The Intervention Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like an intervention, you are never alone.  Countless others have faced the exact same situation, whether as a participant or as the focus of the intervention, and have survived and thrived.  The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge.  

TSC has scoured the Internet and assembled links to the very best intervention resources: articles, blogs, forums and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of physical, emotional and other challenges that you face.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this Intervention Guide even more helpful to survivors like you.   

JUST FOUND OUT 

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Intervention

• Intervention: Presenting Reality in a Receivable Way
• Intervention Center: Helping People Accept Help
  
• Drug Interventions: Get Free Advice From a Real Interventionist

The Big Picture

Drug and substance abuse problems and addiction can affect people from every walk of life. It is important to know that you are not alone and that you can take action and get help for your loved ones with a problem.

To learn more about finding help and support groups:

Drug Free: Get Help for Drug Problems

Your Intervention

To better understand what an intervention is and how it works, use this link:

Interventions Helpline:  What are The Different Types of Interventions?

Your World

After facing a diagnosis of addiction, find out what addiction means:

Shes In Recovery: Addiction - An Attempt at Definition

Steps to help a family deal with an addict:

Mark Houston Recovery: Permanent Sobriety and A Life of Abundance

Intervention Myths

• Interventions don’t work
• Addicts don’t need an intervention, just willpower
• Addiction isn’t a disease

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors

• National Institute on Drug Abuse: Drug Addiction Treatment in the United States
  
• The University of Utah: Addiction Treatments Past and Present
• Intervention Central: Your Site for Response to Intervention Resources

Types of Treatment

Medical Detoxification

Under medical supervision, the body is allowed to rid itself of drugs and toxins.

Drug Free: Types of Treatment

Inpatient, Outpatient, and Partial Hospitalization Treatment

Outpatient treatment happens at a hospital or a treatment facility and individual and group therapy, couples or family therapy, education about the nature of addiction, medications when indicated, and 12-step programs.

Therapist Unlimited: Partial Hospitalization Treatment - Outpatient Treatment

Twelve Step and Self-Help Groups

Along with people with similar needs and problems, the addict is helped to understand their detrimental behavior and how to change it.

Focus Adolescent Services: Self-help and Support Group

Possible Treatment Side Effects

Intervention is the first step on the road to treatment. Interventions can backfire and addicts may refuse to get the help they need. Treatments that include the use of medical drugs, like methadone can also backfire, leading to new addictions.

Drugs.com: Methadone Information

New Therapies

Constant research is always being done in the field of addiction treatment.

Drugs.com: Methadone

Holistic Treatments

Holistic treatments for addiction can be found at some treatment centers. They focus on the physiological, emotional and spiritual needs of the addict.

Laguna Recovery: Intervention

Creating a support circle

• Set up your TSC Survivor Profile
• Join support groups of other survivors or set up your own
• Interact and provide updates on your profile or our forums

Insurance & Work Matters

Insurance Matters

Finding insurance for addicts can be difficult. This article can help advise you:

PBS: Policy - Legislating Insurance Parity

Work Matters

It is possible to be a “workaholic.” For help on this problem, visit:

Medicine.net: Workaholism - The 'Respectable' Addiction

Health-care Providers Who Can Help

Physicians that specialize in Addiction Medicine are the ones that generally treat intervention. Pediatricians that specialize in these areas are also available for treating children with intervention. Health care coverage plans will refer you to these professionals for a consultation. After the consultation, a team of professionals will get involved in your treatment that includes other physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers and nutritionists who will all assist in different ways to assist in your recovery.

For a list of types of physicians and what they can do for you, follow this link:

Wrong Diagnosis: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Resources to Find Doctors

Choosing and Communicating with a Intervention Specialist: A & E - Intervention Interventionists

Search Intervention Centers:  A & E - Intervention Treatment

The Emotional Roller-coaster

Going through an intervention is a difficult process for both the friends and family as well as the addict. To help you have a successful intervention, find a qualified interventionist to help you through the process. An interventionist can help families identify who should be included in the intervention, develop education and treatment plans, develop an intervention plan and schedule, and then execute the plans.

Books Survivors Recommend

• Addict In The Family: Stories of Loss, Hope, and Recovery
• Intervention: How to Help Someone Who Doesn't Want Help
  
• Love First: A Family's Guide to Intervention
  
• When Enough is Enough: A Comprehensive Guide to Successful Intervention
  

What Survivors Wish They’d Known

Communicating with Your Health-care providers

• Bring a friend or family member with you to your appointments not only to provide support but to lend an extra ear to understand everything your health-care provider has to say and to think up any more questions you may not realize are important at the time.
• Don't be afraid to ask any questions you feel you need the answer to, even if you may be scared of the answer. Ignorance won't help you fight this disease - emotionally or physically.
• Write down any questions you may have ahead of time and the answers to those questions as your health-care provider walks you through them.  Don't be afraid to ask for clarification on anything.

Dealing with Intervention: Information and Recommended Links for Co-Survivors

How you can help

• Get connected with others who have been through an intervention
• Share your own story of intervention
• Be there and listen to their thoughts and feelings

What to say   

• "I will support your decision however you decide to get help”
• "It’s not your fault”
• “You can talk to me about it anytime”

What not to say

• "How could you let this happen?"
• "Interventions don’t work”
• "Why would you want to talk about it?"

Things you can do for a survivor every day

Be available to them when they need you. Help them make a list of their thoughts to help with the process.

How to build a support network

• Set up your TSC Co-Survivor Profile
• Create a support group for your friend or family member.
• Interact and provide updates

When you are dealing with an addict, don’t give up hope that they can’t get the help and treatment they need. An intervention is just a gentle push to help get them motivated.

Remission / Recovery / Recurrence

Emotionally dealing with recovery is also important:

Partnership for a Drug-Free America: Recovery - How To Cope With Life After Treatment

For an incredible story of a intervention survivor and the feelings he experienced during treatment and after recovery, take a look at:

Intervention: Intervention Success  

Give back

What helped you while you were dealing with the addiction diagnosis, undergoing treatment and realized you had recovered? Take a look back at your journey and share with other what helped you and what you wished you would have known/done during your intervention experience. You can create a profile, reach out to other survivors, join support circles or share your story by following the links at TheSurvivorsClub.org. Check out some of the best charities for supporting intervention research or offering support to survivors:

National Intervention Referral

If the intervention and treatment fails, it is important to understand that it was not your fault.

Drug Interventions: Drug and Alcohol Abuse Intervention