To help guide you through the process of preparing for the intervention, a series of questions are presented below. Each of these questions is designed to cause you to think back through the history of your relationship with the affected person as well as your current relationship. After completing the questions you may find it helpful to review you answers when preparing your letter to the individual. The suggested format for the letter generally follows the series of questions.

1. What are your individual and specific concerns about the individual that are related, either directly or indirectly, to alcohol/drug abuse?

2. What events have actually occurred that causes you to be concerned? List specific examples in detail and provide dates, places, names, and events.

3. How have these occurrences and concerns made you feel about yourself, your family and the individual? Be specific.

4. What have been some of the specific consequences of continued abuse of alcohol/drugs? Consequences could be relational, financial, health related, legal or social.

5. What was your relationship like with the individual before alcohol/drugs became a problem? What sorts of things did the person enjoy doing or enjoyed doing with you that have been impacted?

6. What would like to see your relationship become once the individual has addressed the problems with substance abuse and received professional help?

7. What are the specific consequences with regard to your relationship with the individual if professional help is rejected and the abuse of alcohol/drugs continues?