Interventionist

After 20 plus years in the mental health field and three years in the addiction/recovery space Dave Atherton sees the importance of family.

Similar to being told on an airplane to put the oxygen mask on before assisting someone else, it’s the family that comes first before assisting the loved one struggling with addiction.

By helping the family members first, educating them on personality traits of addiction, Dave helps lead the family to make sound, logical, and compassionate decisions. This increases the probability of successfully getting the loved one to treatment.

What is an intervention?
An intervention is a series of action steps that the family members/loved ones take to help encourage their loved one who is struggling with substance abuse issues to attend a treatment program. The intervention action steps should be facilitated by a professional.

What’s the purpose?
An intervention’s sole purpose is to help encourage the individual struggling with addiction and/or alcoholism to go to treatment.

It is in treatment where they will be provided with the opportunity to focus on themselves and gain the necessary tools to live a productive life free from the shackles of drugs and alcohol.

What does an intervention consist of?
When a family hires an interventionist, that family usually has no idea what to do or how to do it. There is an abundance of prep work that needs to be conducted by the interventionist before the offer is made to the loved one.

Some of that prep work is interviewing the family members, educating the family on the do’s and don’ts, and the rehearsal of everyone’s role in the offer.

Why hire a professional?
When we need a surgeon to repair a damaged internal organ we hire a surgeon who specializes in that specific area of expertise. When we need a plumber, mechanic, roofing, etc. we hire those that specialize in those given areas.

Drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental health issues require professionals as well.

Is there a guarantee the intervention will work.
There is never a 100% sure way to help the individual. Just like there is never a 100% sure way for a surgeon to fully repair an internal organ.

The idea is to hire someone who gives you the greatest probability of a successful outcome. Much of that success starts from the family setting aside their differences and frustrations for the greater good of their struggling loved one.

When do we know it’s time to let go and wash our hands of the situation?
We don’t know, but what we do know is that through love, compassion, and patience we will find a way to do what it takes. It takes what it takes to get a loved one to treatment.

The more we work together as a team and maintain the game plan, the more likely the loved one is to give treatment a chance. Most interventions fail because everyone involved gave up too soon.