Family addiction intervention is a practice with its origins in the 1970’s, when American society was in flux from social unrest stemming in part from an outbreak of mass, runaway addiction to alcohol and other drugs. The result of that turmoil has been the emergence of a social movement based upon the values and beliefs of addicted people themselves, a quiet shift in mainstream thinking that has gained considerable momentum in recent years. Concepts from the recovery group movement have given rise to an enormous addiction treatment industry, hungry for the lucrative, repeat business of clients in the throes of unresolved, chronic addiction. One anomaly spawned by the addiction treatment industry is an aggressive marketing concept, addiction intervention, which was hijacked from its legitimate 32nd cousin, crisis intervention.
Addiction intervention is based entirely upon 12-step recoveryism, which denies that free will exists among addicted people. An intervention is a conspiracy by a family to abduct a family member, whom I’ll call a subject, into a treatment center. Not surprisingly, a professional guild of interventionists has formed around this legally and ethically challenged practice. Under the guidance of an Interventionist, families convene a little “surprise party” for the addicted family member during which they use highly manipulative, frankly dishonest, and deceitful means to coerce submission to addiction treatment. These house parties are usually presided over by an Interventionist whose professional ancestry is closer to bounty hunter than to social worker or therapist, although many social workers and therapists engage in or advocate addiction interventions. Nearly always, Interventionists are members of AA/NA themselves, giving rise to inherent conflict of interest.
Interventionists work weeks or months in advance of the planned hit, making preparations for abduction with the cooperation of the family. The Interventionist recruits the subject’s near and distant relatives, co-workers, employers, old friends, neighbors, and anyone else who can be enlisted into the noble cause of abduction. Various means of emotional blackmail and intimidation through shame and guilt are rehearsed, and sensitive information about the subject is collected for later use during the hit. Interventions are carefully scripted, to be done “just so,” so that the chances of escape or backlash are minimized. Informed consent to treatment is denied and suppressed, often under the pretext that the proceedings are ethically proper, legally sanctioned coercion similar to arrest or detention.
In essence, the intervention is sprung exactly like a surprise birthday party, except that the prevailing mood and agenda are considerably different. The room is already stacked with VIP’s from the subject’s life, and the Interventionist calls the abduction to order. Each VIP exudes love as the only purpose in being present, and then recites rehearsed lines about the subject’s disgusting behavior and betrayals. Outside, is likely an idling, white van, treatment center logo on door. When the intervention is successful the subject implodes emotionally, falling into a sobbing heap to be led off to the waiting van
Tags: Reflective
