New Mexico Interventions

Alcohol and Drug Interventions in New Mexico

New Mexico drug and alcohol interventions are an option for families seeking a way to get a loved one into treatment. If you have already tried other strategies to get them to change their behavior, you may be wondering whether this approach will work. An intervention can be very effective at getting someone with a substance abuse issue into treatment, and most people who are the subject of an intervention do agree to get help for their addiction.

No Waiting for an Addict to Hit “Rock Bottom”

One of the advantages of staging an intervention is that instead of waiting for an addict “hit rock bottom,” it “brings the bottom up.” When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol (or both), there is no advantage to waiting for the situation to worsen over time.

Instead, the family can take a stand and bring the matter to a head by choosing to have an intervention. This process allows each person in attendance to read a letter they have written to the addict. The letters state the ways they have been harmed by the addict’s behavior, ask the addict to go to treatment and then state very clearly the consequences if the addict refuses to get help.

Do New Mexico Drug and Alcohol Interventions Work?

An addicted person is more likely to go to treatment if they are the subject of an intervention. The outcome of drug and alcohol treatment increases tremendously if there is a sincere desire to commit to embracing a new, chemical-free lifestyle.

When an addict has a high level of support from their family and friends and a good quality treatment program, they are more likely to make the change to a life of long-term sobriety.

To make an intervention more effective, try these helpful tips:

• Schedule the intervention at a time when the addict is likely to be sober. You want to choose a time when they are most alert and able to take in what is being said by the family.

• Resist the urge to get angry or try to “shame” your loved one. The goal should be to help them see how the addiction has created harm for others. Draw a line between the person and the disease.

• Keep your points short. Read your letter out loud before the day of the intervention so you will feel comfortable with its language on the day of the discussion.

• Have a plan for your loved one’s treatment arranged before the intervention. You’ll want to have everything in place so that they can leave directly from the intervention if they accept help.

• If your loved one refuses to go to treatment, be firm in following through with your consequences. Unless they get help, there will not be any further physical, emotional or financial support. Treat the intervention as a last resort, and show your loved one that you will not back down once you have made your decision.