26 Jan Alberta Interventions Lead to Long-term Recovery
An intervention is a big step to take. In many cases, a family will only reach out to an interventionist for help when everything else they have tried has failed and when communication has broken down to the point where there is hostility.
Many families believe that the person addicted to substance abuse has to reach rock bottom before they can begin to be helped, but an intervention at any stage is the best way to encourage the patient to begin the recovery process. There is no need to wait until the patient has caused damage or injury to themselves or others.
Waiting to seek intervention can have disastrous consequences. Many addictions lead to reckless behavior such as drunk driving, and if an accident should occur due to impaired senses, the patient will have a much more difficult time recovering from the guilt and shame associated with causing injury or death to another person.
When someone refuses to acknowledge that they have an addiction issue, an intervention is the best course of action.
An intervention that facilitates an honest, direct, solution-oriented discussion that helps the family and patient identify appropriate options and resources. The approach should be tailored to each individual’s needs. The professional interventionist will prepare a select group of people to provide non-judgmental feedback and encourage the individual to participate in a course of treatment.
At the intervention, consequences for not changing their behavior will be made clear to the patient.
The Key to Successful Long-term Recovery
Every individual is unique in so many ways, and there are many paths that can lead to addiction including mental health, emotional stability, environment, history, and physical chemistry. Therefore, it is important to have a scientific understanding of addiction to develop the strategies that will be most effective for prevention and long-term recovery.
In addition to an understanding of the patient’s home environment and personal history, the treatment program must understand that a combination of genetic factors, early experiences, and the effects of addictive behaviours can make recovery difficult, and the treatment program must take that into consideration.
Additionally, long-term recovery has been proven to be most successful when there is ongoing support from medical professionals, family members, and community resources.
An interventionist can help the patient identify what they need to address to ensure they choose the treatment program that will be most effective. A variety of areas that they may need to address include:
- Anxiety
- Behavioural Issues
- Chronic Relapse
- Coping Skills
- Dual Diagnosis
- Medical Detox
- Medication Management
- Self Esteem
- Multiple Addictions
- Trauma
The Role of the Interventionist in Long-term Recovery
The role of the interventionist is to work with the patient and their support network to create a customized treatment plan. By helping the patient develop a treatment plan, the plan will address the issues that may have led to addiction or make recovery more difficult. It is only by addressing the core issues that long-term recovery is successful. The interventionist will also support the patient through each stage of recovery. This is crucial to the success of a long-term recovery because each stage has different challenges and requirements. It may include finding the most appropriate detox and in-patient treatment facility; it may involve organizing transportation to and from treatment, or finding aftercare support programs for both the patient and family.
Family and friends play a critical role in supporting the patient to get the help they need, and to make sure the patient has long-term support. And an interventionist helps support the friends and family members to make sure they are more effective in their communication and actions.
Each intervention must be individually structured based on a thorough assessment of the family and the situation. This customized approach ensures that the patient agrees to accept treatment, and the family openly addresses the problem and learns how to participate in the recovery process effectively.
Many interventionists have personal experience with substance use, and many have also worked in substance use and addictions positions prior to setting up their own practice.
Andy Bhatti has worked with addiction treatment programs all over Canada, USA, and Asia. His knowledge of treatment programs can help you find the right treatment center for you and your family’s needs.