Intervention, Plan B
A Refusal, What’s Next
An intervention properly planned and executed will result in the addict agreeing to get help. But you must accept the fact that ultimately the addict may refuse for some reason or other. This possible outcome needs to be talked about in advance so that the family as a group know that the direction to take for this is the proverbial – plan B.
Intervention Fail
If for whatever reason the intervention fails and the addict is still refusing to seek drug addiction help, you know that statistically, the issue will grow worse, not better before long, so what is the action to take by the family at this point? The family knows that the person is addicted and the addict has been confronted with the facts so whatever message the addict receives from the family at this point is crucial. By refusing to seek addiction treatment the addict is generally saying to the family “I want to continue to use drugs. I want to continue the family’s suffering. I want to control my own life.”
Two Approaches Toward Refusal
There is one of two stances you can take. One is that the family answers with every word and action taken; “I got what you’re saying. Now leave and don’t expect any money or support in any way unless you decide to get help,” then the addict is left to run his/her life which they generally do not have the ability to do, and before long you have a person who “decides” that treatment is the best thing and calls saying just that.
The other stance is the family sort of acts disappointed and carries on, as usual, then the addict gets the message that it is OK to continue with drugs and will put up even more resistance to intervention in the future having had the upper hand on the intervention team previously.
Obviously, there are certain risks involved with either approach and should be evaluated clearly beforehand. One thing is certain, as long as the addict continues to use, they risk the only one thing they have; their life.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that an addict needs to decide, for whatever reason, that they need help. Most “locked down” approaches fail because the addict did not agree to the recovery process. The only way an addict can usually fight against the addiction is when enough external pressure is applied to cause them to decide to quit. Many call this “the bottom”.
However, there can be many bottoms. Clearly, some are lower than others, but each can make a person quit drugs. It just depends on what happens when the person is there. The person will either have an intervention and go to treatment or will get through this situation and be back out using. In the final analysis, it is often the family who spots the incident and uses it to achieve treatment or misses and waits.
If you need help to find a drug addiction treatment center or would just like help for drug addiction please contact us for assistance. Our service is free and confidential. We help families find the right private rehabilitation center.
