Intervention: Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Intervention usually happens as the result of some crisis. Think about it . . . arrest, divorce, fired from job, accident, injuries. It is never done when people are having a good day. But, people do not usually act with the first crisis. The arrest happens, lawyers fix it, time passes . . . the pain of the crisis goes away. Then there is the threat of divorce, big arguments, tempers calm, time passes . . . the pain of the crisis goes away. Then the job is lost, there is the scramble to find a new job, interviewing, finally getting the new job, time passes . . . the pain of the crisis goes away. And, the addiction all this time marches merrily along, getting worse . . . and worse . . . and worse.

Crisis is a golden opportunity to professionally intervene. It doesn't get better. The trick is not to wait for crisis after crisis after crisis. The trick is to take the crisis that you can recover from and intervene NOW.

Yes, a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. Will you waste your next one?