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iQuestions Faculty, June Hunt 
 
 
Question: 
 
Someone in my family is an alcoholic and won’t get help. What do I 
do?  
 
Answer:   
 
It’s difficult at times to admit that we’re wrong. It’s more difficult at 
times to face the truth that we need to change. And, that would be 
true, certainly, of those whom we love.  
 
Now, there is an interesting plan that God presents. This is scriptural. 
It’s called a crisis intervention. In Matthew 18:15, you’ll see that there 
is power in numbers. That’s what the Bible is saying. “If your brother 
sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of 
you. If he listens to you, you’ve won your brother over. But if he will 
not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be 
established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” 
 
The first meeting takes place without the alcoholic’s knowledge. You 
will go around and rehearse four things: the personal appeal; the past; 
the pain; and the plea. 
 
I, by the way, led a crisis intervention with a man who was an 
alcoholic. He was a doctor. I had a very close friend, and this was her 
son—and he and I had the best relationship. We had such respect for 
each other. And yet, I saw his crater.  
 
I polled various people. I had his mother help decide who would be a 
part of this crisis intervention. There were key people. There were 
between eight and ten people there, and each one knew what order in 
 
which they would speak for this second meeting. And I will tell you, it 
did make a difference. He did accept the plan. He did go to a 
treatment center. And, he came back and he learned so much about 
himself, and what he needed not to do in order to be the person God 
had created him to be. 
 
Sometimes we have to get help. In other words, it’s not an issue of 
what we know that’s true, but the Bible says, “There is wisdom in 
many counselors”. (Proverbs 11:14) And, at that time of the crisis 
intervention, you can be a part of being one of those many counselors 
to give wisdom, and prayerfully to change another person’s life. 
 
One of the things we have prepared is what we have called a “hope 
book”; hope for alcohol and drug abuse. The bottom line is, we need 
to be ready to help those, who at the time, cannot help themselves. 
And the reason we do that is because there is hope for everyone’s 
heart; for full recovery. 
 
  
 
 
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