Is Thanksgiving a Good Time for an Intervention?

Thanksgiving is fast approaching — a time when families and loved ones gather together to celebrate the holiday. But it can also be a stressful time for people with a loved one who’s battling substance abuse.

It’s no secret that watching a loved one deal with drug or alcohol addiction while refusing any offers of help can be frustrating and difficult. Their family and friends are often left asking themselves, “Is there anything I can do?” Although the situation may seem hopeless, there are ways to help.

About an Intervention

When done properly and carefully, an intervention can be extremely effective in helping people who are struggling with addiction to get started on a path to recovery. Having people who love you step forward to help you “intervene” the addiction can be very powerful.

The main objective of an intervention — a deliberate process with the intent of introducing change to the individual’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors — is to bring light to the problem at hand as well as jump-start the recovery process.

Intervention Steps

There are three main steps to follow when considering an intervention for a loved one. These include:

• Plan: Planning is the most important step in holding an intervention. Each individual’s struggle with addiction is unique, and being confronted about a problem can go in many different directions. Attempting to hold an intervention without proper planning can hinder your loved one’s choice to seek addiction treatment.

• Rehearse: Once your plan is in place, rehearse it. Run through your ideas with a trained professional to receive an unbiased opinion. A professional can also give you a better idea of what to say, how to say it, and how to effectively respond if the intervention strays from your plans.

• Execute: After completing the planning and rehearsing stages, it’s now time to execute. Don’t forget to have drug or alcohol treatment options ready. If the intervention goes smoothly and your loved one agrees to get help, having some good options ready could help deter them from changing their mind. It can be helpful to delegate a primary spokesperson during the intervention and to avoid judgment and negative labels when addressing your loved one.

In order to recover successfully, an addicted person must understand all aspects of their struggle with substance abuse. This includes how the addiction began, how it escalated, and how to go back to living without alcohol or drugs.

An intervention may not be easy for loved ones involved, but it can often be the push a person needs to get help and begin their road to recovery. Even if you’re not ready to approach your loved one about their addiction, Thanksgiving may give you and other family members and friends a chance to come together and start talking about an intervention.

By Jenna Mitchell