Your loved one may feel attacked and become more isolated and more resistant to getting treatment. Without disclosing the reason, invite your loved one to the intervention site. Members of the team will then take turns declaring their feelings and concerns. The addict is then presented with a treatment option and asked to accept that option on the spot. Each team member will explain what specific changes they will make if the individual doesn’t accept treatment. It’s important not to threaten a consequence if you’re not prepared to follow through with it.
- With everyone on the same page, you can start to work on getting your loved one the help they need.
- Some may perceive them as unhelpful or even detrimental, an inevitable outcome of the lack of empirical support and the misconceptions surrounding them.
- They fail to consider that this belief sentences them to years of unhappiness while they wait for the so-called bottom.
- You may be able to send care packages or written letters, which can be especially valuable when in a controlled setting like a treatment program.
- Supporting family and friends through alcohol intervention is difficult.
Connect with PA Department of Human Services
You might not get the results you had hoped for after the first session. But you may not realize that your talk has prompted the person you love to ponder his or her drinking habits. You may not realize that the person who stormed out of the room when you tried to reason is probably now feeling ashamed about hurting you. If you have been able to stir second thoughts in the person, be assured that the second or third intervention meeting will bear results.
- Alcohol addiction can devastate those who are addicted and their loved ones.
- Many alcoholics also agree to seek help when they realize how their habits have hurt their loved ones.
- Using this method, friends, family members, and the intervention specialist all gather in an agreed-upon location—usually somewhere neutral and non-threatening—and confront the loved one together.
Residential Care, Or Outpatient Treatment?
The intervention itself is staged as more of a workshop that focuses on helping the person in question work to form a stronger family unit or support system to help them through the recovery process. Remember, it’s crucial how to do an intervention for an alcoholic to remain positive, stay supportive, and seek help from mental health professionals when needed. You can achieve successful outcomes with the right approach and attitude towards the person you care deeply about.
Alcohol Abuse Intervention: The Dos and Don’ts of Talking to a Loved One About Their Alcohol Misuse
- Straying away from the plan can quickly send an intervention off the rails, prevent a positive outcome, and make family tensions worse.
- Many professional interventionists have a preferred intervention style they use.
- The Recovery Village Atlanta offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions.
- Your loved one is more likely to get defensive if they’re faced with a group of people.
- And staging an intervention is a longstanding technique designed to help do just that.
Additionally, these specialists can help to design an intervention strategy tailored to your loved one. They can help identify treatment options and facilitate the transport of your loved one to an alcohol or drug intervention program and treatment center as well. Being informed about addiction and the problems it causes can help you find the right approach during the alcohol or drug intervention. It’s crucial to understand the scope and severity of the issue as well as separate the person from their health issues and behavior. The Mayo Clinic explains that interventions offer an opportunity to make changes and accept help before addiction issues get worse. Forcing or requiring your loved one to enter treatment can be counterproductive.
- It’s important to remember that a successful intervention for alcohol abuse must be planned carefully for it to work as intended.
- Bringing in an experienced intervention specialist may be necessary, especially if you’ve tried to have an informal intervention in the past and it proved ineffective, or the participant was unwilling.
- The first step in helping your loved one is to hold a proper intervention.
- An intervention is often not the first step in helping an alcoholic seek help but it’s often not the last one, either.
- An intervention team usually includes 4 to 6 people who are important in your loved one’s life — people your loved one likes, respects or depends on.
Recognizing that addiction affects both the brain’s structure and function can help participants maintain compassion during the intervention. Laying the groundwork for transformation forms a vital component of an intervention. The intervention is a purposeful gathering of friends, family, and colleagues who come together to confront the addicted individual in a caring way with the reality of their addiction. The last part of the letter is especially important; the addict must receive and understand the message of “Things Must Change for Us All and We Love You”. Essentially, the individual will list particular situations that have occurred directly related to the addicts use that have been devastating to that loved one and how that loved one felt about the situation.
