Untrained individuals do not have the tools to successfully and objectively oversee a potentially emotionally volatile gathering of this nature. A professional interventionist is essential to having a life-changing and successful outcome.

How to Choose a Qualified Interventionist

Many people claim they can perform an intervention. Beware of their falsehoods. They will prey on your desperation and steal your money. A qualified interventionist can produce valid credentials, which include training certificates. The entire staff at A New Hope Recovery is credentialed.

In addition to having credentials, you want an interventionist to be caring, compassionate, ethical, and sensitive to everyone’s needs. They should also be supportive and have the innate quality of remaining calm in the eye of this storm.

When a Professional Intervention Is Needed

It’s helpful to understand what leads to an intervention. Relatives and friends usually don’t know how to help a person struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). Even worse, the individual may proclaim they neither want nor need help. Emotions run high, feelings are hurt, and confusion and anger follow. This futile cycle can sometimes last for years.

Most people are unaware of what SUD really looks like. They may have seen shows about it, but they don’t have first-hand knowledge. Why would they? Completely perplexed, they decide they need help to save their loved one. In all their research, they continually see one word: intervention. 

The Sooner, the Better

Replace “substance use disorder” with “malignant tumor.” Would you wait to treat the tumor? Getting a person struggling with SUD into treatment as soon as possible yields the best results for recovery. When you know that your loved one is defiant and resistant to change, an intervention is the solution.

Early intervention is key to leading those struggling to understand their predicament and the best way to find healing. You’ve no doubt experienced the walls built by your loved one. They’re strong walls that protect them from hearing and acknowledging the truth – that they need help. The sooner you arrange for an intervention, the more likely the walls won’t become permanent.

Accept That Addiction Is a Brain Disease

Addiction has been widely accepted in the medical community as a brain disease. It is not a personality flaw. Addiction has nothing to do with willpower or strength of character. Fault and shame should not be assigned to those who are struggling.

Without getting too technical, addiction results from how neurotransmitters in the brain process various substances. Simply put, when a person struggles with SUD, their brain neurotransmitters become re-wired. This causes intense cravings for drugs and alcohol, leading people to put substance use before anything else.

Understanding the Characteristics of an Addicted Brain

How do you reason with a diseased mind? You can’t. Logic and reason do not co-exist with addiction. A diseased mind is governed by its own set of rules and behaviors. The person can’t comprehend what you’re telling them. The more you plead with them to stop using, the more they’ll resist.

Someone struggling with addiction is deeply entrenched in addiction culture. They seek out others with the same struggles, which validates and strengthens their disease. In essence, they are in a perpetual feedback loop. While the person sinks deeper into their addiction and the culture, their life is in the balance. A professional intervention can save that life. 

What Is a Professional Intervention?

A New Hope Recovery describes its intervention process as being evidence-based: a four-step structured, loving, and life-saving clinical process that helps a person impaired by substances or mental health issues. Contrary to media depictions, it is not a global attack on the struggling person. It is an act of love and compassion meant to rescue the person from their perpetual self-destruction.

The process can be overwhelming for everyone. To prepare, A New Hope Recovery will gather information about the individual struggling and everyone who will be participating in the intervention.

What Is the Goal of a Professional Intervention?

The main goal of an intervention is to rescue the struggling person and have them begin treatment. The secondary goal is to offer the family a new and effective approach. This also provides relief. When emergency personnel is reached in life-and-death situations, there’s relief in knowing help is on the way. Dealing with a person who struggles with SUD is often a life-and-death situation.

It is important to understand that you and the interventionist share the same goals. A successful intervention is always the intended outcome. The ultimate goals are to unburden the family and get the struggling person into a treatment facility. From there, healing and recovery can begin.

Are you at your wits’ end trying to help your loved one overcome addiction? Calling A New Hope Recovery is the first and best step you can take to get help. Our staff is fully trained and credentialed. With decades of experience, we are experts at mapping out the path to treatment and recovery. When you call, we’ll thoroughly explain interventions and answer any questions you have. Within 48 hours, our team can mobilize and facilitate an intervention nationwide. We are here to help you save your loved one’s life and include you in every facet of the process. Call A New Hope Recovery at (407) 501-8490 to learn more about our intervention services. 

The post The Benefits of a Professional Intervention for Addiction appeared first on A New Hope Recovery Services.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Like many health conditions, help for mental illness takes professional diagnosis and treatment.” Attending a treatment program is the best path to successful recovery for many individuals. A New Hope Recovery offers family support services and intervention assistance to help families communicate effectively with loved ones who struggle with substance misuse.

Why Do Some People Fear Professional Help? 

Not everyone feels comfortable with the idea of getting help for SUD or other mental health disorders. A few reasons people avoid reaching out for professional help include:

• Fear of family members or others finding out about the substance misuse
• Embarrassment over perceived personal failings
• Not wanting to look weak 
• Fear of involuntary treatment, legal repercussions, or social judgment
• Distrust of authority figures
• Uncertainty about what happens during rehabilitation
• Ambivalence about treatment and sobriety
• Multi-generational substance misuse 

Individuals struggling with substance misuse might not know the many benefits of participating in a rehabilitation program. Fear, shame, embarrassment, or other negative emotions can lead them to avoid treatment. Social stigmas and self-stigmatization are also significant factors for many.

Social Stigmas and Self-Stigmatizing

Popular media and other sources show stereotypes of mental health disorders and SUD that can alienate people. Individuals who watch a television show or read a book that depicts characters with exaggerated symptoms or behaviors may feel like their own struggles with addictive behaviors do not match the stereotypes. Stigmas attached to these stereotypes make it easier to ignore the similarities. A loved one may not recognize that they have a problem because their symptoms do not match what they have seen in the media.

Self-stigmatization can also cause some people to avoid seeking help. According to Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders, “Self-stigma occurs when a person with mental or substance use disorder internalizes negative stereotypes and the public and structural stigma directed at these disorders.” Common self-stigmatizing thoughts include: 

• “I cannot be helped.”
• “I misuse substances because I am a bad person.”
• “I am a burden on my family.”
• “I cannot achieve and maintain sobriety.”
• “Treatment won’t work for me.”

A mental health professional can use therapeutic tools to dismantle self-stigma and irrational beliefs. 

The Healing Power of Treatment

Mental health professionals have years of experience to draw from when they collaborate with families and individuals during interventions, evaluations, and treatment. Evidence-based therapies can provide emotional support to people in recovery and give them a fresh perspective on their substance misuse. Professional care can empower people and provide them with essential tools that will help them heal from SUD.

Treatments can include a wide range of modalities and include integrative care. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “The best treatment programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient.” The mental health experts at A New Hope Recovery can provide families and their loved ones with referrals and details about local treatment programs that meet their needs.

Benefits of Seeking Professional Treatment 

Mental health professionals have the necessary knowledge to provide personalized care to people at all stages of recovery. The rehabilitation process is unique to each individual, and no two treatment plans look the same. Some of the benefits of professional care include:

• Access to a wide range of resources, including individual therapy, medical care, family support, and peer support
• A care team that will constantly expand their knowledge and apply new evidence-based treatments to give patients the best in addiction recovery science
• Flexible treatment plans that can be adapted to accommodate personal, religious, or cultural preferences
• Options for trauma-focused treatments and trauma-informed care

Rehabilitation programs decrease the risk of relapse and prepare individuals with SUD to maintain sobriety independently. People can learn to thrive and grow during rehabilitation and continuing care. Programs led by professionals in the mental health field also have complementary services that support families and encourage ongoing recovery. In addition, professionals can guide families through the intervention process.

Professional Help to Guide Interventions

Often, families do not want to rely on outsiders to convince their loved ones that they need professional care. Unfortunately, families that do not consult or collaborate with a professional rarely have positive outcomes. The best results usually involve intervention services like those provided by A New Hope Recovery. Our team can show families how to effectively communicate with their loved ones to help them overcome hesitancy and ambivalence regarding treatment. 

Some people do not trust rehabilitation programs or professionals in the mental health field because they have had negative experiences or have been misinformed about what treatment entails. A New Hope Recovery works with families to help people struggling with substance misuse accept their situation and attend rehabilitation. In most cases, interventions that take advantage of advice from professionals will have better outcomes, and family members can provide more effective support to their loved ones during treatment and recovery. Interventions can help people challenge stigmas and irrational beliefs that might be enabling maladaptive behaviors. Families can benefit from the experience and suggestions of professionals who can help them motivate their loved ones to get treatment. A New Hope Recovery ensures that individuals struggling with substance misuse have access to local recovery resources, referrals, and family support services. To learn more, contact our office today at (407) 501-8490.

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