Drug and Alcohol Intervention

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In a drug and alcohol intervention, people who are dependent on drugs or alcohol are talked to by family members, friends, and possibly by employers on the subject of their drug or alcohol addiction and how their abusive and chronic drug or alcohol abuse has affected virtually everyone around them.

A drug and alcohol intervention should be carefully planned and initiated by addiction intervention specialists who are experienced in such procedures. The most essential purpose of a drug and alcohol intervention is to encourage the alcoholic or drug addict to seek professional alcohol or drug addiction rehab.

Drug and Alcohol Intervention:  A Basic Outline

Scientific investigation displays that one way of dealing with alcoholism and drug addiction is to conduct an intervention.  Having said this, it is pertinent to ask the following question:  specifically what is a drug and alcohol intervention?

Basically a drug and alcohol intervention can be perceived as a step in the drug and alcohol rehab process in which the alcoholic or drug addict is confronted about his or her abusive drinking or drug abuse and how his or her irresponsible, abusive, and reckless drinking or drug abuse has affected family members, friends, neighbors, and possibly co-workers.

Stated more precisely, a drug and alcohol intervention is a meeting involving the drug addict or the alcoholic, family members, friends, perhaps an employer, along with a substance abuse intervention expert.  In this meeting, the family members, friends, and employers, under the supervision and management of the addiction intervention professional, state their concern about alcohol or drug addict and strongly "encourage" the addict to get professional rehab.

Normally in a drug and alcohol intervention, family members, employers, and friends tell the alcoholic or the drug addict in their own words how they are concerned about the drinker or the drug abuser and how his or her drinking and drug abuse has created frustration, tension, fear, and other problems in their lives.  The objective of a drug and alcohol intervention centers on the addict listening to what was stated in the meeting and then accepting the fact that he or she needs competent treatment.

It is imperative to state that drug and alcohol interventions are customarily resorted to when all other methodologies have been exhausted in an attempt to help a person overcome a serious drug or drinking problem.

Drug and Alcohol Interventions Can Fail

Substance abuse scientific examination demonstrates the fact that a variety of drug abuse and alcoholism rehab facilities have stopped doing drug and alcohol interventions because they frequently fail.

Stated in a different manner, when drug and alcohol interventions are unproductive, a fact that has to be deliberated, the family can actually be torn apart even further due to the disruptive and negative feelings with regard to the failed intervention.

It must be underscored that this is not an insignificant circumstance for a family that is already on the brink of destruction due to the alcoholic or addictive behavior of a family member. 

The chance for failure regarding drug and alcohol interventions serves to point out more emphatically the importance of employing an addiction intervention specialist who has a proven track record of success.

Why Do Drug and Alcohol Interventions Fail?

What are the underlying reasons that drug and alcohol interventions fail?  First, the intervention may fail if the alcoholic or drug addict doesn't follow the treatment protocol both during and after formal rehab.

Second, since his or her reasoning and rational abilities and psychological stability may be lessened because of chronic alcoholism or drug addiction, the addict may fail to attend to the situation and simply leave the intervention session.  This almost always means that the well-intentioned family members will have to manage the failed intervention in addition to the rest of their drug and alcohol-related issues and challenges.

The third reason that drug and alcohol interventions may prove to be unsuccessful is the fact that the alcoholic or drug addict may not be ready for treatment at this time.  Stated somewhat differently, some therapists claim that drug and alcohol interventions lack a proven and long-lasting track record due to the fact that several drug and alcohol addicts are unable to get treatment until they get to the point in their lives when they themselves can make this decision.

In a word, according to this view, alcohol and drug addicts can't be helped until they seek assistance on their own.  Paradoxically, whereas the intervention can help put drug and alcohol dependent individuals in a more receptive frame of mind and can actually help them decide that they need professional rehabilitation, the mere fact that the intervention took place may lead to bitterness, apprehension, and anxiety down the road.

And fourth, drug and alcohol interventions can fail when a family either chooses to undertake an intervention without the direction and support of an addiction intervention expert or if the intervention specialist is unskilled or lacks experience.

When Do Drug and Alcohol Interventions Succeed?

Scientific exploration has determined that the best time for a drug and alcohol intervention is following a consequential event, like an arrest for a DUI, when a drug or alcohol dependent person has been caught stealing something of value, or when the alcoholic or drug addict is caught lying about subject of something of importance.  In these circumstances, the alcohol or drug dependent individual is more likely to be remorseful or to experience guilt—thus helping the addict become more “open” and amenable to getting the treatment he or she requires.  Though this may seem apparent, it is also important that the alcoholic or drug addict are substance-free at the time of the intervention.

It is interesting to point out, nevertheless, that according to substance abuse research, men are more likely to remain in alcohol or drug rehabilitation if they are there due to "suggestions" or threats from their employers. This finding appears to point out the fact that interventions that include the active involvement of employers can be successful in some situations.  For instance, according to one study, employees who were chronic alcohol abusers displayed significant improvement in their drinking behavior and in their work performance during the months immediately following an intervention that was initiated to confront their problem drinking that was negatively affecting their job performance.

In sum, it can be reported that some drug and alcohol interventions have been successful and have helped drug or alcohol addicts accept the fact that they need professional treatment for their dependency.  And if done with careful planning and under the supervision and direction of an addiction intervention expert, the chances of success are greatly increased.

Drug and Alcohol Intervention:  Conclusion

A drug and alcohol intervention is a form of confrontation in which a group of concerned people, like family members, friends, and employers, along with a substance abuse intervention specialist, has a meeting with a drug or alcohol dependent person.  In this meeting, the family members, employers, and friends, under the leadership and guidance of the intervention expert, communicate their concern about alcohol or drug addict’s abusive and addictive behavior and strongly "encourage" the alcoholic or drug addict to get professional rehab.

Although drug and alcohol interventions should be undertaken as a "last resort" and have been known to boomerang and result in tension, anger, and resentment, if done with careful planning and with the leadership and management of an addiction intervention professional, the chances of a successful drug and alcohol intervention are much enhanced.

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