Watching someone you love experience drug addiction, alcohol abuse, or a serious mental health challenge is overwhelming.
Family members and loved ones often reach a point where they want to do more for their loved one, but aren’t sure where to start.
An intervention can be a powerful tool to encourage access to help and resources. This guide walks you through what an intervention is and offers suggestions for how to approach one in ways that support addiction recovery and positive change.
Key takeaways:
- Interventions are carefully planned conversations with someone who needs help, designed to enable them to access support and services easily.
- If your loved one is experiencing continued or worsening substance abuse, an intervention can help them access services.
- Not every intervention leads to the person accepting help. However, it lets them know that people are ready to help them access help when they are ready.
Common Misconceptions about Interventions
Interventions are often dramatized in TV shows and movies, so there are many common misconceptions about the intervention process.
Not a confrontation, an ambush, or public shaming
A true family intervention is not about cornering someone or forcing them to seek help.
It is a carefully planned conversation that is led by a group of people who care about the individual. The goal of the conversation is to express concern, not to shame or ambush the person into getting help.
Not guaranteed to “make someone say yes”
Even the most carefully planned, effective interventions do not guarantee that a person will immediately accept help.
A successful intervention is not defined solely by immediate acceptance of treatment, but also by planting the idea of help and, sometimes, by outlining consequences if things do not change.
Not the only way to start recovery
While interventions work in many cases, they are not the only way to start recovery.
There are several different pathways into addiction treatment or mental health care.
For example, some individuals begin their journey through:
- Medical providers
- Support groups
- Personal decisions
- Therapists
- Other support professionals
When an Intervention May Be Appropriate
Not every situation requires an intervention. However, certain patterns indicate it might be time to consider one.
Risks are getting higher and happening more often
If your loved one’s substance abuse is escalating, it might be time for an intervention. Signs thatsubstance use is worsening include, but aren’t limited to:
- Overdose or near overdose
- Worsening physical health
- Unsafe or reckless behavior
- Legal challenges
- Employment difficulties
These negative effects can quickly add up and spiral without intervention.
Repeated broken promises, relapse cycles, or refusing help
Sometimes, your loved one may want to quit on their own or attempt to quit on their own. However, when someone cycles through promises to quit followed by relapse, it is often a sign that they need additional outside support.
Additionally, if someone is refusing help for a suspected alcohol use disorder or ongoing drug abuse, you might need additional support.
Keep in mind that even if someone wants to quit on their own, withdrawing from some substances, such as alcohol, without medical oversight can be dangerous.
Family dynamics are getting worse
Difficult patterns such as enabling, avoidance, or constant crisis management can leave families feeling trapped.
A well-planned family intervention can help set boundaries and establish clear communication, ultimately paving the way forward.
When, and When Not, to Hold an Intervention
Timing and safety are critical to the success of an intervention.
Signs that an intervention is the right next step
Signs that an intervention is the right next step include, but are not limited to:
- The person’s behavior is causing serious harm to themselves or others
- The individual has refused multiple attempts or offers of help
- Family members and friends are aligned and ready to commit to follow through
- Clear treatment options are available
When professional support is strongly recommended
Sometimes, working with a mental health professional, such as a professional interventionist, is the safest route.
Intervention specialists can help guide the intervention team and help to avoid emotional escalation.
When not to proceed without expert guidance
Sometimes it isn’t safe to proceed with an intervention without expert guidance.
Times that you may want to reconsider doing an intervention include:
- Acts of violence or threats of violence
- Severe mental illness or active psychosis
- Access to weapons
- Extreme emotional volatility
In these cases, a trained interventionist or healthcare provider can be essential to safely conducting an intervention.
If someone is experiencing a mental health crisis (e.g., threatening to hurt themselves or others), reach out to immediate emergency medical services for support.
Types of Interventions
There is no one best way to do an intervention.
Understanding the different types of interventions can help you choose the best path.
Formal interventions
A formal intervention includes a structured meeting, sometimes led by an interventionist, and often:
- Has a planned script
- Is led or co-led by a mental health specialist
- Has defined team members
- Includes a planned treatment program, such as residential treatment or detox
Formal interventions are commonly used in more severe cases of drug addiction or alcohol intervention scenarios.
Informal intervention
An informal intervention is a less-structured conversation in which loved ones can express concern and suggest treatment options.
It may feel less intensive but still be effective, especially in the early stages of a substance use disorder.
Brief interventions in healthcare settings
Sometimes, an individual may already be engaging in healthcare services for treatment of a mental health condition, substance use disorder, or other health condition.
If it is clear that their substance use is worsening and they need additional help, a healthcare professional may discuss the options for a referral to various inpatient treatment centers or outpatient treatment programs.
What Happens During an Intervention
Understanding the steps of an intervention can help reduce anxiety and improve outcomes.
Preparing to step in
Preparation is key to a coordinated intervention.
The intervention team can work together to prepare by:
- Assigning roles to each team member
- Establishing clear boundaries and consequences
- Choosing one specific treatment facility or treatment type
Having a single, immediate option, such as a treatment program with an estimated admission timeline and transportation already arranged, can make it easier for the person to say yes.
What to keep in mind during the meeting
During the intervention, it is essential to:
- Speak with compassion and empathy
- Avoid anger and heightened emotions as much as possible
- Focus on specific examples that indicate a need for help
- Avoid blame or judgment
- Stay aligned as a team
Asking if they will accept help
At the end of the intervention meeting, if they haven’t already agreed to help, the individual is typically asked directly if they will enter the recommended addiction treatment program.
While this can feel like a defining moment in the journey, keep in mind it is only part of the recovery process.
Even if an individual says “no”, consider interpreting it as “not yet”. By intervening, you have shown that you care and are willing to step in and help your loved one. Even if they do not accept help right away, it may prompt them to think about what help could look like.
How to Plan an Intervention Safely
Safety, structure, and good planning are essential to a productive intervention process.
Choose the right people.
Interventions can be a very vulnerable moment, so it is essential to choose the right people to participate.
People who have a meaningful relationship with the person are generally good to include. Try to avoid those who may escalate it, get defensive, or try to use it as an opportunity to say “I told you so.”
For example, if there are strained relationships, such as tension between the person struggling and one of their siblings who frequently argues with them, it may be best to leave those family members out of the actual intervention meeting.
However, they may still participate in the planning process, treatment program selection, and boundary setting.
A small, cohesive group of people is more effective than a larger, disorganized one.
Align on boundaries and consequences
Everyone involved in the intervention should agree on the boundaries before the conversation happens.
These boundaries should be clear, realistic, and something each person is willing to follow through on.
Boundaries can include changes to financial support, living arrangements, or communication if the person does not take steps toward getting help.
For example, family members may decide they will no longer provide money, allow the person to live at home, or continue regular contact unless certain changes are made.
The most important part is consistency. If one person sets a boundary but another person does not support it, the intervention can become confusing and less effective.
Everyone should understand what the boundaries are, why they are being set, and what will happen if the person refuses help or does not follow through.
Have treatment options ready
Research treatment centers and prepare a clear path for access to care.
Understand which places take the individual’s insurance, which are within an accessible distance or have a plan for how to travel there, and which programs have immediate room for new clients.
Options for care could include:
- Detox programs
- Residential treatment
- Outpatient treatment (intensive outpatient programs or a partial hospitalization program)
- Other specialized mental health care (support groups, therapy intensives)
Set up timing, location, transportation, and safety planning
Have a plan ready that includes all logistics and is accessible if the person agrees to immediate help. Consider:
- Timing (try to time an intervention for when a person is sober, if possible)
- Location (choose somewhere private, safe, and quiet)
- Transportation (have a plan in place for who will take the person to treatment)
- Contingency plans (if the person’s emotions escalate, have a plan to regulate the situation)
What If Your Loved One Refuses Treatment?
Not everyone responds well to an intervention, and your loved one may refuse treatment. However, even if the initial intervention is refused, there are still steps you can take for safety.
What to do in the next 24–72 hours
If your loved one refuses the intervention, stick to the agreed-upon consequences and boundaries.
Consistency can show that the goal of an intervention is real and that you intend to follow up on your words with action.
How to hold boundaries without escalating conflict
It is essential to avoid arguments or ultimatums that result in anger.
Calm, consistent follow-through is typically more effective than big emotional reactions.
If you do not already have your own therapist, consider reaching out for help. It is essential to take care of yourself during this process, too.
How to keep them safe in the meantime
It is essential to understand that while you can take steps to help keep your loved one safe, you cannot control their actions.
Attempt to stay in open communication with the individual and encourage safer behavior.
If you feel the individual is an imminent risk to themselves or others (e.g., they are making statements about dying, ending their own life, or threatening to harm others), seek emergency care.
When to consider offering a different type of treatment
Sometimes the idea of residential treatment or an inpatient detox program feels too overwhelming.
Consider being flexible and also knowing which outpatient treatment options are available near you. Sometimes taking the first step and starting therapy or accepting help is the hardest step.
Recovery journeys aren’t linear. It is perfectly normal to need to step up and down in levels of care throughout treatment.
At Sandstone, we offer the whole continuum of care. We can help with residential treatment programs, including detox, as well as various levels of outpatient programming. We are here to help and answer any questions you have about our levels of care. Call us at (888) 850-1890.
When to Get Professional Help Planning an Intervention
If your initial attempt did not result in treatment, working with intervention specialists may improve the likelihood that the individual will consent to help.
If the loved one is worried about time away from work or school, also consider helping them reach out to less intensive programs, such as intensive outpatient therapy (IOP), or even connecting them with a therapist if they don’t already have one.
Many treatment centers, including Sandstone Care, offer virtual IOP options to help you access care in a way that works for you. Call us at (888) 850-1890 or visit our website to chat with a representative.
Even if you believe they need a higher level of care, sometimes that conversation is better received from a professional. IOP facilitators and individual therapists are trained to understand when someone needs additional support and can help facilitate referrals.
