One of the most common questions asked is “how do we go about doing an intervention”? The answer is to start with consulting a professional intervention counselor who specializes in drug and alcohol addiction. Most of the time Family First Intervention tries to arrange a conference call with the family for an initial phone 
consultation so the family can decide on if and when they would like to have a professional come to their home to do the intervention. One of the most difficult parts of arranging intervention is when you only have the opportunity to talk to one or two family members and there are several other decision makers behind the scenes. The goal of arranging the intervention is to get everybody on the same page with how to help the substance abuser and change family roles. Family First Intervention, Inc. knows that the entire family wants to help, it is just a matter of showing the family how. In the initial stages of arranging the intervention it is important to have all of the key family members on board. An intervention without the primary enablers may get the substance abuser to go to treatment, however it does not allow the family to change its enabling behaviors that makes the addiction more comfortable for the addict or alcoholic. It is important to remember that although arranging intervention is for the substance abuser to accept help, it is just as important that the family receive help also. This is why when arranging intervention we get most of the family on board. Leaving out key family players in the intervention can leave stones unturned and could lead to an unsuccessful outcome.
Staging an Alcohol Drug Intervention
When families call about staging an alcohol drug intervention initially, I almost always tell them that now is a good time. If the family is researching to arrange drug intervention or alcohol intervention, than something in the family system or the substance abusers life is probably off track. The most common ways to determine if you are at the stage of arranging intervention could be:
1. The family starts realizing the addiction is affecting them and the behaviors of their loved one is getting much worse even though the substance abuser has made several promises to change. Sick and tired of being sick and tired although afraid to do something for fear of making your loved on mad.
2. Realizing that the promises of the substance abuser to change are false and it appears that there is no end in sight to the cycle of insanity you the family are living in. Your hope is not turning into reality any time soon but yet you convince yourself there is nothing you can do because they won’t want help.
3. The substance abuser is only suggesting to do as little as possible to change such as detox only, Suboxone, Methadone, local programs, or just going to meetings; none of this will work.
4. The family is being affected to the point that it is becoming difficult for them to continue performing their normal activities and remain happy while being dragged down by the constant problems of the addict or alcoholic.
5. When the family has realized that everybody else is taking accountability for the substance abusers problems making it difficult for the addict or alcoholic to want to to change themselves.
6. Thinking that they have to hit bottom or want to change in order for things to get better. This is the biggest myth ever especially when you talk to the family and realize almost everything they are doing is preventing the addict or alcoholic from hitting bottom or ever wanting help.
7. When your sick and tired of having your joy constantly stolen by your loved ones addiction and you realize that you can’t live like this anymore.
Although these can be extreme examples, the bottom line is that when the substance abuser has made their problems everybody elses problems and they do not have a problem to fix, they probably won’t make any attempt to change because they are too comfortable. This is when families should look to arrange a drug intervention or alcohol intervention. Waiting for them to hit bottom could end in them going to jail, an institution, or death. Besides, in almost every call we get we discover that most substance abusers do not have to change because they have made everybody else accountable for the addiction and the problems that come with it. If you are making the addiction easy in any way for your loved one than it is time to arrange an alcohol or drug intervention. If you are not making it easy for them than it is important to show them love and attention and offer them help with a alcohol & drug intervention counselor. Most substance abusers have low self esteem and embrace the attention an intervention has to offer.