Drug abuse affects many individuals all over the United States. For a family living through a loved one's drug addiction, the main priority becomes getting that individual help. Since abusers are often in denial or believe they control their drug usage, so some families choose to confront them about their addiction. Families can benefit from planning out the intervention in detail.
Planning
Before confronting an individual abusing drugs, the participating family members should get together and coordinate a plan. Being prepared and organized will benefit the family and also help to improve the outcome of the intervention. Creating a well-thought-out plan will also lessen anxiety for the family.
Issues the family may want to consider for the intervention include who will participate, where and when it will occur and what consequences the individual will face if he does not choose to get treatment.
Surprise
With a surprise intervention, the drug abuser has no prior knowledge of the scheduled confrontation. This strategy for intervention may have a positive or negative outcome depending on the temperament and mindset of the drug abuser. This method may be ideal when dealing with an individual in denial about her drug addiction. A negative aspect of this tactic is that often the confronted individual feels threatened and attacked, which could make her less responsive to the family's message.
Informal
Some drug abusers acknowledge their addiction. In these cases, the user may benefit from an informal gathering of family and friends discussing the toll his problem has taken. Interventions like these tend to be laid back and less threatening to the drug user and also less anxious for the family. This setting may be beneficial since the drug abuser will feel that he has a sense of control and is actively participating in a plan for treatment.
