The dark side of life in the 21st century is our societal proclivity toward addiction. From alcohol and opioids to video games, overeating, and porn, we live in a time where there’s a virtual cafeteria of addictions to choose from. While some may be seen as benign, others are downright deadly. PXHere Take opiod addiction for example. Here’s a little on the current epidemic we’re facing from the National Institute on Drug Abuse from drugabuse.gov: “Every day, more than 115 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement.” Wiki Commons It’s not just drugs that we’re medicating ourselves with, either. Earlier this spring we learned about a recent first round draft pick in the National Hockey League who might be throwing away his entire career because he stays up all night playing video games. The team has even sent hims to counseling, but they’re not hopeful that he’ll be able to turn it around. Then today, we got a story out of Britain today detailing the alarming rate with which Brits are addicted to porn. The addiction treatment center over there is even seeing patients as young as eight years old! The good news is that at least these people are getting help, but what about the ones that aren’t. The chances are good that you will know a friend or family member at some point who becomes an addict and doesn’t know how to stop. In many of those cases, an intervention from a family or set of friends who cares for the addict can be the difference between life and death. So, how does one go about staging and intervention? The Mayo Clinic recommends that you take 7 steps to stage an effective intervention: By Cogdogblog Make a plan. A family member or friend proposes an intervention and forms a planning group. It’s best if you consult with a qualified professional counselor, an addiction professional, a psychologist, a mental health counselor, a social worker or an interventionist to help you organize an effective intervention. An intervention is a highly charged situation with the potential to cause anger, resentment or a sense of betrayal. Gather information. The group members find out about the extent of your loved one’s problem and research the condition and treatment programs. The group may initiate arrangements to enroll your loved one in a specific treatment program. Form the intervention team. The planning group forms a team that will personally participate in the intervention. Team members set a date and location and work together to present a consistent, rehearsed message and a structured plan. Often, nonfamily members of the team help keep the discussion focused on the facts of the problem and shared solutions rather than strong emotional responses. Don’t let your loved one know what you’re doing until the day of the intervention. Decide on specific consequences. If your loved one doesn’t accept treatment, each person on the team needs to decide what action he or she will take. For example, you may decide to ask your loved one to move out. By Sharyn Morrow Make notes on what to say. Each team member describes specific incidents where the addiction caused problems, such as emotional or financial issues. Discuss the toll of your loved one’s behavior while still expressing care and the expectation that he or she can change. Your loved one can’t argue with facts or with your emotional response to the problem. For example begin by saying “I was upset and hurt when you drank …” Hold the intervention meeting. Without revealing the reason, your loved one with the addiction is asked to the intervention site. Members of the team then take turns expressing their concerns and feelings. Your loved one is presented with a treatment option and asked to accept that option on the spot. Each team member will say what specific changes he or she will make if your loved one doesn’t accept the plan. Don’t threaten a consequence unless you’re ready to follow through with it. Follow up. Involving a spouse, family members or others is critical to help someone with an addiction stay in treatment and avoid relapsing. This can include changing patterns of everyday living to make it easier to avoid destructive behavior, offering to participate in counseling with your loved one, seeking your own therapist and recovery support, and knowing what to do if relapse occurs. They also recommend that you consult a physician or trained professional who can help you fine tune your plan.