Houghton House
Intervention
When love isn’t enough, we’re here to help
Addiction is a life-threatening disease. Our professional intervention services help your loved one get the treatment they need.
Get help now
Schedule a free, no-obligation, confidential telephonic evaluation
Does this sound familiar?
- “Every time the phone rings late at night, I’m terrified it’s going to be bad news about them.”
- “Their addiction is tearing our family apart. We’re constantly walking on eggshells, and I don’t recognize our life anymore.”
- “I’ve realized that no matter how much I love them, it’s not enough to break through their denial. We need professional help before it’s too late.”
- “Watching their addiction spiral out of control is terrifying. I feel like I’m watching my loved one slowly destroy themselves, and I don’t know how to make it stop.”
Ignoring addiction won’t make it go away.
A professional intervention helps you confront your loved one — before they hit rock bottom.
Confronting addiction is scary. You might fear their reaction or damaging your relationship. But here’s the truth: doing nothing is far riskier. When your loved one’s addiction is destroying their life, their family, and their future, you have two choices:
- Wait for a crisis — a car crash, an arrest, or worse — to force your loved one and you to confront it.
- Act now, before it’s too late.
Ready to act but need professional guidance?
An intervention is your next step
An intervention is a carefully planned process where family and friends, guided by a professional, come together to confront a loved one about their addiction and present immediate options for professional help.
By addressing the addiction head-on in a controlled, supervised setting, interventions can force the person struggling with addiction to acknowledge their condition and agree to get the help they need.
An effective intervention confronts the issues — not the individual
Our expert, compassionate addiction counsellors guide the process, helping ensure the intervention:
Offers a controlled, safe space to openly and constructively address the substance abuse
Increases the chance of your loved one accepting help and starting immediate treatment
Prevents the addict from causing irreparable damage to their health, life, job or relationships
Helps break through denial & deceit by presenting a united front of concern and factual evidence
Does your loved one need an intervention?
If your loved one…
- Consistently prioritises substance use over responsibilities and relationships
- Denies having a problem despite clear negative consequences
- Has failed to change their behavior after promises or attempts to quit
- Experiences frequent work-related, legal, or financial troubles due to their addiction
- Shows signs of deteriorating physical or mental health related to substance use
- Becomes defensive or angry when confronted about their addiction
- Has unsuccessfully tried to quit or reduce use on their own multiple times
- Puts themselves or others in danger due to their substance use
- Withdraws from family, friends, and activities they once enjoyed
- Has experienced job loss or academic failure due to substance abuse
A professional intervention can help your loved one realize the extent of their illness and agree to get professional treatment.
How the intervention process works
Initial contact
Call us for a confidential consultation. We’ll assess your situation to determine if an intervention is necessary and appropriate for your loved one.
Planning and preparation
We’ll schedule the intervention and guide you through the process.
This includes selecting participants, choosing a location, and preparing what to say.
The intervention
We’ll facilitate a structured, caring conversation where family and friends express their concerns and offer support for treatment.
Next steps
Based on the outcome, we’ll help implement the agreed-upon plan, whether it’s immediate admission to a treatment program or follow-up care options.
If needed, we can arrange an involuntary admission.
What comes after the intervention?
Once your loved one recognizes the urgent need for professional treatment, we’ll recommend the next best steps. If needed, they can immediately start inpatient treatment at our world-class rehab center.
Our comprehensive treatment options support them (and you) as they get sober, stay sober, and build a meaningful, recovery-focused life.
Do interventions always work?
Addicts sometimes deny or deceive so severely that they refuse to acknowledge their family’s concerns. When this happens, it can feel disheartening, and further efforts may seem pointless and involuntary commitment may be the best option. Often, the prospect of forced treatment can persuade addicts to voluntarily enter rehab.
This process isn’t meant to punish the addict or treat them like a criminal. Instead, it’s a legal way for families to get their loved one into a registered treatment center, even if the addict doesn’t want to go. This approach allows families to choose the treatment facility and ensure their loved one gets the life-saving help they need, despite their resistance.
Under the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Act (20 of 1992)
- Concerned family members can take legal action to ensure an addict’s cooperation with treatment.
- This applies regardless of the addict’s age.
- We will guide families on: How to legally encourage the addict into treatment Arranging a court date for admission into a treatment center
Necessary documentation for this process includes
- A medical report showing physical fitness for treatment
- A letter of acceptance from a chosen treatment facility
- An affidavit from a family member
- A social worker’s report
FAQs
While voluntary entry is ideal, many initially resistant individuals can benefit from involuntary treatment. Professional support and structured programs often lead to personal motivation and engagement, regardless of how treatment began. The process of detoxification, therapy, and skill-building can create internal motivation. Many report that once they clear their minds and bodies of substances, they gain new perspectives on their addiction and life choices.
Under the Labour Relations Act, employees who disclose addiction are protected. Employers must treat addiction like other medical conditions, often providing leave options similar to those for other health issues. Early, voluntary treatment is viewed favorably and may be seen as responsible behavior. Privacy is protected, and successful return to work is common. However, it’s crucial to understand company policies and consider discussing options with HR or union representatives when applicable.
While most people initially start treatment just to please others, they often achieve successful recovery. The treatment process often sparks personal insights and a genuine desire for change. Confronting the full impact of addiction in a fresh environment can initiate authentic transformation. Group therapy, individual counseling, and peer support help shift external motivation to internal commitment. The tools and strategies learned in treatment lay the groundwork for long-term recovery.
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