Location and Time for the Intervention
It is best to have the alcohol intervention held at a family member’s home, not at the addict’s home. This protects the intervention team from being asked to leave either by the addict or by police if he chooses to call them. Also, taking the addict out of his environment can help disarm his willingness to fight.
If you are dealing with someone who is known to isolate or not show up to family gatherings, you must devise a plan, story or emergency to get him to the intervention. No matter what it takes to get a commitment from the addict to attend the intervention, you must do it! I have had situations where the addict does not come around to family gatherings anymore. The only time he will show up at someone’s home is if money is there waiting for him. So, if you have to tell him that you are going to give him some money in order to get him to the intervention place, do it! I have had interventions where the family did not know how to get the addict over to the house. We developed a plan where we called and said there was a health issue in the family, and everyone was invited to the gathering to discuss this health issue. If you can gain a certain degree of curiosity with the addict, he will be more likely to show up to find out what is going on. Make sure you do not tell him that you are having an intervention for him or we (“I”) would like for you to be there.
AGAIN: Do not conduct the intervention when the addict is high on drugs or drunk. Remember the best time to do the intervention is in the morning or after he has been high or drunk and is coming down. He will be more vulnerable at this point and easier to convince that he really does need help. Doing an intervention is stressful enough for the team to break through the grips of addiction, let alone trying to break through when the addict is actively high. Do your best to have the intervention when the addict is as close to his emotional bottom as possible.
