Watching a loved one struggle with mental health or addiction can be difficult, especially if they are not seeking help. Oftentimes, individuals dealing with addiction or untreated mental health conditions cannot recognize how severe their issues have become. On the other hand, some people may feel as if there is no hope for their recovery. Because of the mental distress that they are experiencing, they cannot imagine that there is a solution.
Fortunately, interventions were created to provide struggling individuals with the hope they need. An addiction intervention is a carefully planned process intended to motivate someone to seek help for addiction or mental health. Typically, this involves family members and friends of the individual, as they will emotionally appeal to convince the person to seek professional help.
While some families may attempt to host an intervention on their own, this process yields the best results when planned by a professional. Drug and alcohol counselors often act as intervention specialists to help convince people to go to rehab. You should always hire a professional interventionist in order to secure a safe and effective intervention.
What is an Intervention?
Interventions are processes in which a struggling individual is directly addressed by family members and friends in hopes to convince them to seek help. Interventions are most commonly utilized for individuals struggling with addiction. However, this can be a helpful tool for people dealing with mental health conditions as well.
During an intervention, people gather together to discuss their loved one’s behavior associated with mental health or addiction. This is done to provide them with a wake-up call and motivate them to attend professional treatment.
Interventions are intended to:[1]
- Provide an individual with examples of destructive behavior and the impact it has had on their family, friends, and themselves.
- Offer a treatment plan with clear steps, goals, and guidelines that were arranged specifically for the individual.
- Provide clear boundaries and consequences from the family if the individual refuses treatment.
Interventions should always be conducted with the guidance of a professional interventionist.
4 Reasons Hiring a Professional Interventionist is Necessary
Interventions tackle some heavy topics of discussion. Oftentimes, when families attempt to discuss sensitive topics, emotions run high, causing an argument rather than a healthy conversation. By utilizing the help of a professional, the discussions can be properly planned and monitored to prevent any feelings of anger, resentment, or guilt from arising.
Here are the top 4 reasons to hire a professional interventionist.
1. Intervention Specialists are Qualified to Handle Mental Health Conditions and Addictions
Intervention specialists go through tons of schooling and training to become knowledgeable on mental health and addiction. For example, to become an interventionist, individuals need a Master’s Degree, up to 4,000 internship hours, and must complete certification tests.
Hiring a professional to host an intervention is extremely important. Because professional interventionists are educated on the delicacies of addiction and mental health issues, they know what to say (and what not to say) during an intervention. This helps keep the struggling individual from getting defensive and leaving the intervention.
2. They Provide Help With the Entire Intervention Process
Hosting an intervention is a lot of work. Oftentimes, individuals struggling with addiction do not want to attend treatment out of fear, hopelessness, or denial. Convincing an individual that they do, in fact, need help, requires a lot of thought and planning. Because of this, it is best to hire a professional interventionist.
Addiction intervention specialists will help the family with:
- Intervention planning
- Gathering information
- Forming the intervention team
- Finding treatment programs
- Making notes on what to say and what statements to avoid
- Guiding the discussion during the intervention
- Making sure everyone stays calm during the intervention, including the struggling individual
3. Crisis Intervention Training and Proven De-Escalation Tactics
Because interventions discuss sensitive topics, it is not uncommon for the struggling individual to become agitated. In moments of agitation, it is important to have a professional who has experience with crisis intervention and de-escalation.[2]
To explain, it is common for family members and friends of struggling individuals to intensify their loved one’s crisis, as they have no formal training in de-escalation. For example, the mother of an addicted daughter may respond to their adult child’s agitation by telling them to “just calm down” in an equally agitated manner. This only intensifies the issue, leading to escalation.
On the other hand, professional interventionists are trained to spot a crisis before it turns into a full-blown breakdown. This prevents the intervention from failing, as everyone is able to remain calm and get their points across in a positive manner.[3]
4. They Will Refer Your Loved One to a Specialized Facility
The end goal of an intervention is to get the struggling individual into a treatment facility. When families attempt to host an intervention on their own, they may have a hard time finding a reputable treatment center and planning their loved one’s stay. When families hire a professional interventionist, however, family and friends can avoid this step altogether.
Drug and alcohol interventionists have ties to nearby addiction and mental health treatment facilities. This provides them with a greater ability to find a treatment program for an individual to attend on a specific date, rather than going on a waitlist. Additionally, interventionists will be able to decipher exactly what an individual needs in terms of types of treatment, specific facilities, and much more.
Hire a Professional Addiction Interventionist at New Jersey Interventions
Watching a loved one struggle with the effects of untreated addiction or mental illness can be extremely heartbreaking. Oftentimes, leaving conditions untreated can lead to severe dysfunction in an individual’s life, physical ailments, and even death. Fortunately, qualified interventionists can help struggling individuals realize they need to attend professional treatment. Contact us today for more information on why it’s important to hire a professional interventionist.
References:
Medically Reviewed: September 21, 2021
All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.