Example of an Intervention Letter

When writing an intervention letter, There are various reasons why writing out your thoughts and feelings in the form of a letter before intervention could help get your loved one struggling with addiction to hear what you’re trying to say. Your interest, help, boundary-setting, and care are visible even if you are not physically present at an in-person intervention. You can write down your feelings in an intervention letter, mail them to your loved one, send them by email, or have a licensed interventionist read the letter to them during an in-person intervention.

It will help you coordinate your thoughts and prevent you from getting off track or failing to say anything meaningful. If you cannot attend the intervention, you can read the intervention letter yourself or pass it on to another person. Whatever your motivation for writing an intervention letter, here are some pointers to keep it clear, solid, and to-the-point, the best representation of your hope for your loved one’s future in addiction recovery.

Types of Interventions

Your Intervention Letter contents may be influenced by what kind of intervention that’s being held. According to Psychology Today, there are various models that an intervention can follow.

These Intervention Plans Include:

• Johnson Model, Motivational Interviewing
• Love First
• ARISE model

Some intervention letters are more carefully structured than others. However, regardless of the model used, you will likely need to prepare what you will say ahead of time. This preparation helps to accomplish the intervention’s goal and prevents sudden outbursts of anger or accusations that can be detrimental.

Ask for Feedback Before the Intervention

Writing an intervention letter can be a daunting challenge with so much at stake, mainly if you don’t write very often. Start by breaking it down into the smaller tasks mentioned above to make it more manageable. Make a list of all the ideas that come to mind. For example, see if you can come up with 20 examples of substance addiction’s effect on your loved one’s life while writing the section about it—then choose the three to five most striking to include in the intervention letter.

The real work starts after you have the first draft of your intervention letter. To save some room, put it away for as long as you can. Under the conditions, that may not be appropriate. Please read it aloud to yourself when you return to it. Many awkward phrases will leap out at you if you do so. You may as well read the intervention letter aloud now because you’ll have to do it anyway. Be sure to have someone else look at it to get feedback from someone who isn’t inside your brain. Finally, you’ll almost certainly be able to read the intervention letter during a rehearsal or reveal it to the interventionist. Take their suggestions seriously; they have a lot more intervention experience than you do.

How Effective are Intervention Letters?

According to the medical profession and the addiction care industry, Intervention Letters are a powerful and realistic tool for motivating someone to seek help. When done correctly, intervention success rates, as determined by a willingness to seek treatment, are above 90%, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse published a report showing that people confronted with Intervention letters were more likely to go through rehab or withdrawal and stay abstinent than those who were not confronted.

An Intervention Letter effectiveness is contingent on taking into account your loved one’s circumstances.

The effectiveness of an Intervention Letter is dependent on taking into account your loved one’s circumstances; however, there are a few conditions that must be met for it to be successful:

• Careful preparation is needed
• Coordination is required for an intervention letter

Which May Take Many Weeks to Prepare. You’ll Need to Do the Following:

• Invite the close counterparts to participate in the writing of the Intervention Letter
• Pick a date and time for your action

Research addiction, its origins, how it affects the brain, and share your findings with the rest of the team writing the intervention letter to make sure you’re all on the same page.

Make Plans for Your Loved One to Be Evaluated to Establish a Suitable Care Plan

• When reading the intervention letter, Anticipation and rehearsed communication Expectation and practised contact Before the planned intervention, all intervention participants should meet to rehearse and agree on talking points. This will ensure that the action is conducted calmly and respectfully. In addition, you should have a plan for handling any objections to your loved one’s Intervention letter. For example, suppose you think the friend or family member will oppose treatment because of parental responsibilities. In that case, you may wish to have an Intervention letter on hand as a good compromise.
• Maintaining a focus when writing the intervention letter. Your loved one can become defensive and hostile in response to your interference. * It’s essential to keep your cool and stick to your intervention plan and talking points in the intervention letter. Deviating from your strategy will quickly derail the intervention, resulting in a defensive and ineffective back-and-forth.

Practical Tips for Success

As previously mentioned, meticulous preparation and rehearsal are critical to your action’s effectiveness. These are few things to keep in mind while planning your intervention strategy and writing an intervention letter.

1. Choose a Strong Intervention Team:
   • Ensure that only those who your loved one loves or relies on are invited and that no one is asked who could jeopardize the reading of the intervention letter because they struggle with mental health or drug abuse.
   • Their inability to self-regulate their comments and adhere to pre-determined talking points.
   • Their abusive or tumultuous relationship with the addict.
2. Carefully Pick a Date and Time for the Intervention Letter to be Read:
   The intervention must be unexpected so that your loved one cannot plan excuses or avoid the intervention altogether. Also, You must make sure that the action is well-timed to:
   • Avoid any scheduled commitments that your loved one has made.
   • Reduce the likelihood of your loved one is under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the intervention.
   • Give everyone enough time to read their intervention letter and decide for your loved one.
   • Tight spaces trigger old patterns of action and likely memories of angry confrontations.
3. Select a Private, Neutral Environment: Because of the setting’s familiarity, reading the intervention letter in your loved one’s home might not be the best choice. Try to find a more neutral setting such as:
   • A conference room or office space.
   • A meeting room or office space.
   • In your place of worship, an open space.
   • A therapist’s office.

These formal and private spaces help set the tone for a more respectful and cooperative conversation. Furthermore, your loved one would not have easy access to familiar hiding places.

• Create a clear plan as soon as possible after the intervention letter has been read. Your intervention’s end purpose is for your loved one to accept support. Most interventionists advise that while reading the intervention letter, you ask your loved one to make a decision right away rather than asking them to think about it or sleep on it. It’s best to have a recovery program or treatment evaluation set up for them so that the following steps can be taken quickly and without hesitation.
• Consider what you’ll do if the addicted person refuses; it’s possible that your loved one would fail to help. In this case, be ready to carry out the consequences you set out during the reading of your intervention letter. You stop encouraging actions by sticking to your boundary-setting steps, which increases your loved one’s likelihood of improvement. Think of how you’ll look after yourself. Whether or not your loved one accepts assistance, you should consider how you can provide yourself. Consider the following options:
• Getting involved in a support group for addicts’ families and friends.
• Finding a therapist to talk to about the intervention letter, coping strategies, and any personal issues you’re dealing with is a good idea.
  • Possesses a history of severe mental illness.
  • Can become violent or hostile.
• To find consolation or understanding, you should turn to a higher force.

Keep in mind that your health is crucial to your loved one’s recovery. You won’t provide sincere support and motivation if you’re sick.

• Consider recruiting a professional interventionist. Professional interventionists can help you plan and write the intervention letter and lead the conversation and keep everyone on track. An interventionist is not required for an effective intervention; however, if your addicted loved one is extreme, you might want to consider hiring one:
• Has a long history of severe mental illness.
• Can become aggressive or abusive.
• Has acted with self-destruction in the past or has expressed suicidal thoughts.

Intervention letters may be successful if they are well-planned and executed. If you need assistance arranging care for a loved one, contact us today to learn more about your treatment options.

Things to Remember When Writing an Intervention Letter

• Avoid using a condescending tone in the intervention letter.
• Remind the person you care for them and want the best for them.
• Provide detailed examples of how their drug or alcohol abuse has harmed them.
• Make an effort not to get too emotional.
• Make it crystal clear what will happen if they refuse to attend rehab.
• Reassure them that you would always be there to help them if they choose to care.
• Make it clear that they must agree to get treatment right away and leave.
• Avoid taking a judgmental tone.
• Remind the person you care for them and want the best for them.
• Provide detailed examples of how their drug or alcohol abuse has harmed them.
• Has expressed suicidal thoughts or behaved self-destruction in the past.
• Don’t be afraid to say what’s on your mind.
• Keep your intervention letter to a minimum.
• Insist on the fact that addiction is a disorder.
• Avoid using language that is judgmental or accusatory.
• Maintain a good attitude.
• Make an effort not to get too emotional.
• Give the gift of medical attention.
• State clearly in your intervention letter what will happen if your loved one refuses to receive care.

>>> READ THIS NEXT: Getting a Loved One Treatment

Sample of an Intervention Letter

Let us help you connect your loved one to a recovery facility that will help her recover before staging your intervention. For more details on how to write an Intervention Letter, call 615-490-9376 right now.