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Top 5 Alcohol Intervention Questions

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Choosing an alcohol intervention for an alcoholic that you care about is not easy. There are a number of steps to take to set it up and execute the event, and there is no guarantee that the alcoholic will accept addiction treatment. If you need help facilitating an alcohol intervention, contact us at Michael’s House for more information about how we can help.

Question #1: How Do I Begin to Set Up an Alcohol Intervention?

Start by making a list.

You will need to decide where to hold the alcohol intervention, the time and date, who to include and whether or not you will use a professional interventionist. You will also need to find an alcohol rehab for the alcoholic and pack a bag for her. If she agrees to undergo alcohol addiction treatment, she will need to leave immediately after the alcohol intervention.

Question #2: Do I Need a Professional Interventionist?

That is up to you.

If the alcoholic is a family member and you feel too emotionally close to the situation or if the alcoholic is a co-worker and you need to run the business during the intervention, then a professional interventionist is advised. They will come to you, help you determine where and when to hold the intervention and who to include. Then they will run the intervention and escort the alcoholic to alcohol rehab if he chooses addiction treatment.[1]

Question #3: How Long Should the Intervention Last?

The intervention will likely last at least an hour.[2]

If you include a more than a handful of people, it will last longer. Also, if the alcoholic is drunk at the beginning of the intervention, you will need to wait until she sobers up. It’s important that she is lucid during the intervention; this could take hours, so be prepared to wait.

Question #4: How Do I Choose an Alcohol Rehab for the Alcoholic?

You will need to secure a spot at an alcohol rehab for your loved one before the alcohol intervention begins.

Why? Because if the alcoholic chooses to go to alcohol rehab, then he needs to leave immediately, not the next day or the next week. You can choose the right alcohol rehab based on his needs. Call the alcohol rehab that you’re interested in and discuss with a counselor the specifics that the alcoholic is dealing with: alcohol history, co-occurring disorders, medical conditions, the amount the alcoholic drinks, if he is addicted to other drugs, etc. You will be able to determine the best style of treatment and the appropriate length of stay.

Question #5: How Does an Alcohol Intervention End?

An alcohol intervention ends with a proposal of alcohol rehab.

If the alcoholic chooses to go to rehab, then you or the professional interventionist can immediately escort her. If she opts out of treatment, then you need to have a list of consequences ready. These consequences will depend upon your position in her life. If, for example, you are the alcoholic’s boss, then you might say that her work hours will be cut or she will be fired unless she accepts treatment. If you are living with or married to the alcoholic, you might ask for a separation or for her to move out. Whatever you choose, make sure that you are prepared to follow through.

Alcohol Intervention at Michael’s House

Call us at 760.548.4032 if you'd like to be put in touch with a professional interventionist or to learn more about our Palm Springs alcohol rehab.


Sources

[1] https://www.ncadd.org/family-friends/there-is-help/intervention-tips-and-guidelines

[2] http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/addiction/intervention/how-to-do-an-intervention

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