Alcoholism

1. Alcoholism

2. Signs of Alcoholism • The person may drink before or while they are driving a car. • The person may have legal problems because of drinking, such as being arrested or DUI. • Drink alone. • Drinking at certain times. • Lose interest in hobbies.

3. Continued • The person or someone they know gets hurt as a result of drinking. • Friends and family members are worried about a persons drinking. • The person cannot quit. • No limit. • “Black Out”

4. Ways to intervene with a possible Alcoholic • 2 types of Intervention • Informal- conversations, short unplanned confrontations with the alcoholic to try to get them to stop drinking. • Formal Intervention- Should take place after multiple informal interventions.

5. Informal Intervention • “I am concerned with how much you have been drinking lately, would it be alright if we talked about it?” • “Remember that I am always here for you, but I feel that we need to talk about your drinking problem”

6. Role Play #1 • A friend you know has gone out every weekend for the past 2 months. They have gotten black out drunk and have gotten multiple underage drinking tickets. Use an informal intervention to try and help them see they have a problem.

7. Role Play #2 • Your cousin seems to always be drunk when you see him. He consumes at least 2 drinks per day and has gotten multiple drinking and driving tickets. Use an informal intervention to try and help them see they have a problem.

8. Role Play #3 • Your father seems to go out to the bars every night during the week. He does not drink in front of you, but he always seems to come back drunk. He has fallen down multiple times and gotten many bumps and bruises while drunk. Talk to him using an informal intervention to try and help him see he needs help.

9. Formal Intervention • Only should be considered when everything else has failed. • Person should have had suffered many consequences to their drinking. • Could result in more tension. • If you are not willing to risk further agitation with someone, you may want to try informal conversations more.

10. Who to Involve • Can hire professional to help with intervention. • Organize and think about what the best approach will be. Talk to others in the group intervention to be on the same page about how to handle the situation. DO NOT FORCE CHANGE! • Involve friends, family and possibly a professional, too many people may scare person off.

11. Continued • Balance- care, don’t antagonize. • Plan where and when to do it when the person will be most sober. • Plan the intervention to be in a neutral area not an area where you will control everything, this may scare the person away.

12. Goals • Set goals that are realistic for the intervention. • Have specific actions that you want the person to take. • Treatment centers do not take walk in clients. Must contact them well in advance. • Prepare arguments to what they may possibly say. • Always be there for them.

13. Treatment Centers • Inpatient rehab • Counseling or therapy • Group therapy such as AA • 12 step meetings AA and NA • Medication

14. Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWvkGwyHiKs

15. Student #1 • “I fell down the stairs and have multiple bruises on my body and wet the bed.”

16. Student #2 • “I got an underage drinking ticket while I was peeing on the street.”

17. Student #3 • “I passed out outside my house and got woken up by my parents when they see that I am passed out with a beer bottle in my hand.”

18. Student #4 • “I went to the hospital and had my stomach pumped. I could not stop throwing up and my parents were called to come and get me.”