Many people know someone who struggles with addiction, but not everyone will do something about it.
Left alone, addiction can be a death sentence for your loved one. Brandon Novak has his own personal experiences with drug and alcohol addiction, but he eventually decided to get help and his life has been immensely better because of it. An intervention just might save their life in more ways than one, but an effective intervention requires effective impact letters.
What Is an Impact Letter?
An impact letter, also known as an intervention letter, is a letter a loved one writes to an addict and is usually read aloud by the writer during an intervention. Impact letters typically focus on how a person’s addiction has affected those around them and is meant to help the addict recognize that they need help.Tips on Writing an Impact Letter for an Addict
There are many different tips about how to write an impact letter, but not all of them will be effective. If you have decided to hold an intervention to get your loved one into treatment, you want it to be successful the first time. Impact letters are a big part of this process, so you want to make it right. Follow these tips on how to write an intervention letter that will be effective and could help save your loved one’s life.Be Kind
If your addicted loved one hurt you in the past, it is easy to let these feelings overwhelm you, but pointing fingers at them will not help. Using judgmental or hurtful language will leave your loved one feeling attacked, further strain your relationship with them, and could derail the intervention. Your loved one may even storm out, and the chances of getting them into treatment after one failed intervention is lower. You need to remember that addiction is a disease and be sympathetic to them at this time.Keep It Simple
Your letter should be short and to the point. Rambling on about your feelings or going into too many details may be therapeutic for you, but it can dilute your overall message and make your letter less powerful.Have A Point
You aren’t just writing an impact letter to express how you feel. The point of an impact letter is to get your loved one help for their addiction. Make sure that your intervention letter talks about treatment as a solution to this problem.Stay Organized
You want your impact letter to be clear and easy to follow. Jumping from one point to another and back again can be confusing and also less impactful. To better get your message across, try to follow an organized impact letter format such as:- Introduction – How you know the addict
- Your Story – How their addiction has affected you and your relationship with them
- Your Concerns – Your worries over what will happen if their addiction continues
- A Solution – A reminder that help is possible with addiction treatment and that you will support them with their recovery journey
- Consequences – An explanation of what will happen if they decide not to get treatment and the new boundaries in your relationship
Write A Few Drafts
When you first start writing, you may find that your letter becomes jumbled with disorganized thoughts that are in no particular order. This is natural for a first draft, but it should not be what you read aloud at the intervention. Writing an impact letter that you are happy with takes time and may be a bit of a trial and error process. Write a few drafts before you ultimately decide you are happy with it.If you believe your loved one needs an intervention, do not wait any longer. Brandon Novak is a certified drug intervention specialist who will be there every step of the intervention process and can offer you even more insight into how to write an intervention letter that works. With Brandon, you and your loved ones could have the greatest chance of getting your addicted loved one the help they need to finally get sober.
