Top 5 Reasons why Interventions Fail

A successful intervention can lead a person you love toward a drug rehab treatment program that can help them improve their lives and bring happiness and relief to those around him. 

However, many interventions fail because families do not know how to lead a successful intervention.  Certain factors must be in place. They must be followed to the letter, so that the addict will agree to drug rehab.  Treatment may seem impossible if the addict isn’t willing to seek help.           

Vista Bay asked several interventionists and intake counselors from various drug rehab treatment programs about what makes interventions fail. Based on their input, we have compiled this list of the top 5 intervention setbacks:   

1. Failure to use a Professional. This may sound pitch for interventionists, but the plain fact is that most family members are not accustomed to confronting and addressing problems with each other. They may carry guilt from the past or bring up unresolved and unrelated issues. This can turn the entire situation into a screaming match which results in failure.  It’s no secret that unsupervised nterventions can get so ugly. The addict frequently ends up refusing help, swears off his family and jumps deeper into self-destruction. 

A good drug rehab program will have trained staff to facilitate an intervention. Or they can refer you to someone.  These individuals guide the intervention towards the ultimate goal: getting your loved one to a drug rehab treatment center. They bring an unbiased opinion to an emotional and difficult situation. They can see things far in advance and lead the way towards success.  

2. Wavering from the Determined Goal:  Ultimately, you want your loved one to check into a drug rehab.  Treatment is the only option if you are even considering an intervention. Do not lose focus on this goal once the intervention starts. Make sure that all involved are willing to do what it takes to make this happen.  Sometimes the addict will shift blame to other family members and try to take on the role of a victim.  “Guilt trips” like this are a very powerful manipulation tool for the addict, as there may be some truth or guilt connected to his statements. This can cause family members to start negotiating with the addict or doubting themselves. This will have disastrous effects on the success of the intervention. 

Regardless of what “dirty laundry” may come out, the addict is the one who needs help the most. Although everyone has problems in life, the addict is the one on whom you must all focus.  He may do or say terrible and hurtful things to get out of the intervention and back onto drugs. That cannot happen.

3. A Family Divided:  Involve all members of the family in the intervention planning. Make sure that everyone who will be attending agrees with the ultimate goal: getting the addict to a drug rehab treatment center. If one family member isn’t on board, he may secretly tell the addict about the intervention in advance or take sides with the addict. This weakens the argument for treatment and almost always ensures failure.  If the intervening family members are bitter towards each other, the addict can turn the entire meeting into a circus of finger-pointing in order to escape the situation. 

This must always be this ultimatum:  Drug Rehab Treatment or nothing.  This can be difficult for a mother who doesn’t want to “see her baby on the street” or a father who knows his son or daughter “can’t survive on their own”.  If the addict knows that the parents will cut him off but the grandparents will ALWAYS take him in no matter what, the leverage is lost.  If all family members have the same goal in mind and stick together, the better chance the intervention has of succeeding.  After all, the idea is to HELP the addict, right?  Enabling someone to continue their lifestyle of self-destruction is silently condoning the behavior.

4. Failure to have an Immediate Plan of Action.  Prior to the intervention, make sure you have a plan of action that will actually get your loved one to a drug rehab. Often the addict will agree to go to treatment “later” after he “takes care of a few things”.  Offer to take care of those things for him so that it is one less thing to worry about.  He may make excuses as to why he can’t go now; his job is too important or his school is almost done.  In fact, he may convince you that his considerations are valid and it can seem like there really is no way he can go. 

Don’t let that happen.  The odds are poor that the addict will actually make it to the drug rehab treatment center.  Have a plane ticket, a ride, and an escort ready to get him there within 24 hours after the intervention takes place.  You may be able to stretch this time to 48 hours at the VERY LATEST, but make sure the addict has close supervision the entire time.  

We spoke to several parents who were devastated after they allowed their child to put off treatment until some “important things” were taken care of, only to find their child had overdosed.  Not one of these parents felt that it was worth it to wait to get the addict into treatment and all of them regretted not doing whatever they could to get their child into the drug rehab.  Also, none foresaw the danger the addicts had created for themselves. 

5. Inadequate Research of Drug Rehab Treatment. There are many types of drug rehab treatments out there. You must do research to find out which one will best help the addict in your life.  Once you have made a decision, get in contact with the drug rehab treatment center. Tell them you want to stage an intervention. You can often get some great advice for free.  Have some of their literature on hand during the intervention, so the addict realizes that drug rehab is not prison, but simply a place to change your life. 

Every drug rehab program has rules, and rightly so.  Learn what they will allow and not allow.  For instance, some programs do not allow cigarette smoking.  If the addict smokes, this program would not be a good choice.  If the intervention is on the right track, having this information immediately available will help speed the process along.

Intervention can seem overwhelming and frightening.  However, it can work if the obstacles above are resolved and avoided.  There is hope in getting your loved one into a type of a drug rehab treatment program that changes their lives for the better. 

About the Author:
John Frank does research in the drug treatment field and has helped several individuals and families, including his own brother, find the right program and overcome addiction.