Addiction Intervention

Addiction intervention is direct action taken to treat drug or alcohol dependency or other compulsive or self-destructive behavior. It is usually taken by someone other than the addict in an attempt to force the person to face up to his or her problem. Because the addicted person is often in denial, or ashamed to ask for help, or afraid of adverse consequences such as loss of social standing or job loss, addiction intervention is often a case of “tough love” by concerned friends or relatives.

Intervention usually takes the form of forcing the person to face the problem through an addiction program aimed at the particular trouble, whether it be substance abuse, gambling, eating disorders, computer addiction, or other forms of dependency or uncontrollable behavior. Seeking professional treatment by trained intervention staff is preferred to “do-it-yourself” attempts to get the addict to admit to a problem. An outside, impartial professional has a much better chance of forcing the abuser both to see how destructive his or her behavior is becoming and to know the best way to help the addict overcome it.

There are several types of addiction intervention, some more forceful than others. Almost invariably they come as a surprise to the individual, in the form of direct confrontation by family, friends, or co-workers, often accompanied by a licensed professional. It is not treatment, per se. Instead, it is the first step toward the addict accepting treatment for his or her particular problem. A family may choose, as a group, to confront the person in a loving manner, backed up by a professional, or an employer may choose to intervene on behalf of a valued employee whose behavior is affecting work performance. Addiction treatment subsequent to the intervention may take the form of a carefully guided course of treatment carried out at an addiction center which specializes in intervention for substance abuse or self-destructive behavior. Through supervised medical treatment, which may include drug therapy, inpatient stays, and private or group counseling, patients are gradually removed from physical dependence on the substance or taught to control their impulsive behavior, while counseling attempts to get at the root of the emotional dependency.

 

24 Hour Addiction Treatment & Intervention Assistance

Addiction intervention is a proven method of bringing about positive change in a person’s behavior. Family or workplace intervention has been proven, over 25 years, to be as effective as self-commitment to an addiction program. Over 90% of people who are the subject of a workforce intervention seek addiction treatment within a week of the intervention. About 75% do it the same day. People forced to confront their own behavior in this fashion and who seek treatment can and do go on to productive and successful lives freed from the dependency or destructive behavior that has held them back. It can save families as well as lives, salvage jobs and careers, and result in a complete turnaround of a person’s life from a fast track to nowhere to a long and satisfying road toward self-fulfillment.