work together towards an involuntary commitment.  The problem is that the person must either be violent or a threat to themselves or others and this must be proven to public health officials and  a magistrate or a judge.  Even then the help may not be in the form most needed.  Most alcohol rehab or treatment centers are not state owned and can not be forced to take a patient.  The truth is that when it comes to adult alcoholism treatment the facilities are not locked and any patient can walk at any time.  So while it may be worth checking out the involuntary commitment process in your community it is not likely to be a viable route.  That leaves alcoholism intervention.

 The first thing to know is that there are intervention specialists who can be hired to help.  These professionals may do this as a part of their job and also work as therapists or alcohol and drug counselors, or it may be the only thing they do. Either way, they can be worth the cost to help ensure the process has the best chance possible for succeeding.

Stop all "cover ups." Family members often make excuses to others or try to protect the alcoholic from the results of his or her drinking. It is important to stop covering for the alcoholic so that he or she experiences the full consequences of drinking.

Time your intervention.  No there's probably no perfect time for an intervention, but you can stack the deck in your favor.  Many alcoholics develop patterns of drinking so find a time when the person is least likely to be drunk or even to have had a drink. Some treatment specialists say the best time to talk to the drinker is shortly after an alcohol-related problem has occurred--like a serious family argument or an accident.  However, this must be weighed against the possibility that the next accident or incident could be the last.

Many people find that it helps if the write out a letter to the person with the alcohol problem.  This keeps them from getting side tracked and ensure that they make all their key points.  Some of the areas below are those which could be considered for inclusion in an alcoholism intervention letter.

Express your concern. Tell the family member that you are worried about his or her drinking. If it's appropriate tell him or her of your love for them, that they have a disease and that you want to see them get better.

Use examples of the ways in which the drinking has caused problems, including the most recent incident. This is not your opportunity to unload, rather it is a forward advanced against the likelihood that the alcoholic will state their drinking isn't really a problem.

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