Alcohol addiction can be life damaging for the addict. Hence, if you find that your loved one is suffering from alcohol abuse, it is time to intervene and help him/her come out of the situation. You need to prepare for the interview very carefully. Following section will brief you some tips, which will make your alcohol intervention a success.
- Plan the Meeting Carefully
Planning is necessary for alcohol intervention meeting to be successful. It has been found by research that an improperly planned meeting can make the situation worse. Moreover, it can lead to addict’s denial and can make him/her more defensive.
The objective of the meeting is to find out what is bothering the alcohol addict and why he/she is in that situation. Choose a time when alcohol addict is in good mood. Moreover, he/she must not be in drunken state at the time of meeting. Consider choosing a place with fewer distractions. If you feel that home isn’t the best place for a successful intervention, consider a hotel room, office or a therapist’s clinic.
- Intervention Team
You should choose the intervention team carefully. The intervention team should include those people who really care about the subject. They can be friends, family members, coworkers or addiction professionals. Every member of the intervention team must be highly supportive to the addict’s recovery.
Team members must not blame, accuse or hurt the addict in any way. People with uncontrolled emotions must be avoided in the team. You can even include a professional interventionist in your team to make your intervention a success. Addict must be comfortable with all the team members. You should not consider involving those people, who are drinking alcohol with the addict.
- Seek Professional’s Advice
It is important to seek professional advice before going for an alcohol intervention. This is because interventionists have received advanced training and they know how to deal with an addict. An interventionist can guide you how to plan meeting or can even be a part of your intervention team. There are various alcohol treatment centers in South Dakota where you can seek for assistance.
- Be Clear About the Objective of Meeting
You must be clear the objective of the intervention before meeting. The objective of the meeting shouldn’t be informative but it should be convincing. The intervention meeting should be prepared in such a way that it convinces the subject to make key changes.
These changes can be entering into a treatment program, spending time with family, leaving alcohol addict friends or reducing alcohol consumption. The addict must know that his/her decision to accept or reject the treatment will have serious consequences. Write down the objective and key points to keep your team focused.
- Focus on Motivation
The intervention meeting should not accuse the addict of drinking alcohol rather it should motivate or convince him to quit drinking. An effective intervention can convince the subject to enter rehab. While talking about the negative consequences of the subject’s behavior, you should also talk about the positive effects of entering rehab.
To conclude, your intervention can save life of an addict and can make him/her a good citizen. All you need is some planning to make the intervention meeting a success.