Addiction is something, which is quite easy to acquire, and very difficult to get rid of. The chances of someone getting addicted to harmful substances like drugs, alcohol, etc. are not remote possibilities. In such cases, it is not only the individual who is addicted, who goes into self-destruction; but close family members, friends and loved ones also suffer as a result of such addiction.



People who are close to an addicted individual obviously come to be aware of the downward spiral of an addict, but most of the times, the addict himself, is oblivious to such possibility. An addict usually doesn’t acknowledge that he/she has a problem, and thus, refuses to seek professional help to kick off the addiction. In such a scenario, people who are close to an addict would like the addict to seek professional help for the problem. An intervention is such an attempt by family, friends and loved ones to try and persuade an addict to make him realize the problem that he/she is facing and try to persuade him/her to take professional help to deal with the problem.

The main purpose of an intervention are-
• To make the concerned person realize that he/she has a problem which he is obviously not able to solve alone.
• To persuade the person to seek professional help, like joining a rehab, to help kick off the addiction.

In an intervention, friends and family confront the individual regarding the addiction and have an open discussion, regarding their problem. The focus would be to first of all make the concerned person accept that he/she has a problem. Often, an addict would try to run away from the situation or joke his way out of it, believing that they do not have a problem, and that things are not as serious as made out to be and that everything is “under control”. It is important for family members to not let the addict be under such misconception and escape the reality.

For an intervention, it is important for all family, friends and concerned persons, who are closed to the addict, to be involved. It is believed that having more number of people is more effective, as it makes the addict realize that he/she really has a problem and that it is not an “imagination” of one or two individuals. However, care should be taken to not intimidate the person, which might have a negative effect, resulting in the addict retracting into a shell. The idea is to help the addict overcome fear and make him accept the problem, leading the road to recovery. Usually, one member should take the lead and confront the addict. This person should ideally be someone who is closest to the addict.

The time chosen should be such that the addict is sober. Talking to stoned person will hardly serve any purpose. Intervention should be ideally held in the morning or after an arrest or over dose. At this point, the negative implications of the events resulting from the addiction are still fresh and it helps to build a strong case against their habits. However, one needn’t wait for such an event to occur before holding an intervention. An addict’s life is faced with dangerous possibilities each day and one shouldn’t wait for things to take a dangerous turn before holding an intervention.

During an intervention, it is important to not lose temper or control of conversations. The greatest form of compassion that a person can show towards an addict is empathy. Listen to the patient and try to understand his point of view. This doesn’t necessarily mean showing pity and making him believe that it’s not his fault. The idea is to make him believe that he/she has a problem and that he needs help. But there shouldn’t be any shouting or putting your point across by force. Intervention might turn out to be a testing task for loved ones, as an addict would just refuse to see their point of view, believing all the way that he/she is right.
 
An addict should be told in a very calm and collected way about how he is harming himself, as well as those near him due to their dependence on certain substances. Members might point out events that might have taken a wrong turn due to the addiction and the problems that might have been caused. The person should be told in a firm way that his actions are not acceptable and that he does need professional help to get rid of the addiction, as he is obviously not able to come out of it.

The person should be told that you are unwilling to support the current lifestyle, but would cut off their supplies and benefits, such as money, car etc., if he/she is not willing to join a rehab. These shouldn’t be just empty threats, but the addict should be made to realize that he wouldn’t be able to sustain his current lifestyle without your support and joining a rehab to kick off the habit.

More often than not, the addict will succumb to such pressure, and if he/she is made to realize in a correct way, the person may also own up to wrong actions and agree to join a rehab. Accepting that he/she does have a problem will help the person to come out of the addiction. However, he will need unconditional love and support from loved ones, to successfully come out of it.