Alcohol Intervention | How to Stage One & What to Expect

Knowing that someone you love is dealing with an alcohol addiction is often a heavy weight to bear. An addiction is like a stone landing in water. Whilst its impacts are felt most closer to the source (the individual struggling) the effects of alcoholism can ripple outwards, being felt by our nearest and dearest. Addiction does not exist in a vacuum, and compartmentalising our lives can be very difficult. Worry and concern for someone close to us can quickly become overwhelming – and, at times, all-encompassing. But how do we manage these feelings whilst ensuring our loved ones are accessing the support they deserve? A suitable option for many is a brief intervention.

Man struggling with alcohol abuse

Alcohol intervention

An alcohol intervention (sometimes also known as a brief or alcoholic intervention) is a formal meditation overseen by a healthcare professional. These are typically arranged when ‘an individual is engaging in healthy drinking.’ Brief interventions can be organised in several different ways, either

  • By a provider of primary, speciality or hospital care, or
  • By a loved one

Why are they needed?

The role of a brief intervention is to help the individual struggling with their alcohol consumption to recognise that they are dealing with an addiction. This is a very essential part of the recovery journey. Addiction leads to significant changes in the ways that we think, feel, and make connections. An addiction to a substance, for example, means that our perspective on drugs will be inherently skewed. This means that we can naturally become defensive over our addictive substance (or behaviour). If someone starts to tell us that we have a drinking problem, we are likely to struggle to accept that. To an extent, this means that addiction involves a level of denial. And to overcome that denial, we often need to contend with the reality of the situation.

But in such a high intensity situation, these kinds of conversations can be difficult to have. When they are not conducted appropriately they can lead to feelings of resentment, anger, and even leave to fracturing of the family unit. This is where a brief intervention comes in.

Alcohol intervention group

What should I expect?

If you are looking into what happens during a brief intervention, the chances are that you are either:

  1. Staging an alcohol intervention for a loved one
  2. Taking part in an alcohol intervention

Regardless of your role in the intervention itself, it is important to know what the goals of an alcohol intervention typically are. Usually, brief interventions aim to:

  • ‘Reduce drinking to recommended low-risk patterns and levels’
  • Reduce binge drinking
  • Lower likelihood of negative health consequences
  • Lover likelihood of negative social consequences
  • To educate individuals on the risks involved in chronic or excessive alcohol consumption

Screening

A screening typically needs to happen first for a brief intervention to take place. A screening is a type of assessment, and it is used to get a picture of the potential risk level associated with an individual’s drinking habits. During a screening, you may be asked to answer some of the following questions:

  • Do you drink alcoholic drinks?
  • How many days a week do you drink alcohol?
  • How many drinks do you tend to drink at a time?

You may also be asked additional questions that focus on identifying the presence of alcohol dependency. These are:

  • Do you ever feel guilty about the amount you drink?
  • Do you get defensive or annoyed when people comment on your drinking?
  • Have you tried to cut down on drinking in the past, and have you been able to?
  • Do you drink early in the morning to help you get through the day?

If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, then this is believed to ‘delineate present or past alcohol problems’ and would indicate the need for a brief intervention.

What happens during the intervention?

During the brief intervention, alcohol-related risk will be discussed and assessed. This is achieved in several ways, such as:

  • Assessment of current risk to physical health
  • Assessment of current risk to mental health
  • Advice on what a ‘safer’ amount of alcohol consumption may look like
  • General advice on alcohol-related guidelines
  • Assessment of the individual’s ability to accept the presence of an alcohol problem
  • Assessment of the individual’s readiness to change

An intervention is formatted in a largely informal way and may present like a conversation. The outcome of the intervention will depend on the level of risk identified. Targeted action can then be made – this could look like:

  • Goal planning
  • Providing suppor
  • Referring to community resources
  • Monitoring for withdrawal

Staging an alcohol intervention for a loved one

The key aim of a brief intervention is always to remain non-judgemental. Having a clinical professional present can be useful here. This is because it is often easier to have complicated conversations when we are slightly detached from a situation. When difficult things are happening to someone that we love, it can be tricky to stop our own emotions from colouring our perspective. By implementing the support of a brief interventionist, you can reduce the risk of your feelings running away with you. This can help to keep tensions from rising and eliminate potential perceptions of blame that either party could identify.

An appropriate time to stage an alcohol intervention would be if:

  • Your loved one’s drinking is causing them to be unpredictable
  • You fear for your loved one’s safety due to their drinking
  • You fear for the safety of you or others due to your loved one’s drinking
  • Your loved one appears to ‘change’ when they drink
  • Your loved one is not receptive to conversations around potential drinking issues

If you are planning on staging an alcohol intervention, you can contact us for advice and support on how to do this safely.

Alcohol intervention group 2

Taking part in an alcohol intervention

If you are taking part in an alcohol intervention, then you may feel nervous about what to expect. The most important thing to remember here is that interventions are staged out of a place of concern. This means that the people around you care for you very much and wish to prioritise your wellbeing. The best way to approach the intervention is to be open, honest and receptive to what your loved ones and interventionists have to say.

Tips for a successful alcohol intervention

Discussing difficult topics can quickly become heated. But when conducted in a measured and respectful way, alcohol interventions are an opportunity for each party to have their voice heard, as well as to receive specialist advice from an addiction professional.

Things to Do:

  • Be honest
  • Be respectful
  • Be ready to listen to your loved ones
  • Be open to hearing professional advice
  • Practise active listening
  • Do not make assumptions
  • Try to let your guard down
  • Reflect on what may be leading you to drink

Things to Avoid:

  • Try to remain calm
  • Do not place blame on others
  • Try not to be reactive – try not to shout or become aggressive
  • Try to focus on the individual the intervention is for
  • Making generalisations
  • Taking another individual’s feelings or actions personally

Whilst difficult, an intervention can offer a gateway into an addiction recovery journey.

(Click here to see works cited)

  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4401596/
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4401596/
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3725219/
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3725219/
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4401596/
  • https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/drugs-library/cage-alcohol-questionnaire_en
  • https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/drugs-library/cage-alcohol-questionnaire_en
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