Watching a loved one succumb to alcohol addiction is one of the most painful things anyone can experience. You may be at a loss for what you can do and how you can help. Fortunately, there are actions to take, including staging an intervention. But who should be involved with a family intervention for an alcoholic? The following guide will examine who usually should and should not be a part of this serious undertaking.
Who To Consider Involving
There are a number of possibilities. When evaluating each family member, you should consider:
- Their physical distance away.
- Their willingness to help.
- Their relationship with the addict.
- Their personality and disposition.
Parents
Parents of addicts are often involved in addiction interventions. In fact, they are often the ones who instigate the intervention. However, it can be especially difficult for parents who have an adult child addicted to alcohol. After all, if the child is over 18, he or she is legally an adult and others cannot make medical decisions against that person’s will. But in spite of that, parents care for their children and are often the first ones considering an intervention. They also frequently foot the bill for any necessary medical care and counseling their suffering child needs. If a family is going to stage an intervention, it is almost always worth getting the parents involved.
Siblings
Siblings are also usually involved. Because they grew up with the addicted person and have a unique relationship, they are often in a special position to provide help and support. They may know more about the sufferer’s state of mind, preferences and experiences than anyone else. Siblings can be very helpful during an intervention especially if the individual suffering from addiction is estranged from their parents. If the parents have passed away or are too old to be in a condition to help stage an intervention for their child, siblings may be the only immediate family members left who can do it.
Other Family Members
Other family members, such as grandparents, cousins, and aunts and uncles should be involved under the right circumstances. In most cases, it may not be best to involve extended family, but if you and the addict have a close relationship with them, they may be very effective at helping the addicted person get the aid they need to end their addiction. Other family members can be good to have involved in an intervention because they can come at the situation from other points of view. They also may have skills that could be helpful, such as counseling, medicine or law. If you feel certain extended family members can bring something important to the table during an intervention, involve them.
A Spouse
If the addict has a spouse, they need to be involved under almost all circumstances. This is because the addict’s behavior usually affects a spouse more than anyone else besides the addicted person themselves. The spouse is also going to be in the best position to monitor the progress of treatment and the ongoing state of the addicted individual. If the addicted person and their spouse have children, it is not usually a good idea to involve the kids. This is almost universally true if the children are under 18. Minors are not usually emotionally mature enough to handle the pressures and responsibility of an intervention for a parent. Adult children, on the other hand, can be involved under the right circumstances.
Important Considerations
When deciding which family members should be involved in an intervention, it’s critically important to analyze the individual circumstances. None of the relations mentioned above NEED to be part of an intervention. In some cases, having a lot or certain people involved can be detrimental to the ultimate goal. You always want to involve people who will be most effective at getting the addict help and not involving anyone who will likely make the situation worse.
For example, if the addict is extremely at odds with a sibling, that sibling should probably not be involved. If a father doesn’t have the fortitude to put down ultimatums and stick to established rules, he should not be involved either. These strategic considerations can drastically increase your chances of holding a successful intervention and getting the help your loved one needs. Do you feel ready to begin an intervention and get help for a loved one? Give us a call at 844-639-8371 before you begin so you will have the best idea how to proceed.