Alcoholism Intervention

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In an alcoholism intervention, alcoholics are confronted by family members and friends about their drinking behavior and how their abusive and excessive drinking has affected everyone around him or her.

Alcoholism interventions should be carefully planned and developed by professional substance abuse counselors who are experienced in such procedures. The most essential purpose of an alcoholism intervention is to get the alcoholic to seek professional alcohol addiction treatment.

Alcoholism Intervention:  A Broad Overview

Research shows that one way of dealing with alcoholism is to conduct an intervention.  What is an alcoholism intervention?

Essentially an intervention can be viewed as a step in the alcohol treatment process in which the alcohol abuser is confronted about his or her drinking behavior and how the excessive and abusive drinking has affected family members, friends, co-workers, and perhaps neighbors.

Stated differently, an alcoholism intervention is a meeting involving the alcoholic, family members, friends, perhaps an employer, along with a mental health or an addiction intervention specialist.  In this meeting, the family members and friends, under the leadership and guidance of the healthcare or mental health professional, express their concern over the addict's drinking behavior and strongly "encourage" the addict to get professional help.

Typically in an intervention, family members and friends tell the alcoholic in their own words how they are concerned about the drinker and how his or her drinking has created anxiety, frustration, fear, and other problems in their lives.  The objective of an alcoholism intervention is for the alcoholic to listen to what has been said and then to accept the fact that he or she needs professional alcoholism assistance.

It is important to state that alcoholism interventions are typically resorted to when all other options have been exhausted in an attempt to help an individual overcome a serious drinking problem.

Alcoholism Interventions Can Fail

Substance abuse research reveals the fact that a number of alcohol abuse and alcoholism treatment centers have stopped doing alcoholism interventions because they sometimes fail.  More to the point, when alcoholism interventions are not successful, a fact that has to be considered, the family can actually be torn apart even further due to the negative and disruptive feelings about the failed intervention. 

It must be emphasized that this is not an insignificant issue for a family that is already on the edge of destruction due to the alcoholic behavior of a family member.  The chance for failure regarding alcoholism interventions highlights the need to employ an alcoholism intervention professional who has a proven track record of success.

Why Do Alcoholism Interventions Fail?

What are the main reasons that alcoholism interventions fail?  First, the intervention may fail if the alcoholic doesn't follow the treatment protocol both during and after formal treatment.

Second, since his or her reasoning and logical abilities and emotional stability may be inhibited because of advanced alcoholism, the alcoholic may simply leave the intervention session, meaning that the well-intentioned family members will have to deal with the failed intervention in addition to the rest of their problems.

The third reason that alcoholism interventions may prove to be unsuccessful is the fact that the alcoholic may not be ready for help at this time.  Stated differently, some therapists believe that alcoholism interventions may lack a proven long-term track record due to the fact that many alcoholics are not able to receive help until they get to the point in their lives when they themselves make this decision.

In short, according to this view, alcoholics can't be helped until they seek help on their own.  Ironically, even if the intervention helps put alcoholics in a more receptive frame of mind and actually helps them decide that they need help, the mere fact that the intervention took place may result in resentment, mistrust, and ill feelings down the road.  And fourth, alcoholism interventions can fail when a family either chooses to undertake an intervention without the guidance and support of an intervention professional or if the intervention specialist is incompetent.

When Do Alcoholism Interventions Succeed?

Research has shown that the optimum time for an alcoholism intervention is following a major event, such as an arrest for a DUI, when an alcoholic has been caught stealing something of value, or when the alcoholic is caught lying about something of importance.  In these circumstances, the alcoholic is more likely to be remorseful or to feel guilty.  Though this may seem obvious, it needs to be stated that it is also important that the addict is sober at the time of the intervention.

It is interesting to point out, however, that according to alcoholism research, men are more likely to remain in alcohol treatment if they are there under suggestions or threats from their employers. This finding seems to indicate that intervention that includes participation by employers can be effective in some instances.  In fact, according to one study, employees who were chronic alcohol abusers displayed significant improvement in their drinking behavior and in their job performance during the months immediately following an intervention to confront their problem drinking that was negatively affecting their work.

In short, it can be stated that some alcoholism interventions have been shown to assist in the process of motivating the alcoholic to accept treatment for his or her alcohol addiction.  And if done with careful planning and with the guidance of an intervention expert, the chances of success are greatly enhanced.

Alcoholism Intervention:  Conclusion

An intervention is a form of confrontation in which a group of concerned individuals, such as family members and friends along with a mental health or an addiction intervention professional, have a meeting with an alcohol addicted individual.  In this meeting, the family members and friends, under the supervision and guidance of the intervention specialist, express their concern over the alcoholic's drinking behavior and strongly "encourage" the alcoholic to get professional help.

Although alcoholism interventions should be undertaken as a "last resort" and have been known to boomerang and result in mistrust, ill feelings, and resentment, if done with careful planning and with the guidance of an intervention expert, the chances of a successful alcoholism intervention are significantly enhanced.

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