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If you’re reading this, you’re probably worried about someone you love. Maybe you’ve watched them change, pull away, or behave in ways that are painful to witness.
Whether this is your first time facing addiction in the family or you’ve already tried having difficult conversations without success, the situation can feel frightening and incredibly lonely.
But you are not powerless.
When dealing with an addict who is struggling with substance use, a heart-to-heart might not be enough. Sometimes, helping a loved one with addiction requires a more structured, direct approach.
That’s where a formal intervention comes in. It’s not easy, but it could save their life.
Did you know?
America has been fighting a losing battle against addiction for more than 30 years. In 2017 alone, the CDC reported more than 72,000 overdose deaths (a record high). These sobering numbers show just how critical it is for families to recognize the signs of addiction and step in when needed.
An intervention is a structured conversation meant to help someone see the reality of their addiction and how deeply it’s affecting the people who care about them. It’s not about blame or confrontation.
It’s about love, honesty, and a path toward healing.
Interventions are often used in response to substance abuse, but they can also help with other serious issues, like:
No matter the situation, the goal of an intervention is the same:
Addiction often clouds a person’s ability to see how much they’ve changed or how much they’re hurting the people they love and respect. But when friends and family speak with honesty and compassion, it can break through the clouds and offer hope.
As the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park once said after his band staged an intervention:
“I had no idea I’d been such a nightmare … I didn’t realize how much of that was affecting the people around me until I got a good dose of ‘here’s what you’re really like.”
That’s what a well-planned intervention can do: bring clarity, connection, and hopefully, change.
There’s no one-size-fits-all way to help someone you care about. Below, we examine five common intervention models and approaches, each with a common goal: to guide your loved one toward accepting help.
The Johnson Model
This is the traditional, most well-known format. Family members and friends plan a structured and rehearsed conversation with the goal of encouraging the person to enter treatment. The message is singular and clear: “We love you and we want to see you get better.”
Brief Intervention
This is usually led by a doctor, therapist, or spiritual leader. It is a short one-on-one conversation often prompted by an overdose or health scare. It may seem small, but even a few words at the right time are enough to convince your loved one to enter treatment.
Crisis Intervention
Sometimes addiction and mental health challenges reach a tipping point, like a medical emergency or police involvement. Crisis interventions aim to stabilize the situation and help someone connect with long-term support services.
ARISE
ARISE is a newer, more collaborative form of the Johnson model that includes the entire family (without surprise or confrontation). This model focuses on building trust and encouraging treatment through open, honest, and ongoing communication.
SMART Model
This model focuses on creating clear next steps by blending emotional support with actionable, achievable goals. SMART stands for:
Family Systematic Intervention
This model also follows the Johnson Model but looks at the bigger picture—how family dynamics may contribute to addiction and how everyone can work together to support long-term recovery and healing.
If you’re unsure whether now is the right time, here are four signs that an intervention may be necessary:
Drug misuse and addiction can negatively impact every aspect of the family system:
Where you hold the intervention can make a big difference. You may want to do it at home, but that can feel too familiar, causing your loved one to shut down, leave the room, or walk away before the conversation is finished.
Ideally, you want to stage an intervention in a neutral setting such as a therapist’s office, a church, or a private space in a community center. This ensures the message is received and that the addict remains on their best behavior.
Gather your intervention team ahead of time to ensure they understand their role and what they’ll say. Have a few practice sessions to help ease nerves and prevent emotional outbursts that could derail the conversation.
Choose people that your loved one trusts and respects, as they will be more inclined to listen. Choosing people who can remain calm, avoid blame, and speak from the heart is also important.
An addiction-focused intervention aims to stop substance use, whereas a mental health crisis requires immediate or emergency help from professionals. Both situations can overlap, requiring an integrated approach to care.
These days, it is common for the family to enlist the help of a specialist who has previous experience in staging interventions. Such a person can be:
Interventions can be emotionally charged events. Getting an interested third party involved can help temper the heightened emotions and keep the message on point. Without someone like that, it is all too easy to get sidetracked or have the meeting devolve into finger-pointing and name-calling. An interventionist can provide guidance and planning and then lead the meeting towards the ideal outcome.
If your loved one deals with any of the following issues, hiring an interventionist is highly recommended:
There are several ways to find a professional interventionist:
If your family has reached the tipping point and has already attempted to have one-on-one discussions with your loved one to no avail, then you likely are all too aware that something more formal may be required to save their life. If you have come to this realization, then you must take the time to plan your intervention carefully.
Naturally, your loved one may not be receptive to such a meeting. Therefore, you might have to lie or trick them into going to this location. Realistically, saving their life is far more important than a temporary breach of trust.
To help you navigate this difficult conversation, here is our drug abuse intervention guide:
Rehearse your message
As mentioned, emotions can get out of hand during an intervention, resulting in sidetracking or straying from the message. Such emotions can cause you to forget what you intended to say. By practicing, you can ready yourself for the event and fine-tune your statements. Although you can’t predict everything that may occur, roleplaying helps you mentally prepare for adverse reactions or cruel words.
Stick to the script
As you prepare for this meeting, you will likely write and rewrite your script several times to hone it down to its most powerful essence. In the moment, you may be tempted to improvise to avoid sounding wooden, but that is unwise and could throw off the meeting. Stick to your polished message and avoid name-calling or blaming the person with “You do this” types of statements. Stick to “I messages,” which illustrate how you feel and how their actions have impacted you.
Consider your body language
The way you present your message is just as critical as the words you say. Humans naturally pick up on body language, so make sure you present yourself with warm and open body language. Focus on:
Your body language should always match the words of love and affirmation. If they don’t, they will come off as false or forced.
Interventions are tricky. To achieve the most successful results, you cannot simply go in blind. Instead, you need to plan and prepare ahead of time. Follow these steps as you go about your preparations:
Because of this, you must have a small and intimate group of people who have had the most profound impact on the addict’s life. This is not meant to a public shaming. As such, you need to select people who can stay on message and who won’t provoke the addict to anger. Select people who have had an impact on the addict’s life and who have their respect and trust. The only people who should be included are those who have meaningful relationships with the addict.
Before staging the intervention, agree on a formal speaking order. Ideally, the most powerful voice or message should go first. Sometimes this might mean having a child lead or someone outside the family, such as a close friend or pastor. An intervention ends once the person has agreed to enter treatment, so it might be wise to have one of the more influential voices, such as the spouse, go toward the end so that they can tip the balance towards recovery when the addict is feeling especially vulnerable.
If your loved one has recently had an event where their substance abuse directly impacted them, such as:
To give yourself the best chance of success, do not:
Remember, the goal of any intervention is to spur your loved one on towards recovery. Ideally, this means getting them into a rehab center for drug detox as soon as possible. Strike while the iron is hot. Do not let a successful meeting go to waste. Therefore, it is crucial that you’ve done your research, planned for the next steps, and investigated inpatient or outpatient facilities near you.
If they agree that they need to quit, act immediately so they can receive the help they desperately need. The road to recovery can be fraught with difficulties, but with your support, your loved one can overcome any challenges and find their way to sobriety.
To learn more about the intervention process and specialized therapy services, please call our Florida rehab center. Our experienced staff members will discuss with you how to stage a formal intervention, which treatment programs would be best for the addict, and how to achieve long-term recovery.
At Beach House Center for Recovery, our primary goal is to help you change your life for the better. Contact our treatment facility to achieve sobriety today.
When planned carefully, about 80-90% of interventions are successful, making them one of the most effective first steps toward recovery.
Drug interventions require careful planning and preparation. Informal, unplanned, impromptu, and emotionally charged interventions can make your loved one’s addiction worse.
Try not to panic or lose hope. Stay calm and steadfast in your goal, reminding them that professional help will be ready when they are. In the meantime, be sure to set clear boundaries, practice self-care, and seek support as needed.
Most families need one to two weeks to plan an intervention. This gives you enough time to choose the right people, rehearse, and coordinate treatment options.
Yes. Most interventions are a surprise, ensuring they show up and listen. But this isn’t about deception, it’s about creating an opportunity to break through denial and offer much-needed help.
Whether you’re researching for yourself or a loved one, Beach House can help. We understand that this is a serious time in your life and that the treatment center you choose matters. We want you to feel comfortable and empowered to make the right decision for yourself, a friend, or a family member. This is why a counselor is waiting and available to answer your questions and help put your mind at ease regarding the next steps. Many of the staff at Beach House have walked in your shoes. If you feel you’re ready or want more information about how to help a loved one, we can help today. You can also learn why we are voted the #1 rehab for addiction treatment in Florida.
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