There are several popular TV shows that deal with interventions for stress-related self-defeating behaviors such as overeating, hoarding, excessive shopping, drug abuse, bullying, etc. In real life, interventions must be carefully planned by professionals to be effective. Often, there is a high degree of denial and resistance and the person in need of an intervention may not be cooperative! Also, not everyone, such as close family members or friends in a support group, may be willing to cooperate in an intervention. Perhaps some of you will go on to become counselors and have to address such maladaptive behaviors. In this conference for earned participation credit, I ask you to think critically about a situation that you know of where such an intervention might be helpful (no names of persons, please). Answer the following questions.
1. What specific stressful problem behavior might be helped by a careful intervention?
2. What specific type of intervention might be applied?