How Intervention Services Lead to Treatment and Recovery in Alberta

22 Sep How Intervention Services Lead to Treatment and Recovery in Alberta

How Drug and Alcohol Interventions Can Lead to Treatment and Long-Term Recovery

What is an Intervention? Alberta

An intervention is a well-thought-out and structured plan, which can be executed by the loved ones of the person in need of the intervention. An intervention is at its best when planned in coordination with an intervention specialist (interventionist). During an intervention loved one’s come together as a unit to inform your loved one about how their addiction affects everyone around them, and guide them with the hopes of accepting treatment. 

The intervention: 

• Shares specific scenarios of the addicted individual’s behaviour where it has affected those around them. 
• Lays out a well-thought-out, previously planned treatment plan, which clearly states the steps, goals, and guidelines. 
• Explains what each person present at the intervention will do if treatment is not accepted by the individual being intervened on. 

What Happens in an Intervention in Alberta?

Before the execution of an intervention, there are some vital steps to be taken first. Before anything can happen you must first make a plan. Consulting with an intervention specialist will help you cover all aspects of an intervention and prepare you for what you can expect, and ensure that the intervention will be effective. An intervention is a highly emotional setting where unpredictable reactions and other emotions can occur, likely stemming from a feeling of betrayal felt by the loved one abusing drugs or alcohol. 

After a plan has been set in motion everyone who will be present at the intervention must be on the same page before the intervention. Everyone should know the extent of the severity of drug and or alcohol abuse, so everyone can stand together to help their loved one. This is hard to do if not everyone knows the extent of the problem. This group will likely be comprised of family members, close friends, and an intervention specialist. 

Contingency planning. For the loved ones who are organizing this intervention, though the goal is for your loved one to seek treatment, there is always the chance that they are not willing to admit they have a problem and seek treatment. This is why we have contingency planning; should they refuse the help, it is important to have a plan as to how you will take action moving forward (An example of this could be setting boundaries and asking them to move out).

When the intervention is taking place, it can be a highly stressful and anxiety-consuming event for everyone involved. This is why it could be beneficial for everyone to write notes beforehand about what they want to say to the addicted individual. These notes could be about incidents where your loved one’s addiction caused problems in your relationship, and how it changed your relationship. The goal of the intervention is for your loved one to be willing to get treatment and the ultimate goal is long-term recovery. The first step is for the one addicted to admit they have a problem and get treatment. So this is the prime time to tell them exactly how you feel and how their addiction has affected your relationship with them. They need to hear it before they can begin to understand it. 

After these steps have been taken it is time to hold the intervention. It is important not to inform your loved one of the reason that you are asking them to meet at the location the intervention is being held at. We want the best route to success, which is for the addicted to accept getting treatment, and this can’t happen if they do not show up to the intervention itself. Each of the loved ones present will take turns sharing what they want to say with guidance from the interventionist. Your loved one will be given the option to accept the plea to get help and go to treatment. If they refuse to get treatment, each member present will share their contingency plan, and set their boundaries on the spot if they refuse. 

If an intervention is not planned properly and given time to put the organization in, it can make the situation worse, where your loved one may become more opposed to treatment. 

Steps to Intervention Success in Alberta 

1. Plan the intervention and consult an intervention specialist. Holding an intervention on the spur of the moment can result in a worsened situation where the addicted individual feels attacked, and will be even more resistant to treatment if not approached in a well-thought-out way.
2. Get on the same page. Everyone who will be present at the intervention should be on the same page, and plan who will say what when, and so everyone has a big picture of the extent of the addiction, and the strain it has caused on relationships. 
3. Contingency planning and writing notes for what you would like to say. If your loved one refuses to get treatment after the intervention everyone present needs to have a plan for the boundaries they will set, and what they will do if they do not get treatment (ex. You can’t live here If you do not get treatment).
4. Practice the intervention before the real thing. An intervention is a highly stressful situation, and it can be worrisome that it will not be effective for the addict. To mitigate the worries of the execution it can help to do a practice run before the real thing, and practice how you will react to possible aggressions of the addicted individual.
5. Being prepared for your loved one’s reactions. This can help you prepare for the worst-case scenario and how you will react if faced with this uncertainty. 

A successful intervention can be seen as your loved one accepting the fact that they need help and accepting treatment, ultimately headed in the right direction for a life of long-term recovery.  

What Intervention Services Offer in Alberta 

• Ensure a drug/alcohol-free environment, this includes private homes, personal vehicles, work offices, hotel rooms, etc. 
• Mobile drug and alcohol testing services
• The sober coach can perform periodic drug testing/breathalyzer testing to hold the client accountable.
• A companion can provide safe reliable transport to private detox and private treatment centres in Alberta or elsewhere. (For air or land travel).
• Help the client identify areas that may be present triggers that could lead to relapse and discuss roadblocks that could hinder continued abstinence.
• A companion can accompany clients to social, family, work gatherings, vacations, conferences, or anywhere that could pose a threat to their sobriety/abstinence.
• Assist in locating and attending recovery meetings in the area where the client will live and work. 
• Work in conjunction with the clients’ professional recovery support team. The team may include counsellors, therapists, psychiatrists, and physicians. 
• Help with the placement of clients with appropriate clinicians, treatment, and detox centres in Alberta or elsewhere if needed.

Performing our job as discreetly as possible to ensure the client’s confidentiality is of utmost importance to everyone at Andy Bhatti Addiction Services and Interventions in Alberta.

We do our best to place clients with age-appropriate, gender-appropriate sober coaches and sober companions at all times. Input and suggestions by concerned family members are always taken into consideration.

What is a Positive Result of an Intervention?

A positive result of an intervention is one where no matter how reactionary the addicted individual is, the result is the acceptance of getting treatment. The ultimate goal of an intervention is always the acceptance of a problem and the agreeance to get treatment. The intervention is the first step to getting sober, getting treatment is the first step to long-term recovery. 

If you are looking to plan an intervention for your loved one in Alberta, contact Andy Bhatti Interventions and Addiction Services. Our intervention services save lives. 

Call us today and let us help you set up a treatment plan that has succeeded as the long-term goal, for someone you care for.

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An intervention is not about how to control the substance user; it is about how to let go of believing you can. Our professional addiction therapists and interventionists work closely with families to reach a successful intervention. Our interventionists work all over Alberta. 

FOR IMMEDIATE HELP – CALL US NOW AT 1-888-963-9116