Television and movies have long portrayed the interventions of family and friends of a person with alcoholism or drug addiction. They trick them into getting help, or at the very least, force them to agree to get treatment. Then they all live happily ever after.
While these scenarios may not be realistic in their depiction, rare is the person with substance abuse who realizes on their own that their addiction is impacting their life and the lives of others. Thus, concerned friends and family members still stage interventions to encourage treatment for their loved one. What if you are the target of their intervention?
Prepare an Exit Strategy if It’s Overwhelming
No one likes to be given unsolicited advice. No one likes to be told what to do. Certainly, no one wants to be approached by one or more loved ones seeking to give unwanted life advice. Sometimes a realized intervention can be overwhelming, so think of ways to calm your mind, like looking within as you take deep breaths and finding yourself in the present moment. You can also exit the room and ask to return when you are calm.
Sometimes, the best escape from a perceived danger is to go straight through it. It may benefit you to stay and listen to what all gathered have to say. Your loved ones are trying to reach you out of love and support. Rather than thinking through an escape plan, try remaining calm with deep breaths, and continue to communicate your feelings if things get to be too much too fast.
Listen and Learn
All those gathered at an intervention are in your life because they love you. Your loved ones do not intend to harm you or be a threat to you. Instead, they want to help you through something they see you struggling with. You may be surprised by their honesty and affection for you. Again, if this gets overwhelming, it’s okay to communicate that you need space. They want to be happy with you, so listen.
Also, learn. Find out as much as you can about what they are saying and why. You may find out more about yourself in thirty minutes of truly listening to your loved ones than you could in hours of meditating on substances. Your loved ones believe in you and want to see you as the strongest version of yourself. They see in you the good, the hope, and the strength that substance use tends to obfuscate. So listen and learn.
Trust Those Who Love You
This situation is not like a movie where the helpless protagonist trusts the shady character, and terror ensues. These people confronting your changing behavior are friends, family, co-workers, and others who love you and want the best for you. It’s okay to need help and place your trust in people who love you. Though the brain does change when faced with addiction, others’ love and hope in you is proven in an intervention. You’re allowed to trust them.
Listen to Your Inner Voice
Apart from the sounds of love and concern on the outside, and the powerful pull of those internal voices telling you to just drink or use one more time, there is a tiny little voice inside you that always knows your truth: that you are worth more than your addiction. At the end of the day, the substances don’t care what happens to you or the state your life is in. They are only focused on your addiction.
Recognizing the cycle of addiction and how it’s affecting your life can help that voice of reason shine through and show you how strong you really are. Ask your family to write down these truths they see in you, so you can read it in your read and let those positive thoughts from your loved ones resonate. Sometimes, it is the quietest of voices that offer the most truth.
Treatment Can Be Your Refuge
If you decide with your family that treatment is the best option for you, you are already taking great steps to help yourself. Enroll in a treatment program. There is no shame in seeking treatment, and being surrounded by professionals, as well as those with shared experience, can be very helpful as you recover. Go, do everything you are asked. Get sober. Do the work. Work the steps. Dig deep and go all out in therapy. When you’re out in recovery, your loved ones can help you monitor your progress and continue to provide those words of affirmation and love to get you through.
Being the target of an intervention is not fun for anyone involved. You can benefit from an intervention by remaining in the present moment and actively communicating your feelings as you respond to your loved ones. By listening and trusting those who love you, you will learn more about both yourself and the belief that they have in you. Your inner voice can be your key to escaping an intervention. Treatment at Rancho Milagro Recovery can be your ultimate plan for refuge from addiction. Not only do we have a beautiful working ranch setting, but we also have rescue animals to provide quiet solace as you work through your escape from substance abuse. Pick up the phone and dial (951) 526-4582 so that our kind and caring staff can talk to you about making a plan to change your life. Our family-owned facility understands the love of families and the healing that can come from your escape plan.