History of Drug Intervention
What Is an Intervention?
An intervention occurs when a group of concerned people, known to the alcoholic or drug addicted individual, holds a meeting to explain to that person that they have a problem. The end-goal of an intervention is to help the individual see that they have a problem, and get them into some form of alcohol or drug rehab immediately.
Drug interventions should always be performed with a professional interventionist present to insure that everything is handled in a positive, productive manner. Interventionists can help select a proper location for the meeting as well as organize everything that is going to be said to the addicted individual.
Who Can Hold an Intervention?
Anyone who is close to the individual in question can hold an intervention. The most common groups of people who hold interventions are:
- Family members of the individual
- Friends of the individual
- Coworkers or employers of the individual
The History of Intervention
The father of the modern drug and alcohol intervention is Vernon Johnson. Johnson was a priest in an Episcopalian Church and himself a recovering alcoholic. Not wanting anyone to suffer the way he did with his addiction, Vernon Johnson devoted his life to the treatment of alcoholism and alcohol recovery.
The core of Johnson's belief about addiction was reaching an individual before they hit rock bottom and saw their lives torn to shreds as a result.
In 1962, Johnson began holding what he called "interventions" in his church. These were meetings involving the family, friends and co-workers of an individual who would come together and talk to that person about their alcohol addiction in frank terms.
The program garnered good results, and because of Johnson's status as a priest in the church, he had a built in network to spread the program throughout the Midwest (he was based in Minnesota) and eventually the entire United States.
As the years went on, Vernon Johnson's teachings were utilized by drug treatment facilities that used his concept to help individuals hold effective drug interventions.
A Lasting Legacy of Alcohol and Drug Intervention
Vernon Johnson's book, I'll Quit Tomorrow has been reprinted many times and in several languages and remains recommending reading for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts and the people who treat them. As a testament to Johnson's place in the history of alcohol and drug interventions, his "Minnesota Model" of interventions remains a staple of corporate policies on the subject.
Michael's House is a residential drug treatment center located in Palm Springs, California. The outstanding staff at Michael's House has helped thousands of individuals overcome alcohol and drug addiction – and seen them go on to live happy, fulfilling lives. Contact Michael's House today at 1-877-345-8494 for more information.
