Substance Abuse Intervention

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In a substance abuse intervention, individuals who are substance abusers are confronted by family members and friends in connection with their substance abuse how their abusive, damaging, and irresponsible drug abuse has affected virtually everyone around them.

A substance abuse intervention should be carefully planned and developed by qualified substance abuse intervention counselors who are experienced in such procedures.  The most fundamental purpose of a substance abuse intervention is to get the drug abuser to seek professional substance abuse rehab.

Substance Abuse Intervention:  An Essential Overview

Research displays that one way of dealing with substance abuse is to conduct an intervention.  Having said this, exactly what is a substance abuse intervention?

Essentially a substance abuse intervention can be seen as a step in the drug abuse counseling process in which the substance abuser is confronted about his drug abuse and how his or her unhealthy, abusive, and excessive drug abuse has affected family members, friends, co-workers, and conceivably neighbors.

More to the point, a substance abuse intervention is a meeting involving the drug abuser, family members, friends, plausibly an employer, along with a substance abuse intervention specialist. 

In this meeting, the family members and friends, under the guidance and supervision of the addiction intervention professional, articulate their concern with regard to the person’s hazardous and damaging drug abuse and strongly "encourage" the drug abuser to get professional substance abuse help.

Typically in an intervention, family members and friends tell the drug abuser in their own words how they are concerned about the person and how his or her substance abuse has created stress, aggravation, fear, and other obstacles in their lives.  The objective of a substance abuse intervention centers on the drug abuser listening to what has been said and then accepting the fact that he or she needs qualified substance abuse rehabilitation.

It is vital to state that substance abuse interventions are characteristically resorted to when all other approaches have been exhausted in an effort to help an individual conquer a critical drug abuse problem.

Substance Abuse Interventions Can Fail

Substance abuse research reveals the fact that not an insignificant number of substance abuse and drug dependency rehabilitation centers have stopped doing substance abuse interventions because they frequently fail. Stated in another way, when substance abuse interventions are not productive, a fact that has to be considered, the family can actually be torn apart even further due to the dangerous and disruptive feelings concerning the failed intervention.

It must be emphasized that this is not an insignificant situation for a family that is already on the edge of destruction due to the drug abuse of a family member.  The probability for failure with reference to substance abuse interventions emphasizes the necessity to employ an addiction intervention professional who has a verified track record of success.

Why Do Substance Abuse Interventions Fail?

What are the most important reasons that substance abuse interventions fail?  First, the intervention may fail if the drug abuser doesn't follow the counseling protocol both during and after formal rehab.

Second, in view of the fact that his or her reasoning and commonsensical abilities and emotional stability may be inhibited due to chronic drug abuse, the substance abuser may simply leave the intervention session.  Often this means that the well-intentioned family members will have to manage the failed intervention in addition to the rest of their drug-related difficulties.

The third reason that substance abuse interventions may prove to be unsuccessful is the fact that the drug abuser may not be ready for treatment at this time.  More to the point, some therapists strongly state that many substance abuse interventions lack a confirmed and long-lasting track record due to the fact that several people who are drug abusers are not able to receive treatment until they get to the point in their lives when they themselves make this decision.

In brief, according to this view, people who are substance abuser can't be helped until they seek counseling on their own. Ironically, while the intervention can help put people who abuse drugs in a more receptive frame of mind and can actually help them decide that they need professional help, the mere fact that the intervention took place may lead to distrust, anger, and resentment in the future.

And fourth, substance abuse interventions can fail when a family either chooses to undertake an intervention without the leadership and support of an intervention professional or if the intervention specialist is ineffectual.

When Do Substance Abuse Interventions Succeed?

Chemical dependency exploration has revealed that the most advantageous time for substance abuse interventions is following a meaningful event, such as an arrest for a DUI, when the drug abuser is caught lying about something of importance, or when a substance abuser has been caught stealing something of value.  In these situations, the substance abuser is more likely to experience guilt or to be remorseful, thus more receptive to getting professional help.  Even though this may seem obvious, it is also imperative that the substance abuser is drug-free at the time of the intervention.

It is interesting to emphasize the fact, however, that according to chemical dependency scientific investigation, men are more likely to remain in drug abuse rehab if they are there due to "suggestions" or threats from their employers. This finding appears to point out that intervention that consists of involvement by employers can be effective in some instances.  In actual fact, according to one study, employees who were chronic drug abusers displayed significant improvement in their drug use and in their job performance during the months immediately following an intervention to confront their substance abuse that was negatively affecting their work.

In brief, it can be affirmed that some substance abuse interventions have been proven to be effective in helping the drug abuser accept treatment for his or her drug abuse.  And if done with careful planning and under the direction and supervision of a substance abuse intervention professional, the chances of success are greatly enhanced.

Substance Abuse Intervention:  Conclusion

A substance abuse intervention is a type of confrontation in which a group of concerned individuals, such as family members and friends along with a drug abuse intervention specialist, have a meeting with a drug abuser.  In this meeting, the family members and friends, under the guidance and management of the intervention expert, convey their concern over the substance abuser’s dangerous and irresponsible drug abuse and strongly "encourage" the drug abuser to get competent substance abuse treatment.

Even if substance abuse interventions should be commenced as a "last resort" and have been known to backfire and result in mistrust, tension, and bitterness, if done with careful planning and with the management and guidance of an addiction intervention professional, the chances of an effective substance abuse intervention are greatly enhanced.

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