Tips For Staging An Intervention

The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships

It can be a very difficult experience when you realize that a family member or a close friend of yours needs an intervention staged for them - regardless of whether the intervention is necessary as a result of drugs, alcohol, or some other negative lifestyle choice - but if you do have to stage an intervention, it will be beneficial (and will make the experience more bearable) if you know you are approaching it in the right manner. Although you will come across advice that claims to know "the right way" to stage an intervention, you should also be aware that part of "the right way" is knowing the best approach for the person in question, by answering two specific questions about the person.

Alone or in a group: While a lot of "intervention advice" will tell you that you should approach an intervention by sitting the person down with a group of people with whom they are close, some people tend to feel like everyone is "ganging up on" them when this approach is taken. You need to make sure you know the person well enough to answer the question of whether you will have the best success by approaching them in a group or as an individual.

What will make them see: You will hear of plenty of "success stories" from several approaches to interventions, but in order to find the approach that will work best for your situation, you need to figure out exactly what will help the friend or family member in question to admit, "I have a problem." After you have figured out the right way to approach this person, make sure you avoid any accusatory undertones in your presentation; instead, show them the facts, and wait for them to realize - and admit - that they need help.

Of course, before you put your plan into action, you should also take some time to study, understanding the various techniques and approaches to use, and after you have completed your study, you will be ready to help the person you love get back on the right track at last.