Intervention and Treatment Services in Calgary and Edmonton

12 Jun Intervention and Treatment Services in Calgary and Edmonton

Posted at 09:00h in Addictions, Alberta, Calgary, Edmonton, Interventions by Andy Bhatti

When somebody you know is struggling with a substance abuse disorder, it’s absolutely heartbreaking to watch them suffer through their addiction. A lot of times when an individual is suffering through addiction, they don’t realize how out of control their problem has gotten, or don’t know how to ask for help. Often times their behaviour becomes damaging to themselves or others, and it’s generally not until the addiction is out of control that it’s time to step in and intervene in hopes of helping.

If you don’t have professional experience in hosting interventions, you run the risk of a less successful outcome, and the individual may refuse treatment, lash out, and become more withdrawn from those who want to help them. Therefore it is important to follow the necessary steps in order to successfully host an intervention in Calgary which will lead to treatment and recovery.

How to Host a Successful Intervention:

Have a professional interventionist lead the intervention

One of the most important parts of hosting a successful intervention is to use a professional interventionist, one who has experience in leading interventions and experience in treating addiction. We host interventions and offer treatment services in Calgary, Edmonton, and the surrounding major cities in Alberta. Our team has hosted numerous successful interventions that have led to effective treatment services, and a high recovery rate for drug and alcohol addiction. It’s important not to attempt to host an intervention blindly without proper research and the aid of an expert.

Include thorough preparation of the entire intervention group

It’s imperative that everybody attending and hosting the intervention be on the same page about the next steps required for the individual to receive the treatment services they need. This includes rehearsing scripts for during the interventions, holding to ultimatums if the addict does not receive the help they are offered. It’s important to run through practice together as a group. Often times the planning process of the intervention takes longer than the intervention itself.

Have a clear and defined plan for treatment immediately post-intervention

This is the most crucial part of the intervention, as right afterwards emotions will be running high. The individual requires a clear and determined treatment plan in place for them to go to directly after the intervention is finished. This includes having a vehicle prepared for them to go directly to, and a bed available at a treatment facility in Calgary or Edmonton. In the majority of cases, if this is not readily available, and they have to wait a few days or even a few hours, the decision they have made to accept the help given may change, or they may go on a significant binge and change their mind.

Be prepared for a negative reaction

In certain scenarios, when faced with a room full of concerned people, it’s not uncommon for the addict to retaliate emotionally at first. Sometimes they can lash out and refuse to accept their problem. During an intervention, each individual should be prepared to hand them an ultimatum – that if their behaviour doesn’t change, they will face a consequence from them. One of the most important things to remember is that you need to be firm on your stance, and be prepared to follow through with this consequence should they refuse to initially accept the help offered.

When Is It Time For An Intervention?

When you’re concerned about the behaviour of somebody close to you who is abusing alcohol or drugs, it’s time for an intervention. Generally, an addict is unable to quit on their own, or unwilling. It’s common that they won’t see the problem within themselves, won’t know how to reach out and ask for help, or feel they cannot cope without substances. The signs that somebody may be struggling with drug and alcohol addiction or substance abuse are:

Moodiness – increased aggression, hostility, depression, or lethargy
Changes in attitude – you may see them posting different content on social media during a binge
Drastic weight changes – either quick weight loss or rapid weight gain
Smelling of liquor
Sudden financial changes – all of a sudden they’re short on cash, or selling possessions
Trouble sleeping – either trouble sleeping at night or sleeping during the day
Slurred speech or vision – if somebody is drinking in the daytime their physical appearance will be unkempt and they’ll tend to slur their words or have difficult speech
Blackouts or memory loss

What Options Are There For Drug and Alcohol Recovery?

The only option for drug and alcohol addiction is recovery. Substance abuse and addiction is a serious matter that only becomes worse over time, and the longer an addict goes on using drugs or drinking, the higher chance they have of overdose, or drug and alcohol-related deaths. If the individual has relapsed after previous sobriety this chance goes up. Over time, continually withdrawal from alcohol especially becomes harder and harder on the body after each detox, and withdrawal alcohol symptoms can become deadly if not professionally and medically supervised.

After The Intervention: Next Steps

After the intervention, we will provide your loved one with access to a treatment facility in Calgary or Edmonton. The intervention is the first step to ensure that they know that they’re cared about, have friends and family who are concerned about their addiction, and willing to provide support after the individual recognizes their behaviour and substance abuse problems. The majority of the time, taking the aforementioned steps to host a successful intervention with a professional interventionist, the individual does take the help offered, and the next step is to place them into a treatment center in Calgary or Edmonton.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services in Calgary

With years of hosting successful interventions in Calgary, we make sure that we have a full treatment plan in place for the individual before going into the intervention process.

Some of the post-intervention treatment facilities available in Calgary are:

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services in Edmonton

Our team has hosted numerous successful interventions in Edmonton which have lead to high recovery rates and provided treatment options for people in Edmonton and the surrounding neighbourhoods struggling with substance abuse problems.

We have worked with the following treatment facilities and centres in Edmonton after leading successful interventions:

Virtual Drug And Addiction Treatment Resources

During COVID-19, Alcoholics Anonymous groups have had to take a step back to comply with physical distancing recommendations and measures. The majority of AA meetings have transitioned over to digital meetings using Zoom. Here are some resources for online meetings.

Does Your Loved One Need an Intervention?

If you’re asking yourself this question, or noticed any strange behaviours and new habits, or suspect your loved one is going through substance abuse issues, then the answer is yes – they do need an intervention.

If you’re seeking out intervention services in Calgary, Edmonton, or any other major Canadian cities, contact us today. We work with you and your loved one to get them into the treatment and recovery centres that they need, to ensure a successful recovery from drugs and alcohol. We’re here to help.