Alcoholism Intervention

Alcoholism intervention is a serious undertaking that must be entered into carefully by family members and friends – and done only in conjunction with counsel from a substance abuse professional.

Confronting the alcoholic with evidence of how his or her drinking has affected loved ones and friends may serve as motivation to seek treatment. Yet, alcoholism intervention strategies may vary and, if not done properly, can backfire making the alcoholic even more resistant to help.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends the following steps to help create a successful intervention:

• Quit making excuses or protecting the alcoholic from the consequences of his or her substance abuse so that he or he she can see the full impact of their behavior.

• With interventions, timing is everything. The immediate aftermath of an alcohol-related problem such as an accident or major dispute is a good time to talk to the alcoholic. Make sure he or she is sober, both of you are relatively calm, and you get together in private before you do an alcoholism intervention.

• Give the alcoholic specific examples of how his or her drinking has created problems.

• Make sure the alcoholic understands what you will do to protect yourself from his or her problems is he or she does not seek assistance, and that this action is not intended to punish him or her. This could range from refusing to participate with them in a social activity with them where alcohol will be served to removing yourself (and children if they are present) from the home. Your stated intentions must not be empty gestures; you must be prepared to follow through on these actions.

• Research options for treatment in your area so that if the alcoholic intervention convinces a family member or loved one to seek help, you can quickly arrange an appointment. Offer to accompany him or her on their initial visit.

If your attempt at an alcoholism intervention is not successful, don’t give up. Talk to a caring, nonjudgmental friend about using these same steps to encourage the alcoholic to seek help. Several tries by several different people may be required.

An option to confronting an alcoholic individually is to bring a group of family members and friends together. Again, the planning and guidance of a professional substance abuse counselor is absolutely important before doing this or any other intervention.

Keep in mind that there are a number of support groups ready to help you through this difficult time. Most communities have Al-Anon meetings for spouses of alcoholics and others affected by their drinking, as well as Alateen groups designed for children of alcoholics.

Their purpose is to help family members understand that it is not their fault that an alcoholic drinks and they must ultimately look after themselves whether or not their loved one gets help.

Contact information for these and other support organizations can be found by clicking here.

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