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How To Stage An Alcohol Intervention

Author: ChrisChanning
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When you have a loved one who is an alcoholic, life is complicated. It is hard enough to live with an alcoholic, and sometimes it proves even harder just trying not to give them more reasons to drink. You don't want to enable their addiction by being seen as the "bad guy" and at the same time you desperately want them to get help for their problem. If you know a family member has a self-destructive drinking problem, then an intervention might be the only way to get through to them.

Before considering an intervention, you should know that the ultimate goal is for the alcoholic-whether it be your friend, spouse, or other family member-to willingly accept that their problem is hurting themselves as well as the people they care about and enter a treatment facility.

Where to Seek Help

The first step to planning an intervention, perhaps the easiest step in the process, is to contact an alcohol abuse counselor and tell them your situation. Ask if they think an intervention is a wise course of action. Most counselors will be more than willing to preside over the intervention, make sure things don't get out of hand, and get the person you care about into a treatment facility as soon as possible. They will be there to give you advice, so don't be afraid to ask.

The last thing that you want during an intervention for an alcoholic is for the person being intervened upon to enter a state of shock and storm out in a rage, only to go to the bar or liquor store. One method of preparing an alcoholic for an intervention is to mention that you have been speaking to a professional about their problem, more importantly, a professional who wants to get them help. Dropping subtle hints about something as major as an intervention can be risky business, so make sure to speak to a counselor if you're not quite sure what to do.

One of the people who would perhaps like to see your alcoholic friend or family member get sober that you might not have even considered is their employer. More frequently interventions for alcoholics take place at the place they work, because it is one of the few places they go where they aren't too terribly drunk. Make sure the employer is sympathetic to your plight and understands your intentions, and if you're in doubt about speaking to an employer then ask a counselor first.

Although interventions are inherently risky and can make matters worse both for you and the alcoholic in your life, it cannot be denied that continuing to abuse alcohol is far more dangerous than a failed intervention. If you believe a life is dependent on this intervention, then it is the only choice you have.

Alcoholism has no cure, only treatment. A 28 day treatment facility is only the start on a path to a sober life, and before you decide to intervene, the best advice that can be given is to consider the possibility that the intervention will not work. If you offer an alcoholic an ultimatum such as: "If you continue to drink, then I'm filing for divorce," then ask yourself if you are really prepared to take that kind of step. Failure is always a possibility with addiction interventions, and as with everything else in life, proper preparation will more likely yield positive results. Good luck.