If you’re going to be part of an intervention for a friend, it’s expected that you’ll feel stressed, nervous and worried. Whether you’re taking them to a drug interventionist or staging an intervention to help them give up alcohol, an intervention can be hard on everyone involved. If you prepare properly, you can make it a little easier though.
Research
Start by learning about the problem your friend is having. Try to gain a better understanding of what they’re going through, and how they might be feeling. Learn about the resources available to them, from therapists to rehab centers. While your friend has to be the one to decide to use these resources, if you have some understanding of the options, you can help them decide how they want to proceed and may be able to make suggestions.
Make Notes
Conversations about addiction are emotional and tough. If you get upset during the intervention, it’s likely that you’ll forget some of the things you wanted to say and to get off track. Before the intervention, write down the things you want to say and the points you want to raise. You could do this as bullet points, or you could write your friend a letter, expressing how much you care for them and explaining why you’re concerned. Make a note of any changes you’ve seen in them, and remember to let them know that you love them and want to help.
Writing things down like this will help you keep your thoughts organized, even if you get emotional. Writing it all down could help you feel better too.
Keep A Sense Of Perspective
It’s important to keep a sense of perspective and be realistic about the intervention. The road to recovery from addiction is a long one, and it can be a bumpy road. Recovery is likely to have a few false starts and setbacks. While an intervention can be a great start on that journey, remember that it’s not an instant cure. As much as you might want to help, you can’t make someone change or fix them, and you aren’t responsible for their decisions.
Gather Reinforcements
Gather together their other friends and their family. When you reach out, compare notes on any problems you’ve all noticed and talk through what you all want to say and express. A group of people who love them and want to offer support will make an intervention more helpful and will make it feel like less of an attack.
Take Care Of Yourself
It’s important to look after yourself if you’re going to offer support to an addict. Interventions are emotional and might dredge up some surprising feelings or negative interactions. If this happens, or dealing with someone else’s addiction has had some negative impacts on your life, it might be helpful to seek some sort of counseling or a support group to talk through your own worries and issues. Be looking after your own mental health, you’ll be better equipped to support your friend and offer help.
