Let your alcoholic friend or family member realize the damage they’re doing to themselves and those around them. It is essential to stay firm regarding the consequences you and your loved one previously agreed upon if they refuse treatment for their addiction. By taking this action, how to do an intervention for an alcoholic you demonstrate the level of commitment you had to the Intervention. This model focuses on recognizing the individual’s ambivalence towards change and encourages family members to participate in a conversation to help the alcoholic find the motivation to enter a rehab program.

Total abstinence from alcohol is not always the goal of an intervention or treatment process. Some people will be able to learn selective drinking behaviors and remove themselves from an alcohol abuse cycle. However, giving up alcohol for good and accepting a life of sobriety is the only way some people are able to move past addiction. For each person, a team of doctors and therapists will decide the best course of treatment and the desired outcome. Sometimes people in this stage do show up for addiction treatment, but it’s not by their own volition.

How to Do an Intervention With a Family Member

Overcoming alcohol use disorder is an ongoing process, one which can include setbacks. Some are surprised to learn that there are medications on the market approved to treat alcohol dependence. The newer types of these medications work by offsetting changes in the brain caused by AUD. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition that doctors diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm. The condition can range from mild to severe and is diagnosed when a patient answers “yes” to two or more of the following questions.

• It has the potential to stir up a sense of betrayal or resentment on the part of the addict.
• An addiction professional will take into account your loved one's particular circumstances, suggest the best approach, and help guide you in what type of treatment and follow-up plan is likely to work best.
• Many teens turn to alcohol to relieve stress, cope with the pressures to fit in or succeed at school, self-medicate other mental health issues, or to deal with major life changes, like a move or divorce.
• This CME/CE credit opportunity is jointly provided by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and NIAAA.
• On one hand, you want to maintain your relationship; however, you want your loved one to get the help they need.
• They may decide, for instance, that they’re going to seek treatment sometime in the next six months but won’t set a definite date.

It is also helpful to have a few different treatment options identified and immediately available. More support at the start of the process will have more impact for everyone involved, including the individual who is the center of the intervention. One of the hallmarks of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and addiction is that individuals with AUD often do not recognize that they have a problem with alcohol. Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives.

How Does An Alcohol Intervention Work?

Dealing with the problem openly and honestly is the best approach. The key to dealing with alcohol dependency in the family is staying focused on the situation as it exists today. It doesn't reach a certain level and remain there for very long; it continues to get worse until the person with an alcohol problem seeks help. For those who love someone living with an addiction, it is very difficult to sit back and let the crisis play out to its fullest extent. When they reach the point in their substance use when they get a DUI, lose their job, or go to jail, for example, it can be difficult to accept that the best thing they can do in the situation is nothing. When someone with alcohol dependency promises they will never drink again but a short time later are back to drinking as much as always, it is easy to take the broken promises and lies personally.

At the preparation stage, alcoholics have decided to make a change, and they are planning to take meaningful steps toward recovery in the near future. Individuals may waffle back and forth between wanting and not wanting to change. They may decide, for instance, that they’re going to seek treatment sometime in the next six months but won’t set a definite date. During this stage, people are experiencing the negative impacts of their alcohol addiction, but they have no intention of changing their behavior.

Natural Herbs to Treat Alcoholism

All approved medications are non-addictive and can be used alone or in combination with other forms of treatment. Alcohol-related problems—which result from drinking too much, too fast, or too often—are among the most significant public health issues in the United States. The first step is recognition of the problem, which may not always be apparent to the individual misusing alcohol. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

When discussing treatment centers with your loved one, let them know that you will be there to support and encourage them every step of the way. Getting help for an AUD is a huge decision for someone to make. Remind your loved one about the happier times in their life when alcohol didn’t control their emotions and health. With the the help of alcohol treatment providers, they can take back control of their life and their happiness. It is okay for you to decide to hold an intervention for an alcoholic loved one.