Setting Up an Alcohol Addiction Intervention

When a friend, co-worker, or loved one is in the grips of alcoholism it can be difficult for them to realize just how this disease is affecting not only themselves but those around them. No matter how hard you try to explain or show them how the excessive alcohol use is hurting them they don’t want to listen. Setting up an intervention allows loved ones to confront the alcoholic about their alcohol abuse, and hopefully help them understand and agree to seek treatment for this life altering disease.

Setting Up an Intervention

If someone that you care about is currently struggling with an alcoholism problem, then you may feel as if you are being pressured to find a way to help them. You may feel as if you are short on time, and if you do not act now you are not going to be able to help them before they hurt themselves again. This is a really fine line that you are going to have to tread lightly over.

If you provide them with too much help then you might be enabling their disease more than helping them. If you provide them with too little help then they simply may not have the strength or power to find the treatment or help that they need. One of the best possible ways that you can help a loved one who is an alcoholic is to set up an intervention.

An intervention involves you and other loved ones of the alcoholic sitting down with the loved one. You confront him or her with the true reality about the situation. The best way to do this is to plan out an organized event where you and your friends and family members can sit down the with the loved one and try to convince them that now is the time to get professional help for their alcoholism. You must enter into this process with the right attitude and the right frame of mind so that it does not come off as an attack.

Planning the Intervention

There is a great debate about when the best time is for an alcoholic intervention to begin. Do you want to wait until your cherished loved one has reached their “rock bottom,” losing everything meaningful to them like children and family, friends, a spouse or partner, their job, their home and all their money? Should you help them before these important relationships are destroyed?

Generally the best course of action is “sooner rather than later” when it comes to alcoholism intervention. The sooner that you are able to wake your loved one up to the damage that they are doing to themselves and others, the sooner you will be able to get them the help and support that they need so desperately during this time. There are a lot of terrible mistakes that can be circumvented when you lodge an intervention sooner rather than later.

Framing Your Intervention

The first thing that you are going to need is a plan. Help is available at (800-303-2482).

Lay out who you are planning to invite to the intervention. Invite these people to a meeting where you can plan out the intervention. There are a lot of small details that you are going to want to lay out ahead of time such as when you are going to hold the intervention, where you are going to hold the intervention, who is going to speak, how long they are going to speak for and what they are going to say. You are also going to want to make detailed arrangements for your loved one to get treatment. If they decide to accept the treatment plan that you lay out, then you are going to want to have information and resources available for them immediately.

Many drug rehab programs and alcoholism rehab programs actually feature intervention specialists that can help you with this process. They have the experience and expertise in the field of alcoholism that will help you plan out a well formed intervention. Because the health of your loved one hinges on the success of your intervention, you need to make sure that everything is properly planned out and prepared. If you work with an intervention specialist, then you may find that they have a lot of extra advice and guidance that you can take advantage of. Listen to everything that they have to say, because the odds are good that they have been through a number of successful interventions and are acting on personal experience when they guide you.

Make sure to arm yourself with as much information as you possibly can. The loved one is probably not going to respond happily to the intervention at first. When you lay out the facts, explain the situation and tell them that they are going down a path of darkness and need to get help, they should eventually come around and accept that what you’re saying is the truth. When you have information, resources and evidence on your side, you can make a pretty strong case for them to listen to.

Do not be surprised if the intervention is not well received at first. It can be hard for someone to admit that they have a drinking problem, even when they are in the company of loved ones but do not back down. Do not give up. Be stronger than ever, because in this moment your loved one needs you to be strong for them.

Offer to be there every step of the way. Tell them that you will go with them to the alcohol rehab center and help them check in. Tell them that you will help them pack and make sure they have everything they need. Tell them that you are always only a phone call away, and that you will be on their side through this entire journey. Someone who is struggling with alcoholism needs supportive people in their lives more than ever. The odds are good that they have destroyed some relationships in recent weeks or months due to the drinking, so it is important to show them that you are still there.

The process of an intervention is all about showing an alcoholic loved one that you care about them and have their best interest at heart. Make sure that you approach this situation with the right attitude. You want to show them that you are concerned and that you care rather than that you are angry or upset.

When you show your loved one that all you care about is their health and well-being, the intervention is going to go a lot more smoothly than if you approach it with the wrong attitude. Having the right attitude is going to mean everything when it comes to having a successful intervention.

Make sure that you keep all of these tips and tools in mind when you are formulating your own intervention. Take your time during the planning process, but make sure that you get your loved one the help that they need before something serious happens. The right timing is everything and it is vitally essential that you nip the problem in the bud sooner rather than later for the best recovery results.