This illness is treatable, but some individuals with a drug and alcohol addiction are reluctant to change. In these cases, finding a professional interventionist in NJ could persuade them to get life-changing care for their condition. Here at North Jersey Recovery Center, we help struggling individuals break free of addiction.

Sometimes, individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) feel that they are alone in their struggle. They may realize that they cannot control their substance abuse, but they don’t know how to reach out for help. Perhaps they are too ashamed and embarrassed to admit to their condition.

Others who deal with a drug and alcohol addiction cannot see or will not acknowledge how far their condition has progressed. Addiction is a chronic mental illness that severely impedes brain functioning. Whatever the case, staging a drug and alcohol intervention can prove to these people that their loved ones are willing, able, and ready to help them turn their lives around.

What are Alcohol and Drug Intervention Services?

Drug and alcohol intervention services revolve around an event carefully planned by family, friends, colleagues, co-workers, or other concerned people to approach a person about their addiction. These people lovingly yet firmly address the individual with a united front to insist on rehabilitation. Many people who have struggled with a drug and alcohol addiction and other mental illnesses have benefited from interventions and agreed to enter treatment programs.

Some families perform interventions without assistance, but drug addiction experts in New Jersey strongly encourage hiring a professional interventionist to help with planning and staging the intervention. The purpose of an interventionist in NJ, along with everywhere else, is to direct the struggling individual to take responsibility for his or her alcohol and drug addiction while accepting help.

What is the Role of an Interventionist?

The role of an interventionist is to mediate the discussion between the person who needs an intervention and the other attendees. Whether in New Jersey or in another state, holding interventions can be the difference between someone with a drug addiction getting help or ending up in a hospital. With that in mind, a drug intervention can get emotional.

An interventionist in NJ works to keep the discussion within a certain timeframe and makes sure that it stays productive. Intervention services may involve an entire team instead of just one person. With more addiction specialists in NJ available to help, it may be easier to stage an alcohol and drug intervention.

Do You Need an Interventionist in NJ?

An addiction intervention in New Jersey is usually necessary when a person is suffering from negative, life-altering consequences of compulsive behaviors. The individual may recognize that the consequences are due to their behavior but cannot control their actions. Their mental health or financial condition might be rapidly deteriorating because of drug abuse or alcohol addiction.

If you see any of the signs below in your loved one, especially in addition to obvious evidence such as drugs or paraphernalia, call us at North Jersey Recovery Center. We provide professional advice in New Jersey on how to address the issue.

The following are common signs of alcohol or drug addiction:

  • Extreme mood swings
  • Drastic weight changes
  • Increasing self-imposed isolation
  • Long absences with no explanation
  • Lying, deceitfulness, secretiveness, or stealing
  • Breakdown in family relationships and friendships
  • Unexplained financial difficulties, constantly asking for money
  • Sudden inability to hold a job; high amount of work absenteeism
  • Changes in social circles, hanging out with people who drink excessively or use drugs

Co-occurring Disorders and Drug Intervention Services in New Jersey

A loved one may notice signs of other mental health disorders or co-occurring disorders in someone with a drug addiction. In some cases, the person is in danger of harming themselves or others due to their mental health illness. They may also become angry, elusive, or unresponsive when asked to consider treatment.

While only a person with a mental health disorder experiences symptoms, others can observe signs of a disorder. Drug or alcohol addiction often shows telling clues of its tightening grip on someone’s life. North Jersey Recovery Center has found that mental illness and substance addiction commonly occur together.

Common mental illnesses that co-occur with addiction include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Eating Disorders
  • Personality Disorders

The emergence of a mental illness may signal a drug or alcohol addiction. Here at our addiction treatment facility in New Jersey, we make sure to tackle both health disorders simultaneously. That way, both have less of a chance of reemerging down the line.

Common Addictive Substances in New Jersey

Different substances of abuse can influence the behaviors and health of individuals in varying ways. Genetic, physiological, and environmental factors play a huge part in addiction. The effects could intensify because of the misuse of more than one substance as well. Commonly abused substances include:

What is Interventionist Approach? Types of Drug Intervention Services in New Jersey

Substance abuse interventionists in NJ can help you determine which type of intervention to plan for your loved one. You should consider the approach that best addresses your loved one’s needs as well as the needs and relational dynamics of those who want to be involved. Interventions don’t always look like what is frequently portrayed in popular media; these events can be conducted in many different ways.

Johnson Method

Developed in the 1960s by Episcopal priest and recovering addict Dr. Vernon Johnson, the Johnson Method is one of the oldest and most popular intervention models. After studying 200 recovering alcoholics, he concluded that a well-defined plan can help people with SUD understand the consequences of not seeking sobriety. Dr. Johnson was one of the first researchers to promote the caring, non-judgmental involvement of family and friends in interventions.

This intervention model emphasizes confronting the person struggling with addiction in a way that will not unnecessarily raise their defenses. Each team member must compose a letter to the addict listing specific instances when the addiction negatively affected them. The group also decides on clear consequences for refusing treatment and must agree to enforce the ultimatum in order not to enable the addict any further.

The Seven Components of the Johnson Method

  1. Team: An intervention counselor organizes a team of relatives, friends, and colleagues in the addict’s life.
  2. Planning: The counselor and team decide on the time of the intervention as well as what will be shared through the letters.
  3. Focus on Care: It is essential to avoid yelling, shaming, or condemning throughout the entire process.
  4. Only Discuss Addiction: This is not the time to bring up other issues of conflict of the past or present.
  5. Evidence: The letters must include proof or evidence of addictive behavior with detailed descriptions.
  6. Treatment Goal: The team must agree that the goal of the intervention is that the individual agrees to get treatment. It should not be put forth as a punishment but as a means to improve the person’s life.
  7. Options: The team must devise and present three different options for addiction recovery treatment.

Family Intervention Services in NJ: How Can They Help?

Professional intervention services also help everyone focus on a solution that works for everyone involved, not just the individual who is suffering from substance use. This includes each loved one indirectly affected by a person’s substance abuse disorder.

Our family intervention services in NJ allow families to see how they can help a loved one overcome his or her addiction. This may mean showing a family how they might be enabling drug abuse. Family intervention services, in this way, can empower people in New Jersey to help their loved ones after the addiction intervention is over.

Family Systemic Intervention

The Family Systemic intervention method acknowledges that addiction impacts the entire family unit, so it involves the addict and family from the outset. There is no surprise meeting that could catch an individual off guard or make them defensive. First, a family must agree as a unit that they need to get their loved one into treatment. Then, they can meet with a professional interventionist for advice on doing so.

The struggling individual is invited to attend every meeting, and the whole family discusses how SUD has affected them individually. This intervention may require several sessions. The goal is to convince the person with addiction that professional help is sorely needed.

At the end of the sessions, both the addict and the family begin some type of treatment together. Families attend family therapy sessions while the addict enters into a rehab facility or program. Everyone involved works together to bring healing to the family as a whole.

Relational Intervention

An intervention gives families the chance to have an active part in their loved one’s recovery in New Jersey. It also helps everyone involved heal and cultivates more productive behavioral patterns. It promotes a holistic approach to encompass a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. The person with addiction is invited to participate in interventions from the start to impart a sense of control over their situation.

The Core Concepts of Relational Intervention Services in NJ

In this method, the person who needs help is called a Person of Concern (PoC). Anyone who wishes to be included in the intervention process is called a Concerned Other. The group of active Concerned Others forms an Intervention Network.

A certified substance abuse interventionist in New Jersey moderates an intervention, but family involvement is integral to the process for maximum benefit. During sessions, family members learn practical ways to support their loved one in recovery.

The Three Phases of an Intervention

It begins with the least confrontational option for the PoC, and then increases efforts and expectations to get the PoC into treatment. This state ends at whatever level results in getting an individual into treatment. Even with all the potential meetings, this method should be completed within 1-3 weeks.

  • Phase 1: A concerned family member makes the first call on behalf of the struggling individual. They arrange the First Meeting of the Intervention Network. Sometimes, this is enough to encourage a PoC to agree to treatment. In most instances, however, an in-person meeting is necessary.
  • Phase 2: If Phase 1 is not successful, the Intervention Network gathers to discuss the strategy and plans for the intervention and decide if other people might be added to the team. These planning meetings also set forth definite, enforceable consequences for treatment refusal. The PoC is invited to attend if they desire.
  • Phase 3: The final step of an intervention is a short meeting in which the Intervention Network presents their concerns to the PoC as well as what will happen if the PoC continues to refuse professional help.

Love First Intervention

The Love First intervention process involves a small team of people in an individual’s support network. The team meets several times in advance of the formal intervention meeting. As with the Johnson model, this method calls on team members to write a letter highlighting a situation in which the loved one’s addictive behavior brought harm.

This model aims to benefit the entire family, not just the addict. It is designed to realign a family’s thoughts toward clear goals, productive behavior, and a sense of purpose. It promotes connection and communication on a deep level.

The Three Modules of the Love First Method

  1. Assessment and Training – The interventionist gathers history, makes treatment recommendations, and covers strategy and timing. The team receives training on writing intervention letters and bottom line letters.
  2. Rehearsal and Preparation – This stage includes fine-tuning the details of the letters, discussing answers to any objections, and covering pre-admission and travel arrangements. This meeting happens the day before the formal intervention.
  3. Intervention Day – After a pre-intervention meeting, the interventionist leads the team through the process and provides support through the travel experience.

Brief Intervention

A brief intervention is a short, one-on-one meeting between a person with SUD and a counselor or medical professional. This type of encounter typically happens in hospitals, especially in overdose cases, or in a doctor’s office when an exam uncovers drug-related health issues. It can be effective when they occur during a “teachable moment”, such as when the addict is in legal trouble or receiving trauma care.

During a typical brief intervention, the person with addiction is given literature that reinforces counseling. The counselor follows with the person to encourage them and check on their progress. Family and friends can ask a healthcare provider, social worker, or professional interventionist to perform a brief intervention with their loved one.

Research indicates that brief interventions are most effective when performed by someone the addict trusts and considers an authority figure. These meetings can take place in:

  • Prenatal care visits
  • Primary care physician’s offices
  • College counseling settings
  • Emergency departments
  • Criminal justice system

Why is Planning So Important Before Staging an Addiction Intervention in New Jersey?

Addiction specialists strongly advise against being spontaneous when approaching a person about their addiction. It is critical that family and friends plan and follow through with when and where they will gather as well as exactly what they will say. This will help everyone stay on topic and in control of their emotions. The team will also know how to avoid name-calling, accusations, blaming, or saying hurtful things that further damage relationships and sabotage rehabilitation efforts.

What is the Average Cost of an Intervention in New Jersey?

The cost on an addiction intervention in New Jersey can vary depending on the route one decides to take. A drug and alcohol intervention, on average, can cost anywhere from $2,000 to upwards of $10,000 in New Jersey. Although this may seem expensive, the cost of addiction is much more in the long term.

Seek a Substance Abuse Interventionist in NJ Today

Contrary to popular belief, families in New Jersey do not have to wait until their loved one hits rock bottom before seeking help for addiction. This myth can leave a person to drag through years of trauma, chaos, and grief. Individuals who regularly engage in drug abuse in New Jersey rarely “hit bottom” alone; spouses, children, and parents can crash as well.

Many people believe the old adage “You can’t help a person who doesn’t want to be helped.” While individuals with SUD may be resistant to treatment, they find it very difficult to resist the power of love coming from family and friends who refuse to give up. Your loved one is worth making the effort to intervene.

It’s Time for a Substance Abuse Interventionist in NJ

Your loved one might not be ready to change even though their substance use could be causing distress to themselves and those they love. But now that you recognize their struggle, it is time to act. A major hindrance to taking action is thinking that we must feel ready before acting.

Please don’t be paralyzed by fears of how your loved one will react, what secrets will emerge, or losing control. Make the move toward recovery and healing for your loved one’s sake. Engage in the fight for them against addiction. Reach out to North Jersey Recovery Center to see how a drug and alcohol intervention can help you or a loved one today.