How does an intervention work?
Intervention occurs when the alcoholic person is in denial or does not seem to want to accept any help and loved ones, relatives, and even employers decide that it is time to step in and take action. They do this to help the alcoholic to recover a sober and healthy life. Under the guidance of a professional, an intervention team forms, made up of two or more people who are concerned and close to the alcoholic and who have first-hand knowledge of the alcoholic’s symptoms or behavior. The team meets and, in an objective and caring way, the alcoholic is confronted with the facts about his/her drinking. By using specific examples of the alcoholic’s drinking behavior, the team attacks the alcoholic’s wall of defenses. the alcoholic meets head-on with the reality of the effects of alcoholism. This process causes discomfort and upset. The alcoholic is shaken out of denial and this may lead to agreement to seek help.
