Watching your loved one battling addiction is heart-wrenching. You feel helpless and frustrated as you watch them destroy their lives and relationships. You want them to get help and get better but they’ve resisted your attempts at getting them to face up to the problem. Or worse, they are in denial about how bad their addiction is.
When it gets to this point, you may want to stage an intervention using the help of an interventionist.
What Role Does an Interventionist Play?
It can be difficult for your loved one to recognize and even admit that they need help for alcohol or drug abuse. They may be in denial or get defensive or violent when confronted about their addiction. In that case, an intervention may help them realize the extent of the problem and get them to seek professional help.
An intervention is a focused approach where a family shows their loved one dealing with addiction how their behavior and habits have affected those around them. It can be challenging for the family to confront the loved one, not knowing what to say or falling back to enabling behaviors. That’s where an interventionist comes in.
An interventionist’s goal is to get the person struggling with addiction to accept help. There are professional interventionists who have been certified by the Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS). Their role involves:
- Guiding the family on how to conduct an intervention.
- Learning more about the addict to choose a suitable intervention strategy then leading the family in the planning process.
- Moderating the conversation during the intervention and helping to keep it focused, positive, and non-confrontational.
- Helping to keep those involved in the intervention from losing their cool. Interventions can be difficult to get through and sometimes emotions can run high and risk derailing the entire process. The interventionist’s role is to keep this from happening and ensure that the conversation remains productive throughout.
Choosing an Interventionist
You can get recommendations for an interventionist from doctors and therapists who specialize in addiction or from addiction treatment facilities. When looking for an interventionist, get one who:
- Is a good listener who you’re comfortable working with.
- Will be with you from the start up until your loved one goes into treatment.
- Has the right training and experience to guide the intervention.
- Has been credentialed and certified.
- Uses an intervention model and strategy that you’re comfortable with.
We Can Help
Our mission as the Robert Alexander Center for Recovery in Kentucky is to provide affordable addiction treatment to all who need it. We offer a range of treatment programs including a detoxification program as well as an intensive outpatient program and a standard outpatient program. We also have a family therapy program geared towards families that have been devastated by addiction.
If you’re looking for an interventionist to help your family plan an intervention, we can help. Get in touch with us and let’s help you figure out your next steps.
