When all attempts to help your loved one end their addiction have failed, it may be time to call a professional. An interventionist is trained in how to conduct an intervention effectively. Like a movie director or a wedding planner, they know every detail and procedure involved in performing an intervention.
Untrained individuals do not have the tools to successfully and objectively oversee a potentially emotionally volatile gathering of this nature. A professional interventionist is essential to having a life-changing and successful outcome.
How to Choose a Qualified Interventionist
Many people claim they can perform an intervention. Beware of their falsehoods. They will prey on your desperation and steal your money. A qualified interventionist can produce valid credentials, which include training certificates. The entire staff at A New Hope Recovery is credentialed.
In addition to having credentials, you want an interventionist to be caring, compassionate, ethical, and sensitive to everyone’s needs. They should also be supportive and have the innate quality of remaining calm in the eye of this storm.
When a Professional Intervention Is Needed
It’s helpful to understand what leads to an intervention. Relatives and friends usually don’t know how to help a person struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). Even worse, the individual may proclaim they neither want nor need help. Emotions run high, feelings are hurt, and confusion and anger follow. This futile cycle can sometimes last for years.
Most people are unaware of what SUD really looks like. They may have seen shows about it, but they don’t have first-hand knowledge. Why would they? Completely perplexed, they decide they need help to save their loved one. In all their research, they continually see one word: intervention.
The Sooner, the Better
Replace “substance use disorder” with “malignant tumor.” Would you wait to treat the tumor? Getting a person struggling with SUD into treatment as soon as possible yields the best results for recovery. When you know that your loved one is defiant and resistant to change, an intervention is the solution.
Early intervention is key to leading those struggling to understand their predicament and the best way to find healing. You’ve no doubt experienced the walls built by your loved one. They’re strong walls that protect them from hearing and acknowledging the truth – that they need help. The sooner you arrange for an intervention, the more likely the walls won’t become permanent.
Accept That Addiction Is a Brain Disease
Addiction has been widely accepted in the medical community as a brain disease. It is not a personality flaw. Addiction has nothing to do with willpower or strength of character. Fault and shame should not be assigned to those who are struggling.
Without getting too technical, addiction results from how neurotransmitters in the brain process various substances. Simply put, when a person struggles with SUD, their brain neurotransmitters become re-wired. This causes intense cravings for drugs and alcohol, leading people to put substance use before anything else.
Understanding the Characteristics of an Addicted Brain
How do you reason with a diseased mind? You can’t. Logic and reason do not co-exist with addiction. A diseased mind is governed by its own set of rules and behaviors. The person can’t comprehend what you’re telling them. The more you plead with them to stop using, the more they’ll resist.
Someone struggling with addiction is deeply entrenched in addiction culture. They seek out others with the same struggles, which validates and strengthens their disease. In essence, they are in a perpetual feedback loop. While the person sinks deeper into their addiction and the culture, their life is in the balance. A professional intervention can save that life.
What Is a Professional Intervention?
A New Hope Recovery describes its intervention process as being evidence-based: a four-step structured, loving, and life-saving clinical process that helps a person impaired by substances or mental health issues. Contrary to media depictions, it is not a global attack on the struggling person. It is an act of love and compassion meant to rescue the person from their perpetual self-destruction.
The process can be overwhelming for everyone. To prepare, A New Hope Recovery will gather information about the individual struggling and everyone who will be participating in the intervention.
What Is the Goal of a Professional Intervention?
The main goal of an intervention is to rescue the struggling person and have them begin treatment. The secondary goal is to offer the family a new and effective approach. This also provides relief. When emergency personnel is reached in life-and-death situations, there’s relief in knowing help is on the way. Dealing with a person who struggles with SUD is often a life-and-death situation.
It is important to understand that you and the interventionist share the same goals. A successful intervention is always the intended outcome. The ultimate goals are to unburden the family and get the struggling person into a treatment facility. From there, healing and recovery can begin.
Are you at your wits’ end trying to help your loved one overcome addiction? Calling A New Hope Recovery is the first and best step you can take to get help. Our staff is fully trained and credentialed. With decades of experience, we are experts at mapping out the path to treatment and recovery. When you call, we’ll thoroughly explain interventions and answer any questions you have. Within 48 hours, our team can mobilize and facilitate an intervention nationwide. We are here to help you save your loved one’s life and include you in every facet of the process. Call A New Hope Recovery at (407) 501-8490 to learn more about our intervention services.