Drug and alcohol abuse are common problems among young people in America. 1.7 million young adults in America abuse prescription medications to get high (1). As a person’s body gets used to the drugs or alcohol, they have to consume more of it to experience the same high. This leads not only to heavier drinking or drug taking, but also to the use of harder substances. Addicts become so dependent on their drink or drugs that it can be hard to get through to them about the dangers. Sometimes an intervention is the only way to shock them into seeing the full extent of their problem.

If you are worried by your son’s drink or drug use, it may be time to stage an intervention in order to make him realize the severity of his problem.

Confronting your son’s drink or drug abuse

A drug or alcohol habit can have a serious impact upon your son’s life. Excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs can lead to severe health problems in the future. From 2006 to 2010 excessive drinking was responsible for 10% of deaths among working age Americans. Even if the worst doesn’t happen, there are many other ways in which your son’s habits could damage his life. Depending upon his age it could affect his education, prevent him from getting decent qualifications, lose him his job, or ruin friendships and romantic relationships.

It can be hard to face up to the fact that your child needs an intervention. It could be the best option for him, however, especially if he:

Has been in trouble with the law for drink or drug offences, such as driving while intoxicated or high
Has ignored you when you’ve expressed your concerns to him on your own
Has changed his friends, abandoning old ones in favor of people who drink more often or other people who take drugs
Takes drugs or drinks every day, or almost every day, instead of using them recreationally

If your son continues to deny that he has a problem an intervention is your best hope of impressing upon him the need for treatment.

Staging an intervention for a son

In an intervention close family and friends of your son will group together and attempt to show him the extent of the damage and upset he is causing to himself and others. It is a very emotional experience, and can be tough to go through, but it is in your son’s best interests.

You will need to choose who is present very carefully; too many people and your son could feel overwhelmed, or as though you are ganging up on him. If your son needs an intervention, several of your family and friends will likely have already expressed their concerns to you. Pick people who your son cares about, and who can talk about how his habit is affecting them without getting angry or confrontational. An intervention is a firm but caring process, and should be a supporting environment.

To ensure the highest likelihood of success, seek professional advice and guidance from one of the many drug and alcohol abuse programs in your area. Steps to Recovery have fully trained intervention counsellors who can help you to plan, research, and stage an intervention for your son. They will make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible, and that treatment centers are ready for him the moment he admits he needs help.

1 – https://consumer.healthday.com/mental-health-information-25/addiction-news-6/prescription-drug-abuse-drops-among-u-s-young-adults-668944.html
2 – https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm