Frequently Asked Questions on Professional Interventions for Addiction
If you’re considering having a professional intervention for your loved one, you probably have a lot of questions like, “do interventions work,” and “what happens after the intervention?” We know this is a distressing time for you, so we want to make sure you feel as knowledgeable and comfortable about the intervention process as possible. If you have questions regarding the actual step-by-step intervention process, feel free to visit our intervention page to learn more.
Below are some of our most frequently asked questions regarding professional interventions for addiction:
What is a family interventionist?
A family interventionist is an addiction interventionist who works with the entire family, instead of focusing only on the addicted loved one. Addiction is a family disease, and its effects ripple out and impact each individual family member in a unique way. As a result, the behaviors, thoughts, and emotions of the family members become impacted on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, the way the family responds to the addiction can actually help perpetuate the addiction. Because of this, it’s so important that the whole family focuses on their own individual recovery journeys. This is the best way to support not only yourself, but also your family members and your addicted loved one.
Do interventions work?
Yes, professional interventions for addiction do work. At Life Recovery Interventions, we have a 95% success rate of getting people into treatment immediately after their intervention. There are multiple intervention models that are used today, but we’ve had great success by using the Johnson Method of addiction interventions. When time is of the essence, we’ve found the Johnson Method to be the most effective method of getting people into treatment.
Is a professional intervention really necessary?
Most likely, yes. As it currently is, you’ve probably tried talking to your loved one about their addiction already. Maybe you’ve already tried setting consequences with them, but haven’t been able to enforce them. Maybe your loved one is no longer taking your boundaries seriously, and they’re continuing to engage in their own pattern of use and behavior. Even though it’s tough to imagine how, your addicted loved one is comfortable right now. Unless something happens to disrupt their pattern of use and behavior, they likely will not change their behaviors, or even desire changing their behaviors. If you’re here, you’ve probably tried everything you can to help your loved one end their use, but to no avail. A professional intervention allows us to interrupt and disrupt your loved one’s thought patterns, so we can come alongside them and help them understand the impact of their addiction, the possibility of recovery, and the availability of treatment.
Can addiction interventionists help my family member if they’ve already tried treatment?
Absolutely. Addiction itself is deeply complex, and there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution to the disease. Some forms of treatment help some people, while different forms of treatment help others. Some forms of treatment may not resonate with someone at a certain point in their life, but may prove to be life changing for them years down the road. It truly varies from person to person based on their unique circumstances. If your family member has already tried treatment, or even multiple forms of treatment, we want to hear all about it. Taking past treatment experiences into account, we work with your family to determine the right treatment option for your loved one.
Doesn’t my loved one need to hit rock bottom before needing a professional intervention for addiction?
No, your loved one does not need to hit rock bottom before having a professional intervention for their addiction. If you or your loved one are waiting for a particular event to deem your loved one has hit rock bottom, stop waiting. Rock bottom is not an event; it’s the time to stop digging. People have varying stories of what their rock bottom was that motivated them to seek help. For some people, it was going to jail. For some, it was getting kicked out of their home. However, for others, going to jail or getting kicked out isn’t enough to disrupt and interrupt their thoughts and behaviors. This enforces that rock bottom is a feeling — it isn’t a circumstance. That feeling that happens at rock bottom is what pushes your loved one to seek help. Professional interventions for addiction do the same thing, without having to wait for some arbitrary event. You never know if rock bottom will be too late, so act now. It’s never too early to intervene when your loved one’s life is on the line.
What is the timeframe from contacting you about an intervention to the actual intervention?
We’re instantly on your side from the moment you reach out to us. We can hold a professional intervention for your loved one within days of contacting us, based on your family’s availability and timeline. Our addiction interventionists are available 7 days a week, and we’re committed to working with your family’s needs to curate the best course of action for your loved one. The sooner your loved one can get into treatment, the better.
Does Life Recovery Interventions travel for professional interventions, sober transport, etc.?
Yes. At Life Recovery Interventions, our family interventionists travel across the country to hold interventions for addiction. We also provide sober transportation and sober companionship anywhere in the United States.
Who attends a family intervention?
Our addiction interventionists will help you determine who attends the professional intervention. An intervention can include family members, partners, or very close friends. An intervention can also include other professionals, such as a therapist or a member of the clergy. This is entirely based on your loved one, and the individuals who will have the most impact on them. We’re careful to ensure that no one is included in the intervention who may trigger your loved one in a negative way, or who will not contribute to the ultimate goal of getting your loved one into treatment.
Who will be on my family intervention team?
When you work with us at Life Recovery Interventions, you’ll have an intervention coordinator, a professional interventionist, and a family addiction coach. The intervention coordinator ensures that all of the logistics for the intervention itself are taken care of. The professional interventionists and the family addiction coach are there to help and support your addicted loved one and your family members throughout the duration of the intervention. Your family addiction coach will also be there to provide you with ongoing support after intervention day.
How long do interventions for addiction take?
It takes as long as it takes. There’s no set time for how long professional interventions for addiction will last. On the day before the intervention, we have a pre-intervention meeting with the family. This meeting and run-through takes approximately 6 hours. On intervention day itself, once the intervention gets underway, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours. As you can imagine, it truly depends on your loved one, their circumstances, and their resistance or lack thereof. Our addiction interventionists have seen it all, and we’ll stay with your loved one for as long as it takes to overcome their objections and resistance, to help them say yes to treatment.
What happens after the family intervention?
After the intervention, your loved one will immediately go to treatment for their addiction. This can happen one of two ways, based on whether the previously agreed upon treatment center is out-of-state or if it's local. If the treatment center is out of state, your addiction interventionist will make flight plans to take your loved one to treatment, and will leave to the airport with them as soon as possible. Your addiction interventionist will stay by their side each step of the way, until they’ve been admitted to treatment. If the treatment center is local, your addiction interventionist will drive them there as soon as possible. If your loved one refuses treatment, your interventionist may stay an additional night and revisit your loved one the following day.
What if my loved one refuses to go to treatment?
There are two things to touch on regarding this commonly asked question. Firstly, our addiction interventionists are committed to getting a “yes” to treatment from your loved one. With a 95% success rate, we’ve facilitated the early stages of the recovery journey for countless people. With that being said, the steps we can take upon refusal (and exhausting all of our resources) will vary based on family circumstances. In some cases, our addiction interventionist will stay an additional night and assess whether to do continued work with the family and/or revisit the addicted loved one the following day.
Secondly, we’re committed to helping families learn how to heal and foster recovery for themselves, regardless of how their loved one is doing. It’s likely that your loved one’s addiction has completely shapeshifted your family dynamics, as well as your own day-to-day thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. During the intervention process before intervention day, we’ll work with you to set boundaries with your addicted loved one and create consequences that you’ll enforce if they refuse treatment. If treatment is refused, we’ll support you in enforcing your consequences while working on your own recovery. Ultimately, this can also help your loved one understand that things are different this time, and it may begin to foster the discomfort within them that is necessary for them to desire change.
What if my loved one gets upset or angry during the intervention?
We will go over all potential scenarios during the pre-intervention meeting before intervention day. Our family interventionists will let you know what to do and what not to do for any given circumstance that may arise during the intervention. Your loved one may very well lash out and get angry or explosive. They may get upset, cry, or say hurtful things to you, our intervention team, and other family members. We can never anticipate exactly how someone will respond to the intervention process. With that being said, our professional interventionists are trained in navigating your loved one’s reactions and responses. Not only this, but our professional interventionists have experienced addiction or addiction of a loved one firsthand, and approach your loved one with deep understanding, compassion, and wisdom, regardless of how they respond.
What if my loved one stops talking to us after we hold the family intervention?
Our professional intervention is presented in a way to elicit a positive reaction from your loved one. They will understand that your family is acting out of love and concern. If a scenario like this does arise, it is likely an initial reaction. Our addiction interventionists are prepared to navigate this response with your loved one, and will also prepare you to handle this response as well.
Can I hold an intervention without professional interventionists?
Yes. However, holding an intervention with professional interventionists increases the likelihood that your loved one will agree to go to treatment. Within your family dynamic, there may already be a great deal of built up resentment and complex relationship history. There may also be a lack of trust on either end. You may have previously attempted to hold boundaries with your loved one, but they were walked all over. Maybe you tried setting consequences with your loved one before, but couldn’t bring yourself to enforce them. Because of this, it’s difficult for your loved one to take you seriously. In addition to this, there are many emotions involved on all sides, and trying to hold an intervention without professional guidance can result in an escalation of anger and emotion that is unregulated. Bringing in a professional interventionist not only provides you with a trained expert, but also gives you a neutral third party who has no emotional history with your loved one or with your family members. A professional interventionist helps the intervention stay focused and goal oriented, while managing the many layers of emotions and complicated family dynamics that will present themselves during the intervention.
How long is your coaching program?
We offer sober coaching and family recovery coaching for a minimum commitment of three months.
How often do I meet with a coach during the coaching program?
You or your loved one will meet with a coach once a week, either in-person or virtually via Zoom. You’ll also have daily access to your coach, worksheets, reading materials, and video/audio materials to best guide and support you in your own recovery.
If you have any other questions in mind or you’d like to learn more about the intervention process, please feel free to email us at info@theliferecoverycoach.com. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.
If you’re interested in holding an intervention for your loved one, book a free consultation here. We’re here for you, and we’re ready to help you get your loved one into treatment now.