Parents often struggle to communicate with their children once they become adults. An adult child may feel as if his or her parents don’t respect his or her status as an adult when parents show concern. It’s vital for parents to speak up and voice their concerns when an adult child shows signs of drug abuse and addiction. These conversations are never easy, but they are essential to recovery. One of the best methods for handling these situations is staging an intervention.
Why An Intervention Is So Important
An intervention is a gathering of the friends and family of a person struggling with an addiction. The person may not acknowledge the problem or realize the consequences of his or her decisions, and the intervention is the time to bring these issues up for everyone. A parent may feel conflicted about determining the best way to approach an intervention for his or her child, and a professional interventionist may be the perfect solution. An addiction intervention can easily go awry without professional guidance and may do more harm than good.
Setting The Stage For The Recovery Experience
An intervention is a chance for the loved ones of a person with an addiction to come together to tell their struggling relative about the effects his or her addiction have had. For example, if the person with the addiction stole money from a sibling to pay for drugs, the intervention is the time to address this issue. An intervention allows the family and friends to clarify that the addiction cannot continue, and they will not allow the addicted person to take advantage of them anymore, but in a supportive and constructive environment.
Many people struggling with addiction require a strong “wake-up call” to start considering drug addiction help and rehab. Some addictions arise out of issues in the home or conflicts with family members and the intervention can help lay the groundwork for healing among the family.
Addressing Past Traumas And Family Issues
Many families have traumatic pasts. Former abuse and other issues can come up later in life, and a person may blame his or her substance abuse on the actions of a family member or friend. Sometimes, these are justifiable accusations and it’s necessary to closely examine the dangerous aspects of some close relationships. Addressing past abuse or other traumas can also help create a more comprehensive recovery process for a person with an addiction. Talking about these issues may also reveal a need for mental health counseling or therapy for trauma.
Ceasing Enabling Behaviors And Codependency
Many family members of people with addictions wind up causing more harm than good with the best intentions. “Enabling” refers to any behaviors that make it easier for a person to maintain an addiction. For example, if a grown child develops a substance abuse problem, a parent may pay for his or her basic living expenses, cleaning, and handling other errands and chores that the child is not managing due to his or her addiction. This prevents the child from feeling the consequences of his or her actions.
Enabling may feel like helping, but it is ultimately destructive. Enabling an addiction simply allows the addiction to get worse, but an enabler may not be able to bear the thought of causing pain to a loved one, especially a child. Many codependent relationships arise between parents and their children when they cannot honestly address enabling. In a codependent relationship, the addicted person will manipulate or even abuse the other person into helping maintain his or her habit, and the other person complies out of love or out of fear of losing a loved one.
How Can A Professional Interventionist Help?
Attempting to “wing it” with an intervention can have disastrous results. Some family members or friends may not know how to articulate their thoughts and air their grievances without sounding accusatory, and emotions may run high and get the better of some participants. A professional interventionist can help produce an intervention that is more of a constructive conversation than a shouting match. An intervention may seem straightforward at first, but these events require a great deal of preparation and rehearsal.
Experience And Credentials
Some addiction recovery centers and support services claim to offer intervention services, but it’s vital to find a professional interventionist with a degree in substance abuse treatment and certification as a professional caregiver. The interventionists at Intervention Helpline travel all over the country to meet with families struggling with addiction and guide the intervention process. We also work with a vast network of recovery services and treatment centers to help our clients find the recovery options that work best for them.
Planning And Rehearsing For An Intervention
A professional interventionist from Intervention Helpline can meet with the family and friends of a person struggling with addiction and plan a constructive intervention. Some family members may need coaching for expressing their thoughts and keeping their tempers in check, and a professional interventionist can help keep conversations constructive and on-topic.
Intervention Helpline can offer assistance whether you need alcohol addiction help or aren’t sure how to approach the subject of substance abuse with your child. Our services range from arranging the initial intervention to coordinating treatment options, rehab placement, and ongoing support after rehab.
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