Should I seek professional help when coordinating an addiction intervention?

There are many reasons why it's important to seek professional help when setting up an addiction intervention. Watch as intervention specialist Heather Hayes discusses how a trained professional can help keep the situation positive and proactive.

Transcript

00:00

During interventions, it's a very complex, complicated family meeting. And there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

00:06

So you need a person who's trained. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:17

There are a lot of reasons why it's important to bring in a professional. First off, families know how to get together and have

00:24

fights or discussions. People who are addicted will often use their anger to shut family down, to not be able to talk-- to not talk

00:30

about topics that they don't want to, like going and getting help for their use. The other part of it is that often people

00:36

get angry and frustrated. So during the intervention, it's part of the professional's role to come in and help the family know what to say,

00:44

what not to say, and to keep everything in a positive upbeat manner, keep the family from having a fight.

00:50

It's also important for a professional to come in because often, there are other mental health issues that may be going on. So you need a professional who can also

00:58

come in and evaluate exactly what kind of care the person really needs. Intervention is not a regulated field.

01:05

There are some certifications that have gone into place. But theoretically, anybody can hang up a shingle,

01:11

print up a business card, and call themselves an interventionist. And this is very dangerous because during interventions,

01:17

it's a very complex, complicated family meeting. And there are a lot of things that can go wrong. So you need a person who's trained.

01:25

You need a person that does not have a financial connection with a treatment facility so that you know you're getting the best recommendations that you

01:32

can get. [AUDIO LOGO]