How Long Does an Intervention Take?

Addiction is a common problem in the United States, and many people at least know someone who has struggled with substance abuse. According to the Pew Research Center, “46% of U.S. adults say they have a family member or close friend who is addicted to drugs or has been in the past.”[1]

If your loved one is suffering from addiction, you are not alone. You have probably found yourself wondering what you can do to help them. While you cannot cure their addiction for them, there are some steps you can take to push them in the right direction.

Addiction interventions are a process that involves working with a specialist to plan a meeting between your family and your addicted loved one. During that meeting, you will emotionally appeal to your loved one in hopes of getting them to agree to treatment. While interventions are not always successful, sometimes they are enough to convince your loved one it’s time to get help.

If you are considering hosting an intervention for a loved one, you might want to know how long it lasts. Addiction interventions tend to last between 30 minutes to two hours, with average interventions lasting an hour. It is important to note that the exact duration can depend on the situation and individuals involved and the planning process can take several weeks.

In this article, you will learn:

• How long an intervention lasts
• What factors affect how long interventions take
• How to tell your loved one needs an intervention

How Long Does an Intervention Last?

Addiction interventions are carefully planned processes that involve an addiction intervention specialist and the family or close friends of an addicted individual. When you choose to host an intervention for a loved one, a professional will guide you through the planning and facilitate the actual intervention meeting to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Planning for an intervention can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months. The actual intervention tends to last between 30 minutes to two hours.

Let’s take a look at how long each phase of an intervention lasts:

The Planning Phase

Planning for an intervention has a lot of different moving factors. First, you will have to hire an addiction specialist who can guide and facilitate the process. Once they are hired, they will help you decide which family members and friends to include in the intervention.

Once people are chosen, your addiction intervention specialist will help each person write an impact statement. The statements can be tricky to write, as they must emotionally appeal to your addicted loved one without making them feel attacked or defensive.

After the statements are completed, two things need to happen. You must work with the professional interventionist to secure a spot in a treatment center that your loved one can enter directly after the intervention takes place. You also have to figure out the best time and date to host the intervention, which involves picking a time when your loved one will be in a receptive mood.

Because of how much is involved in planning an intervention, this part can take somewhere between two weeks to a couple of months.

Actual Intervention Time

During an intervention, your loved one’s family and friends will gather in a meeting place. Everyone should arrive before the addicted individual, as this will prevent them from leaving before the intervention begins.

Once the intervention starts, each person will read their impact statement. If your loved one becomes defensive, angry, or combative, the professional will step in to diffuse the situation and keep your loved one focused on what is important. Interventions are meant to stop destructive behaviors and convince your loved one to seek treatment for their substance use disorders.

Because an intervention involves multiple people reading statements, conversations between parties, and sometimes crisis intervention, it can take somewhere between 30 minutes to two hours. Most interventions are an hour on average.

Successful interventions result in your loved one agreeing to enter treatment immediately after the intervention ends. Once they enter the treatment program, they will receive addiction and mental health treatment services that help them achieve long-term sobriety from alcohol and drug abuse.

What Factors Affect the Length of an Intervention?

There are a variety of factors that can influence the length of an intervention. First, you have to consider the person’s age, length of drug use, and motivation to recover.

A younger person might be more likely to accept help, as it is easier to make big life changes when you are young. If your loved one has been using drugs and alcohol for a long time, it might be harder to convince them to attend a treatment facility. Even further, if they have never expressed an interest in recovery, they might be less likely to accept help immediately.

Even further, the type of intervention strategy being used can affect how long the intervention takes. Most of the time, interventions are designed to last one meeting where the addicted individual accepts help at the end of the day. However, some people require long-term interventions, where multiple meetings and counseling sessions are required to convince them to enter drug or alcohol addiction treatment.

Signs Your Loved One Needs a Drug or Alcohol Intervention

If you are wondering whether your loved one needs to attend an intervention, there are some signs to look out for.

The signs that your loved one needs an intervention include:

• Your loved one is denying that they have substance abuse issues even though addiction is evident to those around them
• They are engaging in high-risk behaviors like drinking and driving, experiencing overdoses, or getting into legal trouble when they abuse drugs and alcohol
• They continue to refuse treatment when it is brought up in conversation
• Your loved one engages in frequent lying or manipulation when their substance abuse is brought up
• Their health is deteriorating as a result of drug and alcohol abuse
• Your loved one is never satisfied when they use drugs or alcohol and seem to always need more
• You are unable to cope with their addiction and behavior anymore and need them to enter treatment

If your loved one is struggling with addiction, an intervention could motivate them to get the help they need. There are several treatment options out there, including inpatient rehab and outpatient programs. An intervention specialist can help you decide what type of treatment is suited to your loved one’s needs.

Get Connected to an Addiction Intervention Specialist

Sometimes people struggling with addiction cannot recognize that they have a problem. If this sounds familiar, your loved one might need an addiction intervention. At New Jersey Addiction Interventions, our professional interventionists can help your family plan and host an intervention to get your loved one they help they need.

Contact us today for more information on how to plan an intervention.

References:

1. Pew Research Center: Nearly half of Americans have a family member or close friend who’s been addicted to drugs