Nationwide family intervention services, intervention service, drug and alcohol interventions and drug treatment referrals

More Than Hope - Intervention Redefined.

Family Intervention Services Introduction

A family intervention brought me here, and now I help families like yours. I got my own life back after my mom hired a professional interventionist and I completed a truly effective treatment program. At the time, I had a Meth lab in a bong factory! I never would have made it into treatment on my own, it’s that simple.

The interventionist gave my mother a framework in which she was able to compartmentalize her interactions with me, giving her a sense of order and a much clearer perspective. It helped her do what she knew she needed to do all along, but without the guilt! I had no idea this was taking place while they reeled me in with tactics they had come up with on day one. And, even though I cried bloody murder at the time (God only knows what I was holding onto so tightly), and in spite of the fact that it took two weeks for my much-anticipated arrival at treatment, my only regret is that they didn’t do it sooner!

Family Intervention Services: A Summary

Your family intervention will be a custom process from beginning to end. Initially, we get to know the players, taking in each persons opinions and viewpoints, and mapping out with them what their role may be. we always like to be educating, sharing stories to illustrate how a family intervention is a larger framework than most realize. Once everyone agrees on basic tactics, we walk through various ways to pull off meetings and introductions, changing things as needed.

We create contingency plans as well; There will be a plan in case of a crisis, and a plan in case of a blow. There will be a plan for a case of hostility if needed, and a plan if they agree to go. This helps keep people from panicking or moving too far off script if something happens. Having multiple escape-routes eases fears and builds confidence - a rare commodity at the outset, but something you will have in spades as things begin to move along.

Family Intervention; Each Has A Journey.

We talk to family members individually, and help them create something that makes sense in terms of how they relate to the addict, defining what they will, and won’t, be a part of. 99% of intervention success is the direct result of working with relationships and has had little, if anything, to do with drugs or alcohol. These, sometimes drastic changes, become the basis for creating balanced, manageable tactics, and permanent solutions.

We will be there to help you to find the courage and clarity to see your plans through, day by day. We keep everything compartmentalized and in arranged in steps. There are no two-hour arguments with the addict about the merits of rehab, or drawn out debates.

One thing we will accomplish is to get your life back from the jaws of the addiction. This will happen if you are willing to let us teach you a balancing act that can free you from the talons of any addiction, permanently. It’s all in how you use it.
The will allow everyone a simpler viewpoint. You will be more able to offer the help you want to put out there as a loved one, without losing more than you already have.

Successful Family Intervention Strategy

The real intervention prize we’re after is a chance at normalcy for your loved one… But keep in mind, “You can’t win if you don’t play.”

Getting started is arguably the most common sticking point for families. People roll the word, “intervention” around on their tongues as their eyes glaze over and they conjure images of explosions and family members horribly estranged… so, they spit it back out.

There is a common stigma attached to the subject of family intervention, which seems to - most commonly - suggest a risky, family ambush which leads to a meeting where ultimatums are “lovingly” delivered. The addict is pressed to provide a confession, and somewhere during all of this will agree to go to treatment…or not.

The Intervention Stigma

After years of listening to what others, “already know,” about family intervention services, the following are FICTIONAL examples of things considered to be commonplace during a family intervention.

As you read, keep in mind that these are fictional examples of what a family intervention should neither become, nor ever include, presented as a story.

Any family, any town, USA…

“…so this guy my mom hired came and said he could help us, he even showed us his medal for being an addict. He had us write letters about how we felt toward John, about how his behavior is negatively effecting each of us…then, we all read and approved each others letters, thinking how right to the point it all was and how relieved we’d be if we didn’t get bludgeoned with one of John’s crises first.

Imagining the meeting, I had a fleeting twinge of anticipation softly twisting in my stomach as I ran the scenario over in my head; We’d read our letters and try to get him to say ‘yes,’ if we could… It never played out very well in my mind. We grew restless as the meeting time approached. I had a very sudden, very intense desire to start running down the stairs and to get as far away as possible. I can’t help thinking that everyone else felt it as well, if only for a second. But we stayed together and agreed that we all just wanted to get it over with.

Eventually, John came home. As he walked in, we watched him take in the scene in a sort of surreal, slow motion - the six of us sitting around the living room, holding handwritten letters and all looking at him in a dead, unnatural silence. I realized that John must know what we were doing. Hell, I would. I started to panic. But much to my relief, and to our collective surprise, he came in, sat down, and listened as we awkwardly launched into the reading of the letters. Everything went smoothly for about ten minutes, through Bills letter. At that point, John said something about how Bill was getting pain medication from some mutual friend at work and how if Bill would go, then he’d go. My mom’s eyes opened in shock at this news…Bill what? Then it started. Volleys of defensive postures and offensive insults surged through the air between the boys; skeletons that made us glad to be in a house with thick walls were laid out and picked through, any morsels of blame hurriedly launched...Dad seemed to be inching toward the doorway and mom was now tearing, eyes open wide, staring into just-what-she’d-feared-would-happen. I just hoped she’d stay quiet now. In the midst of this flurry however, some of us did manage to make it known to John that we were cutting off all of his support. We even managed a sorry attempt at delivering this crushing news “lovingly,” as we were instructed to do.

So there we were, hammering away at these ultimatums, these love-coated coffin nails. My turn to read came and I made myself say to him – to he who had very recently sold my great grandfathers violin for $15 to buy drugs – to the guy I had blamed for our parents divorce just moments earlier, how much I love and miss him. At that point I just prayed he wouldn’t go postal on us. He wasn’t violent really, but he could cause damage.

The meeting went south completely, ending in embarrassment and frustration. He blew and we couldn’t find him for days. The intervention guy left. He said he’ll call and keep working with us, but…”

This is an exaggerated, albeit fairly accurate example, of common fears about family intervention services. It leans toward an intervention worst-case, to make a point. These commonly held ideas have been a bane to us professionally, since they would never exist in any family intervention.

Family Intervention Service Rules

In a family intervention, there is an objective which requires every bit of attention; the agreement and immediate admittance of the addict to the treatment center. At the end of the day, it is enough, and difficult enough as it is. Discussions which may crush, humiliate, shame, or otherwise lock up our communication with the addict are therefore avoided…

Never confront the addict, or allow for it. No subject warrants giving them traction (a good reason) to become stuck.
Do not talk about the problem, nor expound upon a list of their wreckage, unless the goal is an emotional payoff for the person delivering it.
It is a mystery that books and professionals tout such punitive methods. They probably spend a good deal of time dealing with the reactions and withdrawal that embarrassing or volatile subjects cause in the first place.
In any case, every meeting or dialogue we plan for is completely solutions oriented, with no mention of drugs or collateral damage. This way, even sensitive messages can be delivered effectively and without harm.
Any marked or prolonged hostility effectively ends whatever step is happening at the time. Hostility is never productive.
Do not attempt to get them to admit to their problem.
It is not necessary for them to tell the family that they are ‘ready to get help,’ as a prerequisite to get help.
It is ludicrous to attempt to get the addict to say these sorts of things, in light of how difficult the job already is, and the fact that very little of what an addict says is true anyway. Confessions and an appreciation for any help given are great milestones to look for as the addict gets well, but have no place in an intervention. If you can get them into treatment successfully, whether they admit to having a problem or not becomes immaterial.
No psychiatric evaluations.

Currently or recently practicing addicts get misdiagnosed as manic or bi-polar all too often, and are prescribed a lifetime of neurological drugs. We encourage clean time measured in months before anything like a chemical imbalance would be considered a noteworthy conclusion. Any treatment center worth it’s salt will make good use of this time, helping the addict to clean up his past transgressions, in an effort to bring him back to balance in a healthy way.

Starting a Family Intervention

Starting is as simple as a phone call, perhaps when the reasons to delay seem thin when compared to the reasons to dig in and unravel the mass of crises, tension, deceit, and constant loss that has entangled your family, and which is slowly bleeding the life out of someone you care about. Once we get our footing, you may wonder why you waited at all.

Family Intervention On Your Own

Planning an intervention on your own?
Please consider, the only family intervention that should be attempted without guidance is where you are 85-90% sure of success. Otherwise you are wasting cards! I’ve cleaned up more than a few “post-intervention” messes and I dread what is in store when I hear people planning their own, maiden voyage of what takes professionals years to master. Not only can things become horribly ugly and confused, but making the journey back, and then to turn it into a trip to rehab is difficult at best. I have been lucky with the ones I have been hired to fix, but without experienced help you may as well go back to the kidnap-and-drive-them-unconscious-to-Mexico idea.

An addicts family are the last people who should plan a family to be blunt. There are just too many hot spots, risks, emotional potholes, resentments, conflicts, etc., which will not let objectivity stay.

I would have had my family for lunch if they came to me on their own. I did in fact, several times come to think of it. That would drive everyone to utter insanity, as it often did. I certainly had plenty to go around. Submit? Ha! Surrender? NEVER!

It would riddle my mother with guilt, and enough fear to give her serious reason to pause, if tempted to broach the subject of treatment with me again.

My point is that saving a couple of grand with a good possibility of making the situation worse is no bargain. It may even cost you. Do yourself, and the person you are trying to help a favor, and hire an experienced family intervention professional. They’ll thank you for it later.

Intervention Services; Time Frames

For some reason, people think that a family intervention has to take place in two days. I have no idea why. They certainly can, and do take two days sometimes, but a longer intervention that succeeds is an equal success. We suggest hoping for two days but plan for a week. They usually finish up somewhere in between.

Intervention Services and Treatment

Many interventionists adhere to one treatment philosophy, usually their own. Recovered addicts can be immoveable when it comes to working with different program philosophies. We support what will work for the individual. We have had success with AA, but there are options that have as good or better success rates. We work with Holistic and Cognitive Therapy programs as well.

Family Intervention Service; Our Mission.

“We are a handful of addicts who live and breathe each intervention as if it was for us.”

We know what it takes to get the job done. Call today and start your own success story. Why wait?

Family Intervention Services Hotline
(800) 880-0330

References are always available upon request.
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