Addiction intervention is the process in which a family meets with their addicted loved one, usually with the assistance of a professional, in an attempt to compel him or her to accept addiction treatment.
When addiction takes over the life of an individual, he or she can easily get lost in the psychological dependence, and believe a number of things that will ultimately keep him/her addicted for life, or until the day addiction claims his or her life. While these beliefs may seem logical to the addict, they may sound entirely asinine to others. Some examples of the types of reasons addicts may give for not wanting or needing addiction treatment are:
- “I’m just not ready yet.”
- “You’re just trying to get rid of me!”
- “You’re all crazy. I don’t do drugs. I don’t have any problems.”
- “I’m not going to stop. I like what I’m doing and you’re not going to make me change anything.”
- “I can’t go away for 30, 60, 90, 120 days. I’ll lose my house, apartment, car, etc.”
- “I do not have a problem with drugs. I use every once in a while, and I’ll stop when I’m good and ready.”
- “I wouldn’t have to use if you would just…”
- “I can’t leave my girl/boyfriend, husband, wife, cat, dog, fish, hamster, etc.”
- “What about you? You drink, you smoke, you do…”
Any one or several of these excuses are often heard in interventions with addicts, and it can be very difficult for a family to hear and manage. This is one of the many reasons an interventionist can be a critically important element in addiction intervention.