Interventions involve confronting an individual about disruptive behavior, with the goal of immediate treatment. They work best when planned and guided by a therapist, and may involve ultimatums from team members. In the past, it was believed that a person had to hit rock bottom before seeking help, but successful interventions have shown otherwise. It is not recommended to involve young children in interventions.
An intervention is a process in which friends, family, and/or co-workers confront an individual about disruptive behavior, with the end goal being the person who enters a treatment center immediately. While many interventions are staged due to significant addiction, some interventions may be undertaken to help a person with severe mental illness.
An intervention usually works best when it is carefully planned and guided by a therapist or a treatment center consultant. In this way, if the outcome of the operation is favourable, the person can leave immediately for treatment. Interventions by well-meaning friends of the self-defeating person may not work when there is no plan for the person to seek treatment immediately. Furthermore, the presence of a therapist trained in intervention techniques can help train people before the intervention to remain calm, even if the person being addressed is very upset.
The goal for an intervention team member is to calmly tell the person how their destructive behavior has affected the member personally. The team member can also point out specific incidents that suggest the need for treatment. In some cases, each team member can issue an ultimatum requiring the person’s consent to be treated or deny future contact.
A team member such as a leader may affect future employment for the individual seeking treatment. Parents or friends can make future contact conditional on treatment. These ultimatums are delivered in the kindest possible way, as an intervention can be a very emotional experience for the person in front of it. Sometimes, the counselor delivers an ultimatum explaining the members’ ultimatums, instead of having each person deliver their own ultimatum.
The concept of intervention is more recent. Particularly with regards to addiction, many believed that a person had to “hit rock bottom” before seeking help. Furthermore, many felt that a person would not benefit from a treatment until it was of their own free will. However, successful interventions have demonstrated that an individual addressed in this way may finally be willing to seek treatment. The next step after an intervention with a non-compliant person is bottoming out and loss of contact.
Interventions can be very intense and can cause violent or extremely upset reactions from the person being addressed. It is considered highly inadvisable to include young children in an intervention unless their input or presence can help convince the self-destructive person. Adolescents may be present, but parents should think carefully before allowing a child of any age to participate in an intervention.
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