Four types of intervention

There are four types of intervention - Simple Intervention, Crisis Intervention, Classical Intervention and Family System Intervention.

Simple Intervention

This is the most common first intervention, although it can amazingly be ignored by many family members and friends as being effective. If someone in your life is drinking or abusing drugs, simply ask them to stop. Sometimes that is enough to make the addict stop their behavior or seek help.

Unfortunately, because of so much fear surrounding addiction, this simple step is overlooked and not done because the people around the addict feel it won’t make a difference. It may not. But it’s always worth a try. And if done in the beginning stages of addiction, it can have a better affect on the addict than later on when their addiction becomes too advanced.

Crisis Intervention

When a person is in immediate danger of hurting themselves, either through drinking and driving, using a weapon or displaying violent behavior, Crisis Intervention is called for. You will often see this type of intervention in a hospital after the addict has had a car accident, or has been in a fight that was violent or one where a weapon was used.

The goal of this type of intervention is to defuse the situation and keep not only the addict safe but those around him or her safe. Because the situation is so volatile and the behavior is so out of control, it also creates an opportunity to “open the eyes” of the addict and urge them to seek help. While some people might feel that trying to intervene during the middle of a crisis is cold or harsh, it does represent a great opportunity to reach the addict whose behavior is out of control.

Classical Intervention

The Classical Intervention, which is also called The Johnson's Approach, is the most common form of family intervention and has been successfully used as an intervention method for over thirty years.

The goal in classical intervention is to get the addict to treatment as soon as possible. If you are able to leave the intervention and go straight to treatment, you've succeeded. Letting any time lapse gives the addict time to think about why they shouldn't go into treatment.

Planning for the intervention should happen the day before and all people who will be attending the actual intervention should be present during the planning stage. It's important for the family and friends who will participate to know how the intervention will work, how the counselor will help the participants and the addict facilitate the intervention, and for the participants to voice any concerns they have.

With classical intervention, a meeting will also be scheduled the day after the intervention to help educate the family in ways to adjust while the addict is in treatment and for when the addict comes out of treatment. Many substance-abuse treatment facilities already have classical intervention programs in place and can help in setting up an intervention as well as educating the family. It is important that everyone understands that life after addiction will change for everyone, not just the recovering addict.

Family System Intervention

In many ways a Family System Intervention is like the classical intervention in that education for all parties is key. Family system intervention focuses on the family, not just the addict. Many times the way the people around an addict interact with him or her affects the addict's ability to make changes for the better. While family members may not mean to contribute to an addict's destructive behavior, fear and guilt sometimes make it so.

For instance, giving the addict money for food when you know the addict will only go out and spend it on drugs or alcohol is enabling the addict. It can sometimes be hard for a family member or friends to see their loved one struggling with their addiction. But it is necessary for all the people involved with the addict to know how their individual behavior influences the addict.

For this reason, the actual intervention with the addict is only one small part of family system intervention. This type of intervention is really an intervention for the entire family. Because this involves more than just the addict, sometimes the addict is invited to be a part of the entire process right from the beginning.

Whether or not the addict decides to go into treatment, the family's participation in this type of intervention is ongoing. It does not stop just because the addict decides not to go into treatment. The focus of family education regarding guilt, shame, enabling and behaviors that help provoke the addict are addressed and a recovery plan is then put in place. This helps give the family the tools they need to cope with ongoing addiction if the addict chooses not to get help.

Every family situation is different. The size of families or the amount of support that one can hope to get for the addict is different. But even a small group of family members and friends can be a strong influence to help the addict seek treatment. The important thing is to make the effort to intervene and educate yourself in how you can help the addict stop their behavior. The rest is up to the addict.