Drug addiction is nothing new or unusual in our community. The rate of drug addicts seems to rise year after year, without failing to inflict problems on individuals, family members as well as the community in general.

A drug addict is unable to see the severity of their addiction and how this has led to a crisis. The development of a crisis should be looked as an opportunity in intervening drug addict's life in a positive way.

What is Drug Intervention
Drug intervention is an act of love, supportive and firm in its ultimate goal - to move the addict physically and mentally to the next step for professional help. It is essential for family members and friends to figure out an approach to the problem in advance before the problem arises.

Goals of Intervention
The first step of intervention is to get the drug addict out of denial and accept his predicament. One must show care for the chemically dependant person. Rapport must be established quickly as this will give confidence to all involved, especially the addict. To be credible, the intervention should be backed by a realistic treatment plan and intevention is the first step towards this plan. The addict's priorities should be addressed before options for treatment can be presented.

After initial assessment has been done, the realistic options are presented to the addict. The process has to make the addict feel empowered to seek treatment for himself. Invariably, there is a need for a support team to manage the crisis.

For more on drugs:
Click here for article on drug rehabilitation programs

For alcohol intervention:
Click here for article on alcohol intervention