Intervention paves the way to change. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Dependence, “over 90% of people get help after an intervention.” Therefore, careful planning is essential to conduct an effective family drug intervention.
Here are some tips on how you can reach the optimal result for your family drug intervention:
1. Choose your team wisely – Make sure that the participants will be a good source of encouragement and support
2. Find the right time to talk – Choose a time when the patient is sober or as close to sober as possible.
3. Use a private and formal spot – Choose a neutral space that prompts everyone to be on their best behavior like a therapist’s office, your church, or the community center.
4. Pay attention to order – It is important to let the right person speak at the right time.
5. Hold rehearsals – Practice is important as it helps you prepare for any untoward incident that may happen during the course of the actual intervention.
6. Stick to the script – Plan and carefully choose the words you will use for the actual intervention and make sure that you stick to them.
7. Use open and warm body language – Make sure that your gestures and your posture do not project hostility towards the patient.
8. Keep tempers under control – Keep calm no matter how difficult it may be.
9. Develop a back-up plan – Be prepared to tackle any untoward incident that may arise during the course of the intervention.
10. Don’t give up – Result may be as immediate as expected but do not falter, rather keep persevering until your desired outcome is achieved.
Finding the right team
Family Drug Intervention Techniques
Once you have decided that you will go through with the family drug intervention and had all the plans laid out, you may opt for one of these methods that have proved effective in dealing with diseases of addiction:
• Johnson Model
This is the most recognized model of intervention that capitalizes on the element of surprise. The family would seek the help of an interventionist in confronting the patient. The goal is to help the patient acknowledge his addiction and offer support and options for treatment.
• Invitation Model
This is similar to the Johnson Model, however, not employing the element of surprise. In turn, the patient is often less resistant although, there will always be that chance that the patient would choose to do the opposite. This technique also helps the family identify if they may actually be contributing to the patient’s addiction by acting as enablers.
• Field Model
This family drug intervention technique gives the interventionist the upper hand. This combines the elements of the Johnson and Invitation Models as the intervention may be planned or unexpected. It is known for its flexibility and ability to adapt to which approach would deem fit for any given situation.
• Systemic Model
This model presents addiction as a problem not just of the patient but the community as a whole. It prevents pinning the blame on the patient alone but rather invites the family and friends to talk about how they may all have contributed to the continued substance abuse.
• Motivational Interviewing
This intervention technique employs the aid of a therapist or interventionist in understanding the patient’s point of view. Here they express empathy rather than judgment or shame which helps build the trust between the patient and the interventionist. They then work towards individualized goals to change the addictive habits and lead the patient to sobriety.
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