I explain that he or she can come in and talk tomorrow, but that an intervention doesn't happen overnight. Often the person will get a little irritated. I think it's because it's so frustrating being in these relationships, and when someone finally decides that he is willing to do something, he wants it to happen fast. I explain to them that this process is not going to happen quickly, and that it takes a time commitment. I talk to them about the fact that they are also going to be put in a position of looking at their own issues, which is neither easy nor done quickly.
Some families decide that they're going to try it on their own.
They kind of weed themselves out. That's good, though, because I feel very responsible for making sure that people truly understand the risks of an intervention. This relationship is going to change. It will never be the way it was. The intervention may have a result that the person gets help, but it may have a less positive result, and you have to know that there's that risk.