by Pamela Gentry

Created on: May 15, 2009   Last Updated: May 27, 2009

When someone that you love reaches a point of no return with their drug or alcohol addiction, family intervention may be the only way to bring them back to a place of safety and sobriety.

Will this person who has become a slave to their addiction, appreciate it when this family intervention occurs? Not likely at first. However, true love must be tough love in situations such as these.

At what point should this loving family intervention occur? The answer to this question is not always an easy one because there are so many factors involved.

When family intervention is being discussed, a major factor to be considered is the age of the person who is dealing with the addiction. It is especially important that parents who have a child under the age of 18 take immediate control of the situation before the child turns into an adult, in the eyes of the law. Family intervention is the only responsible choice in helping a child who is struggling with a drug or alcohol problem.

Another way to determine if it has become time for a family intervention is to consider what types of drug(s) are being abused, and how often this is occurring. This is something that you may or may not know the answer to, as addiction is often something that is done in secret.

For instance, most people would consider an addiction to crack cocaine to be more serious than if a loved one is using marijuana on occasion, for example. Family intervention should occur when loved ones are in agreement with the seriousness of the substance being abused and its frequency. Nevertheless, remember that it is more likely that someone will try more addictive and destructive substances if they are experimenting with other gateway type drugs.

What exactly is implied by the term, family intervention? Family intervention could begin by simply speaking calmly and rationally to the loved one who needs help. Expressing genuine concern through heartfelt conversation is one way to begin. When your loved one becomes defensive and denies that they have a problem, it can often become more difficult for a true family intervention to occur.

Family intervention may also be expressed as family spending as much time as possible with their loved one who is struggling with an addiction. Some families may decide to keep their loved one on lockdown in their own home in hopes of getting the addiction under control.

However, when these measures have failed and family members are unable to help this person break free from a downward spiral, family intervention may mean sending their loved one to a treatment center where professionals can help the individual to detoxify their body and mind and help them to regain control of their life.

Choosing a path of sobriety can be a difficult task for those who have become enslaved by their own addictions. Where family intervention begins, a seed of hope is planted in the heart of the situation, which in time may blossom into a new and sober way of living for the individual who is battling with the challenging problem of substance abuse.

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