Alcohol Addiction Intervention FAQ
What is an Alcohol Addiction Intervention?
An intervention is for someone suffering from alcohol or drug addiction. It is a planned discussion with the goal of letting your loved one know that she is an alcoholic or chronic abuser of alcohol and is hurting herself and her family. Whether you choose a formal intervention or an informal intervention, your main objective is to get your loved one into alcohol rehab immediately after the alcohol addiction intervention is complete.
Is an Alcohol Addiction Intervention Supposed to Stop Alcoholism?
No. An intervention will not be able to treat your loved one’s disease. It is solely designed to get your loved one to an alcohol rehab equipped to provide the medical, psychological and emotional/spiritual help necessary to forge a solid foundation in recovery. Alcoholism is a disease. There is no cure but it does requires medical treatment for any lasting remission. For some, remission lasts a lifetime. The more effective and efficient the treatment, the more lasting will be the time without alcohol. This is not something that can be accomplished by an alcohol addiction intervention, however, an alcohol addiction intervention is the first step.
What Do I Say During an Alcohol Addiction Intervention?
It is your words, said with sincerity and love rather than judgment or anger, that are your greatest asset in an intervention for alcoholism. Here are a few tips to help you figure out what to say when it’s your turn to speak at your loved one’s intervention:
- Speak without judgment. It can’t be said enough: if you are angry, malicious or judgmental in tone or in word when you’re talking to your loved one, chances are, she won’t listen for long. To be most effective, keep your tone even and make eye contact as you relate the facts.
- Be specific. Tell her about a particular event that occurred as a direct result of her alcohol addiction, one that hurt you personally and deeply. This isn’t a guilt trip, but she does need to see that her alcoholism is directly affecting the people she loves in specific and hurtful ways.
- Be truthful. Don’t embellish or dramatize the emotion of the event. Even if it is simple, your statement when combined with those of the other people at the intervention will be compelling and effective.
- Remember the point of the intervention. The content of your message should be this: that you love your family member or friend and you want her to get better.
How Do I Make an Alcohol Addiction Intervention Go Smoothly?
First of all, stay calm. Keeping things on an even keel is important for the success of the intervention since emotions are wont to run high.
Second, make sure that the safety of everyone involved is always a priority. No one, including the loved one you are confronting, should be high or intoxicated during the intervention. If that means that you need to wait for her to sober up, then you wait.
Thirdly, prepare yourself for any outcome. One of the functions of an intervention is put forth your demand that your loved one get treatment, making it clear that you will no longer support her financially or in a relationship or at work, depending upon your relationship to her. If she refuses treatment, you’ve done what you can. Be prepared to follow through on your ultimatums. Conversely, should she accept, be prepared with a packed bag and a ride to take her to alcohol rehab.
Alcohol Addiction Intervention: Orchid Recovery Center
If you need assistance setting up an alcohol addiction intervention for a loved one, at Orchid Recovery Center, we can help. We can provide you with professional interventionist if you like or just help you set up a place for your loved one to enter treatment. Contact us at Orchid Recovery Center today for more information.
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