Tips for Writing an Intervention Letter How to Write an Intervention Letter

My job as a marriage counselor begins after successful treatment and sobriety. If the addicted spouse refuses treatment, then I direct the unaddicted spouse to Alanon or some other support group for spouses of alcoholics. Think about including a statement that reflects your understanding that substance abuse is a disease. By putting the issue into a medical context, the loved one may feel less guilty. This individual likely feels powerless in the face of the addiction, which is not a moral failing, though the person may feel this way at times. Please contact FHE Health today to learn more about our family resources and comprehensive substance abuse treatment programs.

• You and I begin by having one bond in common.
• Just because you write a letter to an addict in your life doesn’t mean you have to send it.
• I was drunk most nights back then so I don’t want to give the impression that these were unusual circumstances.
• If you have faced a tumultuous relationship as a result of drugs or alcohol, try to think back to a happier time when addiction wasn’t standing in the way.
• Even when he is not overtly abusive, he's often disgusting in the way he talks and behaves when he's drunk.
• Every day, I have unfulfilled wants that are not centered on anyone else.

An intervention letter will also serve as a guide to keep you from feeling upset while you’re trying to chat. Intervention letters are a valuable tool to make addict sufferers understand how their behaviors affect the people they care most for. Most therapy experts consider writing a letter to read aloud at the therapy session or intervention to keep it on track and ensure everyone’s message is understood. When handled properly, an impact letter can expose a pattern of abuse while also establishing a sense of purpose in someone living with substance abuse. By following this template, you can check every box to ensure your letter sends the proper message and increases the likelihood of treatment. Instead, use the conclusion of your letter to reaffirm your love, summarize your commitment and explain the importance of treatment.

Offer Support

My purpose in a letter to an alcoholic this letter to you is to tell you that, in spite of your desperate illness, you can “join the human race” and live a reasonable normal life. You will not return to the old life you enjoyed before alcoholism overwhelmed you. That life was not good enough for you; you tried to escape your frustration, despair, agitation, shame and guilt by living in a sea of alcohol. That is a “yet” if it hasn’t happened already. Or you may have lost your family because you were helpless and in denial about your drinking. You would have run away from me, because you would be afraid that I knew your terrible secret.

How many times have you told me your family is your life, especially your daughter? Your life is booze and a little gambling thrown in for good measure. No one who continues to drink can tell me that their family is their life. You only believe it is because you can’t see through your own selfishness. You blamed the meds the last time and then told me you wouldn’t take them any longer.

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So if you want to remain married to an alcoholic, you may have no other choice but to accept the advice of the co-dependency movement and be emotionally withdrawn from him. Alanon is a good place to learn how to do that. You must learn to regard your husband as hopelessly lost to his alcohol, and that any effort you make to try to please him will not be reciprocated.

Approaching a loved one about alcoholism can be difficult. You may not know what to say, and you may not know where to begin. Let the affected individual know that you are on his or her side.

A Daughter's Letter to Her Alcoholic Father - I Love You and I Hate You

If your husband were to follow the policy from now on, his addiction would come to an end, and you and he could begin creating compatibility. But even after sobriety is achieved, it's an uphill battle for the couple. The spouses of alcoholics are usually so relieved when treatment is successful that they often think their marital troubles are over.

Don't pour out my liquor; it's just a waste because I can always find ways of getting more. If you attack me verbally or physically, you will only confirm my bad opinion abut myself. Don't let your love and anxiety for me lead you into doing what I ought to do for myself. If you assume my responsibilities, you make my failure to assume them permanent. My sense of guilt will be increased, and you will feel resentful. But the nature of my illness prevents me from keeping my promises, even though I mean them at the time.

Offer Support & Love

Patients are prescribed a cocktail of medications, like disulfiram or acamprosate, based on the type and severity of withdrawal symptoms experienced. These medications are crucial to https://ecosoberhouse.com/, as they will reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms. They even help patients avoid extremely dangerous symptoms, like delirium tremens. A toxic, codependent relationship with the alcohol user. They may enable the addiction by helping the alcoholic come up with excuses for his or her drinking.

They told her how much they loved her, even in her disease, and how proud they were of her many accomplishments. Most of all, they recalled instances when she had helped them or inspired them, and this brought tears to everyone’s eyes. The assembled group wept with gratitude and love. My test for alcohol addiction is simply an application of the Policy of Joint Agreement. In every marriage, spouses should avoid gaining at each other's expense, and the policy is followed, thoughtless behavior is eliminated.