5 Ways to Stage an Alcohol Intervention

1. Talk to an Alcohol Counselor First

Counselors or "interventionists" are trained in successful interventions and know the various emotional pitfalls that are involved. People can react in innumerable ways when confronted by an intervention: denial, anger, evasion or even violence. Contact a drug or alcohol clinic in your area and speak with a counselor about intervention strategies. Talk about your history with the alcohol user and the facts about any past efforts to get through to him. Be honest about any difficulties that may arise and how you believe the drinker will react to an intervention. The counselor can provide advice and will be there to help you with the intervention when it happens.

2. Involve Friends, Family and Co-workers

The more people close to the alcoholic involved in the intervention, the stronger it will be. Make a list of important people who can participate. Let them help plan it, and keep them aware of what the intervention will entail. Each participant should rehearse what she will say to the drinker; have them write their words down if they need to. Practice the intervention at least once with everyone before you do it.

3. Select a Time and Place

Find a good place to hold the intervention. It should be somewhere safe and secure, such as a friend's house, a parent's house or a hotel room. It should have enough space to hold every participant, and small children should not be around. Pick a time when the alcoholic is sober (if possible) and reasonably calm. In addition, it is important to have a treatment center set up for the drinker to go to once the intervention is done. If it's successful, the alcoholic can simply pack a bag and go there immediately. Talk to your counselor and find a local treatment center that is appropriate for you.

4. Be Firm but Loving

When the time comes to face the facts, stay honest, but be supportive. A friend or loved one will escort the drinker to the prearranged location under the pretext of a visit or some innocuous event. The counselor will greet him and explain the purpose of the intervention. Each person there will have a chance to stand up and speak to the alcoholic, either reading from their prepared speeches or talking directly to him. In each case, it is important to stress the effect the alcoholic is having on those around him. Tell him how his behavior is affecting you and the kinds of problems it is causing in your life, rather than stressing how awful he is or what he is doing wrong. At the end of each speech, have the speaker ask the alcoholic if he will seek rehabilitation.

5. Adhere to Disciplinary Measures

Be prepared for the possibility that the alcoholic will not confront his problem. No matter how overwhelming the evidence, the drinker himself must acknowledge the problem and choose to seek help on his own. Know what you will do if he can't, and make it clear to him what the consequences will be if he continues this behavior. Stick to those consequences. Don't enable his drinking by backsliding or tacitly approving of it. Be prepared to sever contact with him if that's what it takes. It sounds harsh, but only by confronting the consequences of his drinking will an alcoholic be able to stop.