| Alcoholic intervention letters are a powerful strategy | | | | addict's willpower or strength, but a matter of |
| you want to use. A key to it's success is preventing | | | | receiving treatment for a serious illness. Request the |
| this special alcohol abuse help event from becoming | | | | addict to receive professional alcohol abuse help |
| emotionally charged with anger and resentment. The | | | | immediately following the alcoholic intervention. |
| alcoholic feels defensive and edgy in the first place | | | | Then list factual examples which illustrate the alcohol |
| and is possible to start arguments, so if someone | | | | problem. These must be your own experiences, not |
| takes the bait to argue, anger will overtake the | | | | what you heard from others. For example: |
| session. The fight will dominate the meeting and will | | | | "Mum, I visited you three times this week to see |
| destroy it's purpose. In order to prevent it from | | | | how you are, and each time, you were drunk by |
| happening, only one person will speak with the addict, | | | | 7pm. Your speech was slurred and anything I did |
| answering concerns and objections. Everyone else | | | | seem to anger you. You screamed and cursed at |
| only reads from their intervention letter. | | | | me, calling me offensive names and it hurts me so |
| A good intervention letter is an important tool, | | | | much! Then the next day, when I brought it up, you |
| ensuring that your love and concern for the addict is | | | | have no memory of my visit. I know you love me |
| expressed, the purpose of the session is clear and | | | | and don't want to hurt me, but when you've been |
| there is no anger, blame or recrimination. Everyone | | | | drinking, how you treat me is intensely painful and |
| reads their letter, committing to refrain from adding | | | | shatters me." |
| anything else in the alcoholic intervention. This will | | | | Eliminate all blame, recriminations and anger. These |
| protect participants from bursting into impetuous | | | | sabotage the goal of the addict accepting specialized |
| arguments, keeping the meeting on track. | | | | help during the alcoholic intervention. Express how the |
| Start your letter with authentic expressions of your | | | | addict's behavior makes you feel about yourself |
| love for this person. Speak generously from your | | | | rather than blaming the person for your feelings. For |
| heart. Outline in details what you love and cherish | | | | example: |
| about that person. Identify events when he or she | | | | Then express real examples which expose the |
| was especially helpful to you, made a difference to | | | | alcohol problem clearly. Whereas, "When you've been |
| you and the times when you have been proud of | | | | drinking, how you treat me hurts me deeply and |
| the person. List the person's beautiful qualities and | | | | makes me feel unwanted" addresses the behavior |
| what you miss about him or her. | | | | without blaming. |
| The addict will anticipate recriminations at the start of | | | | Conclude your letter with love and concern. Express |
| the alcoholic intervention. Hearing about how much | | | | your support of alcoholism recovery, requesting the |
| they are loved and the contribution they have been | | | | alcoholic to enter a specific in-patient clinic. |
| to others can stimulate the alcoholic's willingness to | | | | When this simple format of an alcoholic intervention |
| enroll in a alcohol abuse help clinic. | | | | letter is combined with a firm request for receiving |
| Next, remove morality - right and wrong - from the | | | | professional alcohol abuse help is repeated by every |
| situation, shifting it into the medical realm. Express | | | | participant, it creates a powerful impact on the |
| that alcoholism is a disease which requires medical | | | | alcoholic leading to that person saying yes. |
| treatment. Confirm that it is not a matter of the | | | | |