Intervention – Help a Loved One Overcome Addiction with Ryan QuigleyIntervention – Help a Loved One Overcome Addiction with Ryan Quigley
Recovery Recharged with Ellen Stewart Pushy Broad from the Bronx
How do we get the right help for our loved one suffering from alcohol or drug abuse? What is an Intervention? Do they work? Where can I find an interventionist I can trust? All this and more with Ryan Quigley certified interventionist....
56:00•24 May 2023
Intervention with Love: Ryan Quigley on Helping a Loved One Face Addiction
Episode Overview
- An intervention is a planned, loving effort by family and friends to help someone accept support for addiction or harmful behaviour.
- Families are urged to trust their instincts about isolation, denial, medical issues or dangerous substance use and act before it becomes life-or-death.
- Involving close friends and siblings can be crucial, as younger people may respond more openly to peers than to parents.
- Using prepared letters and a calm tone helps families "say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t say it mean" during the intervention.
- Interventions can be organised quickly in crisis situations, and costs vary, with some interventionists working flexibly when funds are tight.
“Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t say it mean.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of addiction, family fear, and genuine hope. Recovery Recharged brings together host Ellen Stewart and certified interventionist Ryan Quigley for a straight-talking conversation about what an intervention really is and how it can help a loved one who’s spiralling with alcohol or drug use.
You’ll hear Ryan’s simple definition of intervention: a group of people who love someone, coming together "to formulate a strategy and a plan with love to get them help." He walks through common warning signs families should watch for – isolation, withdrawing from hobbies, denying problems, downplaying drug use, secretive behaviour, criminal issues and even serious medical complications. Ellen pushes the point that if you’re worried, your instincts probably aren’t wrong.
Ryan shares his own story of getting sober at 18 after his family staged an intervention led by his social-work-student sister. His dad’s ultimatum – get help or lose the support of everyone in the room – and a best friend’s simple "give it a shot" turned out to be life-changing.
Ryan later learned his heavy drinking and drug use had damaged his gallbladder while his organs were still developing, a stark reminder that teenage substance use can have serious physical consequences.
The conversation also covers crisis interventions done at very short notice, the role of friends and siblings in the room, why letters can help family members say what they mean, and how to keep the tone firm but kind: "Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t say it mean." Ryan explains what families might expect to pay, why he sometimes works for free, and the emotional reality that some people accept help while others don’t.
If you’re wondering whether it’s time to step in for someone you care about, this episode might help you ask the right questions and feel less alone in making that call.
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