How do I Approach an Alcoholic About Stopping Drinking?

Alcoholism is a psychologically and physically dangerous disease, resulting in numerous health complications. Not only are alcoholics at higher risk for serious liver disease, heart attack and cancer, but alcoholism can deepen feelings of anxiety, depression and inadequacy that spurred excessive drinking in the first place. Left untreated, alcoholism can compromise the quality of life of your affected loved one, and place considerable strain on social networks and families. To get an alcoholic into a rehabilitation program, that person must agree to make a change. Confronting an alcoholic and asking him to accept treatment takes patience, tact and courage.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult an intervention professional about how to approach your alcoholic friend or family member. If you don't have an Alcoholics Anonymous branch close to you, public social workers have the expertise to provide similar advice. According to the Mayo Clinic, getting a professional opinion is especially important if the person has talked about suicide, has a history of mental illness, seems to be in denial or is prone to violent outbursts. Even if these characteristics don't describe your friend or family member, talking to a professional is still a smart first step. WebMD cautions that some health professionals think confronting an alcoholic without the help of an intervention specialist does more harm than good.

• 2

  Organize an intervention and make sure that friends and family close to the person can all attend. According to the website Lovefirst.net, organized interventions have a higher success rate than one-on-one conversations, convincing 85 percent of alcoholics to accept further counseling and treatment.

• 3

  Research treatment options for the person. See if insurance covers rehabilitation programs, evaluate different centers and approaches and talk to professionals from each organization about the appropriateness of their methods for your loved one. If the person will need to travel to the treatment center you select, consider having his bags packed and ready for him before the intervention starts.

• 4

  Research and prepare some facts about how the person's drinking habits are affecting him and other people. You could point to the amount of money spent on alcohol, or the number of family outings your loved one has missed in the past month.

• 5

  Hold a practice intervention. Have each friend or family member rehearse what they want to say to the person. Speakers should focus on how much they care for the person, how much they miss spending quality time with them and how their excessive drinking is affecting relationships. You can also use this meeting to discuss the proposed treatment plan, determine seating arrangements and decide on a facilitator who will guide the intervention proceedings. Discuss potential consequences if the person refuses treatment (for example, making him move out, cutting up credit cards, etc.).

• 6

  Host the real intervention. Give each person a chance to speak and express his feelings. At the end of the meeting, tell the person about her treatment options. Ask her for an immediate decision on whether or not she'll accept help. Let her know there will be consequences for not taking treatment (for example, relatives won't lend out money to enable her addiction). Be loving, but firm.