It can be difficult watching someone you care about struggle with addiction. You want them to get better but may wrestle with how to go about bringing up the idea of treatment at a California rehab center. Or perhaps you have tried talking about it in the past and the person has gotten angry or defensive, leading you nowhere. Do not lose hope in their chance for recovery. Continue to show them how much you care and are concerned.
One option that many families find beneficial is holding an intervention. An intervention specialist can help you to set up a meeting with your loved one where you and a few close family members or friends express your concern and encourage the person to accept treatment at a drug and alcohol treatment center in California. Sometimes people are unaware or unwilling to acknowledge how their addiction is impacting not only their life, but the lives of others. An intervention can help to open their eyes to the reality of the situation.
A very important part of the intervention process is the intervention letter. Each person writes a personal letter that expresses how they much they care about the person and why they want to see them get help. Everyone’s letter will be different but follow the same general structure. After hearing what everyone has to say, the person then decides whether they are willing to accept the offer to go to treatment or not.
The intervention specialist will guide you through the process as it is very important that the meeting is well planned and structured. They will also guide you in creating your drug intervention letter so that everyone is presenting a uniform message. Here are some things to keep in mind as you begin writing your letter and deciding what to say:
Stay positive. Your loved one may already be feeling defensive once they realize they are in an intervention. You do not want them to feel attacked or criticized. Instead, you want to remain positive and supportive. Your letter should begin by focusing on how much the person means to you. Recall some of the good times that you have shared and some of your favorite qualities about them. Why are they special and important in your life? How have they made a difference in who you are?
Reflect on the good things and show them how much they are loved and how grateful you are to have them in your life. This will set the tone for the rest of the letter and start things off in a way that helps them to feel less defensive. Make sure that you are genuine and sincere.
Cite examples of how their substance use has made an impact. In this section it is important to stick to the facts. Give specific examples of how their alcoholism or drug use has affected their life, yours, and your relationship. For instance, you could mention that when you call to talk to them their speech is slurred or they don’t remember the conversation you had earlier. Or how they stumbled and fell at a school event or said something embarrassing because they were drunk.
Use personal examples of how it has impacted your own life rather than stories that you have heard from others. Each person will have their own situations to recount. Show how it affected not only them, but you as well, and even others. Giving concrete examples makes it more difficult for them to deny or discredit what you are saying.
Encourage them to accept the help being offered. Let them know that you care about them and want them to get treatment. Emphasize that you are there to support them and will stand by them on their journey. Tell them why it is important to you, such as you want them to be at your wedding, see their first grandchild, or just be a part of your life for many years to come. Make sure they know that you believe they can be successful in overcoming their addiction and now is their opportunity to make that choice to turn their life around.
In some cases you may also be asked to state consequences if they do not accept the offer for help. These are consequences that should be agreed upon by the whole group and that everyone is willing to uphold. An intervention specialist can guide you in determining appropriate consequences for your situation and role in the person’s life. Not every letter has consequences – some interventions address this after the person has been given the opportunity to agree to help.
Make sure that you have a plan in place for where they will go for treatment. Do your research ahead of time to find an available drug and alcohol rehab center and make arrangements. You don’t want to wait too long and give the person the chance to change their mind or come up with excuses to put things off. Once the intervention is over, the process should continue by the person attending rehab. Everyone may need to join together at this time to make sure their family is cared for in their absence and everything is being managed.
Chapters Capistrano, a drug and alcohol rehab center in San Clemente, Orange County, offers customized treatment plans tailored to your loved one’s individual needs. With onsite detox and flexible approaches to treatment, they will be supported along every step during their recovery. It is not too late to seek help and overcome addiction. Find out more about how Chapters Capistrano can help your loved one by calling 949-276-2886 today.
