California Interventions
The Biggest Mistakes Families Make When Planning a California Intervention
If you are faced with planning a California intervention for a loved one, you and your family are going through a difficult time. This is not the type of situation that you ever planned for, or expected to have to face. An intervention can be an effective way of getting a loved one to accept the help being offered and go to treatment, but only if families avoid the biggest mistakes they can make during this process.
1. Failing to have a Plan for Treatment in Advance
You’ll want to have a spot in a treatment facility arranged for your loved on so that if they agree to go for help that they can leave immediately from the intervention.
2. Making Requests of the Addict with Clear Consequences
Trying to persuade the addict to change their behavior is a strategy you and your family have likely used in the past, without success. Make sure that the person understands that they are free to refuse the help being offered, but that there will be firm consequences, such as no more financial support or covering for them with their employer, going forward.
3. Conducting the Intervention on their Own
An intervention is more effective when held under the direction of a professional because that person can keep the proceedings on track. Since the interventionist presents a caring, but professional, demeanor, they can ensure that the California intervention doesn’t get sidetracked by one or more family members becoming overemotional or your addicted loved one responding in anger.
4. Waiting Until your Loved One has hit “Rock Bottom”
There isn’t any advantage to waiting to act when you are dealing with someone with a substance abuse issue. They aren’t likely to seek treatment on their own. The longer you wait, the more difficult the disease becomes to treat.
The best time to get help for someone you love who is addicted is now. A California intervention can help them get into treatment and into a more positive lifestyle.
How Many People in California Need Intervention Help?
California has one of the lowest rates in the country of people needing but not receiving the treatment help they need. For example, just over 7% of people in the state aged 12 or older who are dependent on or abuse alcohol get some form of treatment, which is about 159,000. This means that there are well over 2 million more who need help and are not getting it.
Additionally, just under 12% of the people dependent on or abusing drugs (about 110,000 people) get into some type of program, while more than 915,000 need help but aren’t getting it. Properly using intervention methods can help reverse these statistics, along with continuing to make treatment more available to those who need it.
