Intervention Letter

Intervention letters are crucial because they provide a structured way for you to organize your thoughts and present them to your loved one during the intervention. This letter will allow you to take the time needed to ensure you say what you mean and cover all your points, which can be difficult at times with extemporaneous speeches.

Many different intervention letter templates do exist. Your interventionist will work closely with you and guide you through the writing of your letter. It is crucial to remember that this letter should come from the heart. Your loved one needs to understand and feel that you are trying to help save their life.

At GH Recovery Solutions our interventionists are trained to help friends and family create effective intervention letters. Here is a general guideline:

Paragraph 1: Start with the positives. During an intervention the individual will almost certainly be ready to defend themselves. You want to reassure them of your love and put them in as much at ease as possible.

Paragraph 2: Acknowledge that addiction is a disease and include specific examples that prove to you your loved one is suffering from an addiction problem.

Paragraph 3: Discuss the consequences of their addiction without being confrontational. This can include materialistic loss, broken relationships, a loss of trust or hurt feelings.

Paragraph 4: Set your boundaries. This will allows the individual to see that their behaviors will no longer be tolerated by you.

Paragraph 5: End the letter with more positive and encouraging words. Remind them again of your love and your desire for them to get healthy. Be optimistic about their future. You want them to be happy and healthy, with many happy and healthy years ahead of them.

Writing an intervention letter isn’t easy. It will be an emotional process and it takes time. If you or other members in your family circle need help crafting your intervention letter we have specialists and counselors at GH Recovery Solutions who are willing to help you through this process. Call us at (888) 345-2025.

  SAMPLE LETTER

For your reference, find a sample letter below. The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids published this open letter from a brother who’s sibling is suffering from addiction. The expression of pain yet being in a loving manner is powerful in this letter. This letter follows a very similar outline as what was just described above.

Dear Oliver,

I just wanted to say how proud of you I am as your brother. I’ve never known someone with the same heart for others that you have. Growing up, you always made sure that I and the rest of our younger siblings were taken care of before you worried about yourself. I’ll never forget that and I’ll always love you for it.

Recently, I feel as though I don’t know you as well as I used to. It’s hard to have a conversation with you because you rarely answer the phone sober. We haven’t been able to play pickup basketball because you start drinking as soon as you get off of work. I’ve reached out to the rest of the family and they tell me that they’ve been having the same troubles getting ahold of you.

I feel like I’m losing my brother, and that breaks my heart. I wanted you to be the best man at my wedding, but now my fiancée doesn’t feel comfortable with you in the wedding party after you slurred through your speech at the rehearsal. I wanted you to be the godfather to my newborn child, but you were out at the bar during the naming ceremony. I want us to be close like we used to be, but it’s hard to see how we can shrink the distance when you are almost always inebriated.

It is your choice if you decide to continue to drink and party like you’ve been doing. I will respect what you want for your life. However, I refuse to help you along a path that I 100% believe is going to take you away from us. If you choose not to enter treatment, then I will no longer be lending you money or my car. If you choose not to enter treatment, I will not be allowing you to spend time with your nephew. I’m afraid that if you don’t find a way to manage your drinking, I’ll lose my brother for good.

Oliver, I will always love you. You’re a smart, ambitious man who made an amazing older brother when we were growing up. That’s why it hurts me so much to see you like this. I want us to keep growing together, as brothers and as men. Please get the help you need to get your drinking under control.

With love,

Roy

If you are still struggling with how to start your intervention letter or what to write in it, or even the feelings that are coming up for you while writing your intervention letter, be sure to consult your professional interventionist who can further help you. We have specialists and counselors at GH Recovery Solutions who are willing to help you along the process.