If a loved one is abusing substances then there may come a time when you need to stage a family intervention. Staging a family intervention must be done strategically. If you don't do it carefully, it may be unsuccessful. If you have been feeling anxious about an upcoming intervention, then here's a look at the things you need to bear in mind to make it successful.

Stay Positive

When you decide to stage a family intervention one of the main things you need to do is to try to stay as positive as possible. You need to make your loved one understands that an intervention is not an accusation but rather it is an act of love.

After all, the reason why you are staging the intervention is that you are concerned about your loved one and are afraid that they will do irreparable harm to themselves. This means that blaming and shaming should not be a part of your intervention at all.

Meet Beforehand

Before you stage an intervention you should make sure that you gather all your facts. To ensure that you are well prepared you should have a meeting before the actual intervention. This meeting should include all the people who will be at the intervention including the counselor. 

At this meeting, you can decide how you will approach your loved one about your concerns. Everyone must agree about how the intervention will be staged and what will be said and what will not be said. Having a trained counselor listen will give guidance about how to stage an intervention and make it successful.

Outside Help

As mentioned before, a trained counselor can be very helpful. However, this counselor should not just be at the meeting before the intervention, they should also be at the intervention.

When you're staging a family intervention for substance abuse one of the best things you can do is to get a neutral observer. A trained counselor will have to mediate the intervention and ensure that it stays on track. Staying on track is the best way to have a positive outcome.

When a loved one is abusing substances it can hurt the entire family. These negative impacts can have far-reaching effects. Once it becomes unbearable it is usually time to stage an intervention to put your loved one on a better path and also to save their relationship with their family. The key to a successful intervention is planning carefully and having professional assistance as well.

If you have a loved one that is struggling with substance abuse, be sure to speak with some family intervention specialists liek Accountable Actions - Kathy McKnight.