the addict is in treatment, it is the family’s responsibility to get treatment of their own. Addiction affects the entire family, often resulting in co-dependency and dysfunctional family roles. In order to heal and support the addict during and after treatment, the family will need to be involved in therapy, Al-Anon meetings and the treatment center’s family program. In the event of relapse, the intervention process may need to be revisited.

If the addict refused to accept help following the intervention, the family’s work continues post-intervention. In addition to holding the boundaries they set and following through with consequences, family members need to take care of themselves. For some, this means attending Al-Anon meetings. For others, it means giving themselves the freedom to “say no” to the addict and making decisions that free the family to live their own lives.