Empowering families affected by substance use

There has been a lot of publicity about “intervention” approaches, specifically the Johnson Institute Intervention. This refers to the approach where a family member may confront a loved one and insist they enter a treatment program. This method is not recommended as only 20 per cent of people enter treatment after having an intervention, which is lower than other approaches (Stanton, 2004). Research on this method also finds that people are at higher risk of relapsing than those who enter treatment through less confrontational methods (Loneck et al., 1996).

Also, the intervention approach does not help you reduce your stress or cope with your situation. In fact, if the intervention is stopped before it is completed, or if it fails, you may actually become more emotionally distressed. In contrast, other approaches and supports are designed to specifically help those who have a loved one with addiction, regardless of what stage of change their loved one is at.