If you are thinking of coordinating an addiction intervention for a friend or loved one, chances are that you feel as though you have run out of all other options. You and other friends and family close to the person have probably gone through a lot emotionally in dealing with the person’s addiction and erratic behavior. There is no question that having a close friend or family member addicted to drugs or alcohol is incredibly difficult for everyone involved. Planning an intervention is something you might be doing as a final push to get the person to rehab. Before you do the intervention, it is important to plan it out and have an idea of how it is going to go down. Doing so will make sure that you have the best possible chance at getting the person to go to rehab.

When You Plan an Addiction Intervention, Ask Yourself Five Things

Whether you have a month to plan an addiction intervention or a day, you want to make sure you are prepared. Ask yourself the five “W”s:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why

Considered the five fundamental questions to solve any problem, they also work remarkably well for an addiction intervention.

1. Who will attend? The people who are at your intervention should be only the people who truly care about the well being of the addict and want to see them get help. Anyone who wants to come just to watch the drama unfold shouldn’t be there. It is as simple as that. You want everyone there to be genuine in their intentions and to be there to help steer the conversation in the right direction.
2. What is the intervention going to consist of? Once you have your group of people together, it is vital to come up with a plan. Know who is going to start the conversation, and who is going to play what role. Maybe you want to go around the room having each person say something, or maybe you just want one person to speak and the rest to be there for support. However you decide, make a plan and stick to it so that things are organized as can be on the day of the intervention.
3. When will you hold the intervention? Ideally, you would like the addicted person to be as sober as possible so that they can comprehend what is happening and react accordingly. If they are high as a kite or drunk they are more likely to storm out or not take things seriously. As they say, timing is everything.
4. Where will you have it? You want to make sure that you are in a space that is comfortable for everyone involved, including the addict. For example, if you bring them to your home, and you recently kicked them out, they may immediately see the addiction intervention as a threat and be on the defensive the minute they walk in. You want to avoid this so that they are as open as possible to getting help.
5. Think about why you are having this intervention. Has the concern been building over a period of time, or did something catastrophic happen to bring the addiction to light? Maybe it is a combination of both. Either way, make sure that you are clear in explaining your reasons to the addict so that they don’t try to minimize the problem. Addiction is serious and treatment is a necessity.

Once you have planned out your addiction intervention, the final part is making sure you have a potential treatment plan in place in case the addict agrees to seek treatment. In this best-case-scenario, you want to seize the moment and make sure to get them into a good rehab as soon as they agree to it. The longer you wait, the more time the addict will have to go out and get high or drunk, which can lead to devastating consequences. The faster you act, the better the outcome will be!