An intervention is when a group of family members, co-workers or friends band together to confront a loved one about his or her drug or alcohol addiction. The goal of an intervention is to help the addict realize how their desructive behavior has harmed themselves and those they care about, and be willing to try treatment as a way to turn their life around.

An intervention can happen in two ways, formal or informal. In a formal intervention, a group of family and friends will have a trained professional mediate their discussion with the addict and will direct the group in being as effective as possible. Commonly what happens is the group will write down and read how the addict has impacted their lives and how they would like to get back the person they lost to addiction. During the intervention the professional will keep the conversation working toward the ultimate goal of helping the addict to agree to going to treatment. During an informal intervention, a group of friends and family will sit down with the addict at an appropriate time with a plan laid out before hand of options for treatment. Each participant will tell the addict how they feel and how they've been affected by the addict's behavior. After everyone is done sharing, consequences are laid out if the addict chooses not to go to treatment and continues using.

An intervention is not only helpful to the addict it also helps the family and friends who have been affected. An intervention is important for all those who are involved. For many this is the chance to discuss with their loved one how their addiction has impacted their lives, while still showing their love and support. In the end, the benefits of an intervention can be enormous - not only will the addict get a second chance at life, but the family will have the person they loved returned to them.

Waiting to stage an intervention can have devastating consequences for both the addict and his or her loved ones. The longer an intervention is prolonged the more of a chance that person can do more harm to themselves or others. The sooner an intervention occurs, the better his or her chances are of accepting and responding to treatment. There is not a better time for an addict to begin his or her recovery than right now.

It is always easier to break an addiction that is just beginning to take hold of the user, rather than waiting until the addiction has taken a large toll on the mind, body, and spirit. The life of an addict is a dangerous one: if the drugs alone don't kill the person, criminal behavior to obtain drugs and others risks they may take while using might. Also by passively waiting to stage an intervention, a family not only enables the addict to continue their destructive behaviors, but also allowed the addict to continue to hurt the family as a whole. Waiting to stage an intervention is an unwise decision that could have devastating consequences for everyone involved.