The key to a successful substance abuse intervention is getting the whole family on the same page. If not everyone agrees with the intervention method or the family’s ideas to help combat the addiction, it will be much harder to form a collective support system. Having each other’s back and supporting the individual with substance problems is a vital aspect of the intervention. When everyone works together toward common goals, the family unit becomes a much more powerful team than its individual members would be on their own.

As we discuss the final two goals in this series, remember that the family as a whole needs to be working together to achieve these goals.

Goal 6: Formulating, Implementing, and Adhering to a Long-Term Recovery Plan

Recovery is notoriously difficult because the person struggling with addiction will inevitably find themselves drawn back to substance use. When this individual feels alone, without a solid plan or supportive family members to help them stick to that plan, staying sober and avoiding a relapse can be much more challenging. If they have a group of supportive family members rallying around them, however, the big picture remains in focus, and the temptation to use drugs doesn’t have to derail everything.

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Similarly, family members who have trouble with any aspects of the recovery process will do much better if they know they can rely on each other. Come up with ideas, solutions, and goals for several different time horizons. Think about:

• What needs to happen immediately to get the addicted person into recovery?
• What short-term goals are you aiming for within the first couple of weeks?
• Where would you like the family to be in the recovery process after a year or two has passed?
• What are some healthy, future-focused goals that everyone can align around?

Having a long-term plan that encourages everyone to stay on track is extremely helpful. However, what might be even more important than planning for when everything appears to be going well is preparing for what happens when Plan A fails.

The key is to develop clear, simple guidelines for what each family member should do when problematic scenarios strike.

What tasks need to be done?

Tasks may include anything from finding local meetings to simply showing up and spending time with the person battling substance issues until their negative feelings pass. The details of which solutions will be helpful in different scenarios will vary from family to family. Still, the important thing is that you have a specific plan laid out in advance. That way, no one needs to think quickly on their feet during a crisis; everyone acts according to the plan.

Who will be in charge of completing those tasks?

A specific person is responsible for driving the individual to emergency meetings. Perhaps someone else could handle setting up appointments, and another person could take care of getting groceries and handling any other chores that need to be done while the person is in acute crisis.

Again, it doesn’t matter who performs which tasks. It simply matters that everyone has an assignment to fall back on when something goes awry.

Who can each person turn to for emotional support during this time?

Do the family members lean on each other? Is there a trusted therapist or pastor who may be willing to take last-minute appointments in case of emergencies? Having the comfort of knowing who to call when things go wrong could be enough to prevent crises from happening in the first place. And when problems do occur, as they almost inevitably will, calling for support can prevent things from spiraling into the worst-case scenario.

Goal 7: Making Long-Term Recovery Happen

This step encompasses everything from the beginning of the intervention through the years that follow. Here, you put the various plans you made in step six into action.

Depending on where your family is in the process, you may be focused on certain steps such as:

• Learning practical tools to support long-term sobriety
• Encouraging your loved one to seek treatment
• Getting them started in treatment
• Helping to keep them in treatment and to stay engaged with the recovery process
• Eliminating triggers that could be harmful once your loved one returns home
• Bringing your loved one home
• Helping your loved one to remain focused on long-term recovery well after treatment ends

Clear Life Recovery Can Advise You About Substance Abuse Intervention

Staging an intervention and being present for the duration of recovery can be intimidating for family members who have never been through it before.

Clear Life Recovery can provide resources and information to help family members form a solid team and become a support network for each other for the years to come. Reach out to our experienced, compassionate team to get started.