Unfortunately, addiction is a common disease that affects millions of Americans each year. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 48.7 million people suffered from a substance use disorder in 2022.
That said, you probably know someone who has dealt with addiction. If your loved one is currently struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, you know how hard it can be to watch them suffer. You might even spend countless nights lying awake wondering if they are safe.
People struggling with addiction often deal with denial and avoid attending treatment, but there is a way to help your loved one realize they need professional support. Addiction interventions use emotional appeals from your family members to motivate your addicted loved one to attend treatment.
When you are planning an addiction intervention, it is best to use a professional. Addiction interventionists in New Jersey can help make the process easier. For example, they will educate your family on addiction, plan the intervention step-by-step, secure a drug addiction treatment program, and use crisis intervention techniques if your loved one becomes combative or defensive.
What Does an Interventionist Do?
Professional interventionists work closely with your family to facilitate the intervention process. The end goal of their work is to convince your loved one to attend treatment. That said, there are other services they provide throughout the process.
Intervention services in New Jersey operate under the understanding that not everyone will accept help. This means a professional interventionist will prioritize the healing of the entire family while ensuring healthy boundaries are created to push the addicted loved one toward recovery over time.
The job of an interventionist might include:
- Assessing each family member’s behaviors, roles, and willingness to participate in an intervention
- Speaking with each family member to figure out what their goals are for the intervention
- Assisting family members with writing letters to read during the intervention
- Creating a treatment plan for your addicted loved one
- Helping your family understand the disease of addiction and how their behaviors have contributed
- Facilitating the intervention and guiding the discussions to prevent emotional outbursts or negative talk
- Securing a spot in an addiction treatment program for your loved one to attend immediately after the intervention ends
- Offering continued support after the intervention whether your addicted loved one accepts treatment or not
How Can an Addiction Interventionist in New Jersey Help Your Loved One?
You might be considering hosting an intervention on your own. While this can work for some people, many things could go wrong without professional help. As a result, you should always seek assistance from an interventionist in New Jersey.
When you are thinking about hiring an interventionist, it is natural to wonder how they can help your addicted loved one. The main ways an interventionist will assist your family include:
Educating the Family on Addiction
One of the first things an interventionist will do is educate your family on the disease of addiction and how it affects your loved one’s behaviors.
It is very common for drug and alcohol abuse to cause dramatic shifts in someone’s personality. This can be confusing for the family and lead to resentment or tension. While these feelings are normal, understanding the science behind your loved one’s behaviors will make it easier to support them.
Once you are educated on how the disease of addiction works, it is easier to have compassion for your addicted loved one. While their behavior might require strict boundaries, you can continue empathizing with them and offering support. This attitude will help you create a successful intervention by preventing any arguments from occurring during the process.
Planning the Intervention Step-By-Step
Interventions can be tricky to plan. You need to make sure you execute the intervention at the right time, in the right setting, and during a time when your loved one is in the right state of mind. Interventionists are skilled and trained enough to ensure all of these stipulations are met.
Professional interventions tend to run smoothly because of all of the planning interventionists put into them. They will plan the time, place, and what people will be involved. Additionally, they will help you craft letters that identify the negative effects of your loved one’s addiction while remaining empathetic and compassionate.
Making Plans for Addiction Treatment Placement
One of the most important aspects of an intervention is having an addiction treatment program ready for your addicted loved one to attend. Sometimes, finding a bed at a treatment center can be difficult, especially if you are new to navigating the treatment world. Interventionists often have working relationships with rehab programs, so this step is easy for them.
A professional interventionist will have a rehab program ready for your loved one to enter as soon as the intervention is over. This ensures they do not have enough time to change their mind once they agree to treatment.
Using Crisis Intervention Skills
Interventions bring up a lot of emotional pain, which can cause arguments to break out among family members. Additionally, your addicted loved one might feel attacked, causing them to have an emotional outburst. This can be impossible to navigate without professional training.
If your loved one has a mental health disorder or is becoming combative during the intervention, the professional will be trained in crisis intervention skills. This means they have the experience necessary to talk them down and prevent them from storming off in the middle of the intervention.
Get Connected to an Addiction Interventionist in New Jersey
Drug and alcohol addiction can be extremely difficult to overcome. If your loved one is refusing treatment, it might be time for a professional intervention. At Living Room New Jersey, we can connect you with an interventionist and set up a rehab program for your loved one to attend.
We offer treatment for both addiction and mental health conditions. Contact us today to learn more about how professional interventions work.