If your loved one has a drinking problem, an intervention may be necessary. In a formal intervention, a group of friends and family members gather to confront the alcoholic about his behavior and ask him to go into treatment. The saying goes that an addict has to "hit bottom" to recognize the need for treatment, and an intervention effectively brings that bottom to him. The objective of an intervention is to relieve the suffering of both the alcoholic and the people who love him.
Step 1
Research treatment centers and intervention counselors. Call or email treatment centers when the addict is not present. Make sure they have room for your loved one and will accept their insurance or work with you on payment. Many treatment centers can refer you to an interventionist.
Step 2
Make travel arrangements for getting the alcoholic to treatment. He will need to leave as soon as the intervention is over. Often, the interventionist flies with the addict to out-of-state treatment.
Step 3
Schedule a pre-intervention meeting with the interventionist in a location unknown to the addict. The interventionist will make sure everyone who participates in the intervention is prepared for potential outcomes of confronting the addict.
Step 4
Write letters telling the addict how his addiction has affected your life and his. Explain non-judgmentally the consequences both you and he have suffered, and how his behavior has changed since his drinking became a problem.
Step 5
Write a second letter explaining the consequences to the alcoholic if he does not accept treatment. You may choose to remove yourself from his life, stop paying his bills, or, if he is living with you, kick him out of your home. If the addict says no to treatment, you will be called upon by the interventionist to read this letter.
Step 6
Pack a suitcase with enough clothing and toiletries to last the addict through his stay in treatment. The treatment center can tell you what to pack. Have the suitcase waiting in the car that will take him to treatment.
Step 7
Prepare to accept treatment yourself. Some interventionists and treatment centers believe that addiction is a family disease, and that only when the family seeks counseling can the alcoholic's treatment be truly effective.
Things You'll Need
- Interventionist
- Treatment center arrangements
- Packed suitcase
- Car
- Plane ticket
