It’s never easy to see a friend or loved one struggle. If your concern for someone now requires a last-ditch intervention effort, the approach is always worth taking. After all, very few people curate an intervention for a friend or family member unless they genuinely feel it to be necessary.
That said, you may understand the need to help your loved one pause or come to terms with their bad habits or addiction. Yet understanding how to plan this caregiving effort is hardly easy to do. Only those trained in mental health support have any idea of how to address topics this fundamental.
Never fear, because in this post, we’ll give you some pointers to get started. Remember that there’s no perfect way to process this approach, but it’s necessary that the meeting happens. If you understand that, you can avoid placing the weight of the world on your shoulders regarding the final outcome.
With that in mind, please consider some of the following.
Be Very Clear & Specific About Problems & Goals
Contrary to common belief, an intervention isn’t necessarily about condemning the person struggling or to get out all of the bad energy surrounding the family or friendship group in an aggressive manner. It’s about reaching out with the hand of help. To do that well, you have to be very clear about the problems you’ve noticed and the goals you have for the meeting. Be specific, and never be theatrical or overdramatic. It will help you avoid unnecessary escalation, and show that this isn’t about vengeance, it’s about love and care. That said, you also have to be firm and not accept veiled defenses from the person you’re speaking to. It’s a hard balance to strike, but planning in advance will help.
Have A Treatment Path Already Outlined
It’s also important to be very clear about pathways to recovery that you might offer your friend or relative. Perhaps you’ve picked out the best rehab for alcohol and would love for them to attend. This way, you give actionable tips and even a completely controlled new path for them to walk towards. Which helps them feel as though a hugely positive outcome for this meeting could be enjoyed if they were only to grasp it. It’s about removing the friction between their current habits and recovery completely. As any good intervention is about making a difference and not only holding someone to account.
Offer Continued Support & Practical Guidance
An intervention should be the first step in a journey. It’s about showing you’re there for the person, and you wouldn’t have organized this meeting if you didn’t care. It can be hard for the intended recipient of the meeting to understand this to begin with, but over time they will certainly thank you for putting that together. It’s important to make this the first step in a journey of assistance, not the last word. It’s important to prepare yourself for that, because the process isn’t easy and it’s not always couched in gratitude. If you can accept this, then you’ll be in a better position to offer support in the first place.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to plan that intervention with the best intentions and planning. We wish you, and your loved one, the best of luck.
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