Informal Intervention

An informal intervention can be as simple as having a one-on-one conversation with the person you care about, in which you ask questions or make observations about how their behavior has negatively affected their life and yours. Plan in advance about what you will be saying and mentally prepare yourself for the discussion. Be sure to pick a time and place when the addict is calm and sober. Informal interventions are a good way for a friend or co-worker to privately discuss their concerns with the addict without involving others. Don't expect miracles if your intervention doesn't seem to have worked. Each expression of concern chips away at denial, eventually leading to the point at which the addict is no longer able to ignore the truth.

Formal Intervention

A formal intervention involves a trained professional interventionist, acting as a facilitator and mediator, who assists with a structured, pre-planned conversation between the support group and the addicted person during the intervention.  This involves bringing together a group of people with the addict to explore how his or her addiction has affected all of their lives. The formal intervention is normally used when the person has repeatedly refused to get help.  The goal of a formal, direct intervention is to get the person to agree to get help (attend a treatment center program) immediately. Just promising to stop is not an acceptable outcome. Drug and alcohol addiction, in particular, are considered diseases, not a lack of personal character or strength of will on the part of the addicted individual. According to recent research, intervention is equally as successful in getting addicted individuals into and through a drug rehab, alcohol rehabilitation, eating disorder, mental health, or dual-diagnosis treatment center program as addicted individuals who voluntarily choose to seek help on their own.