Reasons Why Interventions Fail

A successful intervention can lead a person you love toward a drug rehab treatment program that can help them improve their lives and bring happiness and relief to those around him. However, many interventions fail because the families of those afflicted by drug addiction do not know how to lead a successful intervention. Certain factors must be in place and followed in order to get the addict to a drug rehab. Treatment may seem impossible if the addict isn’t willing to seek help. However, a formal intervention will work if done in the proper way.

After spending time interviewing several interventionists and intake counselors from various drug rehab treatment programs, I have come up with the top 5 reasons why an intervention would fail:

1. Failure to use a Professional: This may sound pitch for interventionists, but the plain fact is that most family members are not accustomed to confronting and addressing problems easily amongst themselves. They may carry guilt from the past, bring up unresolved and unrelated issues and the entire situation may turn into a screaming match which results in nothing but pain for everyone. Interventions can get so ugly that the exact opposite effect occurs, that the addict refuses help and swears off his family and jumps deeper into his own self-destruction.

Many drug rehab programs have staff trained to facilitate an intervention, or can refer you to one. These individuals guide the intervention towards the ultimate goal, which is to get your loved one to a drug rehab treatment center. They bring an unbiased opinion to what is bound to be an emotional and difficult situation for those involved and are able to see things far in advance and can lead the way towards success.

2. Wavering from the Determined Goal: Ultimately, you want your loved one to check into a drug rehab. Treatment is the only option if you are even considering an intervention, not meetings or to let him do it on his own. Do not lose focus on this once the intervention starts and make sure that all involved are willing to do what it takes to make this happen. Sometimes the addict will shift blame to other family members and try to take on the role of a victim. This can be a powerful tool of manipulation as there may be truth or guilt connected to it. Once this happens, family members start to negotiate with the addict or doubt themselves. This will have disastrous effects on the success of the intervention.

Regardless of what “dirty laundry” may come out on the table, the fact of the matter is that the addict is the one that needs help the most and although everyone may have problems in life, the addict is the one who the focus must be on. He may do or say terrible and hurtful things to get our of the intervention and back onto drugs and that must not happen.

3. A Family Divided: Involve all members of the family in the intervention planning, providing they are there to help. Ensure that everyone who will be attending is in agreement with the ultimate goal of getting the addict to a drug rehab treatment center. If one family isn’t on board, he may secretly tell the addict about the intervention in advance or may take sides with addict, thus weakening the argument for treatment and ensuring a failure. If the family members doing the intervention are bitter towards each other, the addict can turn the entire meeting into a circus of finger-pointing in order to escape the situation.