HOW TO HOLD AN ALCOHOL INTERVENTION

Why this resource is helpful:

"Alcohol abuse and alcoholism is never an easy subject to discuss with a loved one who may struggle with these issues. It is tempting to directly confront a friend or family member that struggles with alcoholism, but that may backfire without a properly established alcohol addiction intervention.

Movies and TV tend to dramatize interventions to be a tense moment or a surprise-jump event for the person who requires the intervention. The movies and television shows don"t always portray the necessary planning and preparation that goes into a professional intervention. However, these interventions can tend to be emotionally profound and stressful moments for the interveners as well as the addicted family member/friend.

So what can family members, close friends, and others do to establish a safe and effective alcohol intervention in Portland OR? Below, we"ve highlighted some key steps to ensure that your intervention is as effective as possible. All these steps help your struggling loved one to know you care and want to help them fight their alcohol addiction.

STEP 1: BUILD A TEAM
Anytime you establish an intervention, make sure that your team is full of family members and friends that are close to the addicted person. An intervention"s best strength is when the people closest to the struggling addict attempt to confront and share their feelings.

In addition, you"ll want family and friends that will also help to motivate their loved one struggling with alcohol addiction. Motivation tactics may include increasing social visits, reigniting hobbies, and jumpstarting a career or personal passion.

Avoid bringing in any acquaintances that may be friendly but not entirely supportive of the goals of intervention. These may include people like drinking buddies or other people that encourage the addict to keep drinking.

STEP 2: FIND A TIME AND PLACE
The best time to host an intervention is when anyone with a drinking problem is sober or in-between binge drinking patterns.

For an intervention to work, the addict has to be sober. Otherwise, they may fail to understand the gravity of the intervention due to impaired thought and substance dependency. Holding an intervention while the alcoholic is drunk is not likely to promote the key goals of addressing alcohol dependency and motivating positive behavior change.

Learn when your loved one is more likely than not to binge drink to find an appropriate time. Once you"ve established a time you should try and find a neutral setting to host the intervention.

If you host the intervention in a house, then you may increase the chance the addict retreats, and shutters out intervention guests entirely. Try hosting the alcohol addiction intervention at a specialist"s venue including an interventionist or therapist"s office.

STEP 3: REHEARSE THE INTERVENTION
Before the intervention begins, try and rehearse it to keep it organized and structured. Interventions can be highly emotional moments and potentially derail if all participants are not able to control emotions.

Determine the order of family members to speak, calm air grievances, and learn how to effectively support an alcoholic loved one. Painful memories can lead to powerful emotional responses but all interveners must try and control emotions and show their support.

Ultimately, a good rehearsal can drastically improve the outcome of an alcohol intervention."

Search Mental Health Providers Find Similar Resources