Why Do Addiction Interventions Sometimes Fail?

In May 2025, comedian Nick Kroll appeared on the Armchair Expert podcast hosted by Dax Shepard to talk about the intervention he coordinated for his friend and fellow comedian John Mulaney. Beyond his talent as a stand-up comedian, Kroll is known to be a stand-up guy and a great friend, so he covered the costs of retaining a professional addiction interventionist. He also offered to pay for the travel expenses of celebrity comics Fred Armisen and Seth Meyers, who had worked with Mulaney on Saturday Night Live. The intervention was successful, and Mulaney recovered. Nonetheless, Kroll thought his friend could have died if the intervention failed.

Most Interventions Are Successful

When Kroll staged the intervention in December 2020, Mulaney was addicted to cocaine, painkillers, and prescription amphetamines. Kroll feared his friend would refuse treatment and turn self-destructive. Although Kroll’s concerns were valid, studies published by the Association of Intervention Specialists show success rates as high as 80 percent. Approximately half of the patients who initially refuse seek treatment on their own, usually after a week or two. These success rates refer to patients beginning treatment soon after interventions—they’re not recovery rates.

Most Unmanaged Interventions Fail

When friends and relatives of alcoholics and drug addicts stage interventions without involving mental health professionals, the failure rates increase exponentially. Improvising interventions based on what you’ve learned from Hollywood films and A&E documentaries is a recipe for disaster. Professional supervision, planning, and execution are crucial. If you attempt an intervention without structure or contingency plans, you’ll likely end up making things worse and causing deep resentment.

Inadequate Timing or Setting

Professional interventionists consider everything when scheduling meetings. However, things can inadvertently go wrong sometimes. If your loved one shows up intoxicated to the intervention, for example, the interventionist is likely to tacitly reschedule. The setting can be problematic when it’s too casual or disorderly or lacks privacy. Most of these situations are evaluated and screened by counselors before meetings to prevent negative issues.

Playing the Blame Game

The addiction treatment community tries to avoid confrontational approaches to intervention. When dealing with situations that require a “tough love” approach, interventionists coach friends and family members to prevent blaming, shaming, and finger-pointing. Intervention dynamics can be unpleasant and emotional, but they should never be intense and overwhelming. The expression of emotions is almost inevitable during interventions, but they shouldn’t veer into blaming territory because blame invites defensiveness and resentment. Guilt trips can push your loved one further into denial, thus increasing the likelihood of failure.

Overly Strict Conditions

Although interventionists are firm when they create treatment and recovery plans, they often give patients some agency. John Mulaney spent two months in an inpatient rehabilitation program despite initially agreeing to 30 days. He made a wise decision because he wasn’t pressured. This professionally guided flexibility provides a more personalized and gentler approach. In some cases, patients can enter sober living homes instead of going through a long period of inpatient rehabilitation. For example, staying in a Solana Beach men’s sober living facility is a residential approach that prepares patients to transition back into healthy lives.

If you or someone you love needs help to stop using addictive substances, call on the compassionate team at Casa Pacifica. Along with providing coastal sober living Solana Beach men can rely on during recovery, we work with our individual residents to develop customized plans that integrate treatment, aftercare, and recovery support. Our services include sober companionship, coaching, and mentorship for those who are recovering from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. For more information about our sober living facilities, call us today.