Question: I have a concern about my sister. She is a heavy drinker, with mood disorders that are sometimes present even when she isn't drinking.
The problem is I want to have a close relationship with her and we do, but she is so unhappy and stressed out all of the time, that I am beginning not to want anything to do with her at all, which is painful to me.
I would like to try some type of alcohol intervention. What can I do to help my sister?
As you have a close relationship with her right now you can have an influence on her sobriety. If you only want to be around her when she's sober, tell her so in a positive, caring way. Spend time together when she's sober and remove yourself when she's not. Her mood difficulties, however, may be a trigger for heavy drinking and she's at risk for returning to it until she learns some additional strategies for managing her mood. There is a wealth of information here at the zine she could use. She might also benefit from a consultation and/or therapy from a professional. Alanon is a 12-step program, like AA, and has free meetings all over the world. Its focus is for friends and loved ones of alcoholics. A colleague of mine, Robert J. "Bob" Meyers, has written a book that might be helpful to you. It's called Get Your Loved One Sober: Alternatives to Nagging, Pleading, and Threatening There are different types of alcohol intervention strategies. You may want to consult with a professional to see if you can help your sister by using an intervention.
About the Author:
Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., Director, Research Division, Behavior Therapy Associates, 9426 Indian School Rd NE, Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87112. Phone: (505) 345-6100
Dr. Hester is has developed an evidence-based, web application called ModerateDrinking.com to help heavy drinkers be successful in changing their drinking. A video demo of the program is available at www.behaviortherapy.com
