Drug Intervention in Howell, NJ

If you have a loved one who struggles with a dependency problem, you've probably thought about staging an intervention. More often than not, however, a person who is addicted to substance abuse cannot and will not be moved by even the most sensible and persuasive of arguments from family. Our experts have years of experience counseling families on drug intervention in Howell, and we know how difficult this important process can be.

Reasoning with an addict tends to be difficult because drugs have the ability to change the way the mind handles reason. Studies show that 9 out of 10 addicts genuinely believe that they do not have a problem. Our own experience with drug intervention in Howell bears out such findings.

Families with little experience with addiction science are simply not equipped to deal with the unconventional ways in which the minds of addicts work. The only truly effective way to get through to an addict is to use an intervention professional while staging an intervention.

What is an Intervention?

An intervention is a meeting of friends and family members. They come together with the aim of helping their loved one in gaining awareness of the harmful effects of their addiction, and securing his or her cooperation in ending the habit.

To many families, the process sounds intuitive enough to attempt on their own. They call in friends and family who are concerned, and simply go about the process as they know best. Often, however, the results are not what they hope for.

How to Stage an Intervention

Interventions performed by families who haven't prepared can go wrong before they even start. The problem, often, is simply that they wait too long. Many people believe that an intervention only works when an addict has hit "rock bottom," and they simply wait until they see something like it happen. In reality, however, the longer an addiction is allowed to run, the more deeply it establishes itself, and the harder it becomes to stop. It is important to intervene as early in the addictive process as possible.

Going in without a plan is another common mistake. Responses by addicts to perceived challenges can confound regular people attempting to deal with them. In interventions that aren't thoroughly planned, often, such frustrating responses quickly lead to accusatory or confrontational attitudes by friends and family gathered. It doesn't take long for the intervention to stall. It takes intimate familiarity with the way addicts reason, deny and defend, and deep knowledge of the way addiction works, to approach the process constructively.

Many people heading for informal interventions do realize that they need to be compassionate, but conflate compassion with pliability. This can be a mistake, as well. Interventions need to bring tough love. It takes considerable skill to demonstrate compassion while laying down tough conditions.

Who Should be Involved in an Intervention?

The professional interventionist is the most important member of the intervention team, the one person who knows how to make sure that a team's mission is successful. Most interventions, however, do not include such professionals, simply because there is little awareness of the existence of such services.

While it may cost a few hundred dollars to bring a specialist in drug intervention for addiction on board, it is always a sound investment. With in-depth knowledge of the way addictions work, specialists are able to coach every participant. Rehearsals are held, mistakes are smoothed over, harsh attitudes are softened, and practice is acquired in the conduct of effective negotiations. The most influential friends and family members are brought in, and ones who are unlikely to help are not. The professional is always on hand to provide authoritative answers.

Often, an addict is able to see that there is a problem, but is unwilling to accept the plan provided. Negotiations at this point can be one of the riskiest parts of an intervention. The addict will attempt to obtain approval for an easier plan than everyone suggests, for instance, one that involves living at a friend's house during treatment, rather than at a rehab center. A professional from a drug addiction intervention center will know to intervene here, and to point out that these preferences are meant to provide the addict with a back door out. Inability to see through such ploys can derail entire missions.

Understanding the Need to Get It Right the First Time

When informal interventions are unsuccessful at securing an addict's cooperation, chances of the success of future attempts can turn dim. It's important to get it right the first time. Studies by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence have found a high, 90% success rate for professional drug intervention programs.

If you can find the right intervention professional, you greatly improve the chances of success of your endeavor. It would be an excellent idea to come in to speak to one our experts in drug intervention in Howell.

If you wish to stage an intervention for your addicted loved one, or learn more about our other addiction treatment programs in Howell, give us a call. Call Howell Drug Rehab Centers today at (877) 804-1531.