Dont: Expect Immediate Change
How do you help an alcoholic? One of the best ways is to be realistic in your expectations. Long-term Recovery is not a quick fix. Its an ongoing process for your loved one that takes time, effort and continued support from professionals and family alike. Some treatments may work for some time and then need to be changed.
If one treatment doesnt work, it doesnt mean all treatments will fail. It just means youll have to find the specific one that will work for your loved one.
How To Get A Meth Addict The Help They Need
One of the hardest parts about dealing with an addict is that they arent likely able to see what their substance abuse is doing to them. The destruction may be clear from the outside looking in, but for the addict there is a level of denial that is hard to understand. In order to get the addict to realize that they need help, you need to focus on the following three things:
1. Education Meth is a stimulant that has a very high incidence of dependence. Basically, people start using the drug for many reasons including an increased alertness, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, and the feeling of euphoria that users experience from taking the drug. With regular use it takes more of the drug to achieve the same effects, and changes in the users brain make it very hard for them to experience pleasure when they are not using. All of this leads to the user becoming dependent, and once they do they will feel adverse effects if the try to stop using it. This can cause the addict to isolate from others in an effort to avoid the shame and guilt associated with their lack of control. Educating yourself on what the addict is experiencing can go a long way to help start the conversation about their use.
3. Support Many people who are addicted to meth need help to get off the drug. Tell your loved one that it is OK to go to treatment, and that you will support them throughout the process.
Help Identify Their Issue
The first step to give help is to make your loved one understand whether their problem is mild, moderate, or severe. This is the hardest step to do since it depends on how you broach the subject. You need to be careful since a negative approach will make them defensive.
You can try telling them how they were before they start getting into substance abuse. Dont ever mention how negative they are at the present. Make them remember the times where both of you had great experiences together.
If you really need to talk about something negative, make sure to stay focused on it. Bring up the actual events but never tell them their current negative traits. Dont tell them theyre undependable or evil in any shape and form.
The way you open the conversation sets the mood. If you follow this tip, you can have a focused and civil argument. This will prevent them from drowning from too much criticism.
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Ways To Convince Someone To Go To Rehab
The 2017 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health found almost 21 million people ages 12 and over had a substance use disorder involving drugs, alcohol, or both in the surveyed year. About 8.5 million of those individuals suffered from a co-occurring disorder, also called dual diagnosis, meaning they had both a SUD and a mental disorder.
It is challenging to overcome a SUD without professional help. Yet, only about 4 million of those surveyed were receiving needed treatment.
Ways To Get A Meth Addict Into Rehab
Methamphetamine is a drug that goes by many names. It doesnt matter if you call it meth, crystal, ice, or glass, there is one fact about the drug remains unchanging. Meth is highly addictive substance and people who develop dependence on the drug find it very hard to quit.
Since most people dont have experience dealing with a meth addict, it is only natural that they feel like that they need to sort this problem out alone. Many families fear that their friends will find out and try to keep their loved ones addiction a secret. This can be very difficult and can tear families apart.
The truth about meth addiction is that it is tough to deal with, but thousands of addicts find help and get clean every day. In short, there is a solution to the problem, and you dont have to do it alone.
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What If The Intervention Fails
Even if you do everything right, the intervention might fail. Dont plan on this, but be ready for it. If the intervention fails, take some time to analyze what happened and brainstorm ways to improve it the next time around. Again, a professional can be invaluable for this. Then, follow through with any consequences that you laid out in the intervention. For example, if you said youd stop paying for their apartment, do so. Did you say they couldnt see their grandchildren if they didnt get treatment? Approach the subject with empathy and love, but stick to what you said. This kind of tough love can be a real turning point as the individual realizes that their lifestyle is soon going to be unsustainable. And even if it doesnt work now, your words will have more sway in the next intervention. Finally, prepare for another try. Sometimes it takes several interventions for someone to accept help. Improve your intervention plan however you can, then try again.
How Long Is Court
If your petition is successful, the judge will order an assessment. If the individual is diagnosed with a substance use disorder, theyll attend court-ordered rehab for up to 60 days. This doesnt mean theyre limited to this number of days, however. Theres the possibility for the court to extend the order upon hearing testimony from an expert who argues that the individual requires a longer stay in rehab. Likewise, if they dont require the full 60 days of treatment, theyll leave as soon as theyre ready.
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How To Get A Person To Seek Treatment
Addiction exerts such a powerful grip on a person that it can be very difficult for him to even step outside of the cravings and compulsions long enough to see that he can get help. When a family memberwife, mother, father, son, daughter or otherbegs the addicted person to please stop, in many cases, this is not a powerful enough enticement. Even when the person himself wants more than anything else to be sober again, this may not be enough.
Some people do manage to stop on their own. But the majority struggle on for years, sometimes never managing to quit abusing alcohol, prescription drugs, marijuana, methamphetamine or synthetic drugs like bath salts.
When the right tactics are used, it is more often possible to get a person to reach out for rehab help.
What Makes A Person Have To Seek Professional Treatment
How do you know if you or a loved one may need professional help beating a substance use disorder? Several points help to identify a potential substance use disorder, including:
When it comes to knowing how to help someone with drug addiction, identifying the signs of a disorder is the first step. The next step is figuring out how to get help for someone on drugs, including whether addiction treatment is a viable option.
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Learn About Alcohol Use Disorder And Avoid Making Excuses
An AUD, or alcoholism, is more than just having too much to drink from time to time. Its important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of AUD, even though some people are be able to hide addiction to some extent. Friends and family may try to protect an alcoholic from the consequences of their behavior by making excuses or helping them out of alcohol-related situations. In order to help your loved one, you must learn to spot the signs of alcohol abuse, and let the person bear full responsibility for their actions.
Take Them To A Health Care Professional
If theyre still resistant after youve made the effort to give them informed advice about seeking professional help, see if you can get them to explore their treatment options with their doctor. Make it clear that youre just going to talk about the recovery process and theres no obligation to do anything but talk. Hearing the same sentiment from a health care professional that theyve recently heard from you might be the catalyst they need to get help.
If youve taken the addicted person to the doctor and theyre not changing their attitude or perception of the situation, take a step back. Read through your journal for the last few months and assess whether youre making progress or youve hit a brick wall. If you think its time to take stronger action, wed recommend consulting a professional interventionist for advice. In many instances, this route is highly effective.
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Involuntary Commitment Treatment Laws
The following are some examples of laws passed in certain states regarding involuntary commitment for drug treatment. Specific provisions about who can apply for a court order, the standard that must be met before the court will intervene and how long someone can be made to stay at a treatment center.
Kentucky has Caseys Law to help parents and other concerned people in an addicts life get them into treatment. Named for Casey Wethington, who died of a heroin overdose in 2002 at age 23, the law allows a petition to be filed with the court requesting an order for involuntary commitment. The respondent has the right to be examined by the court as well as two medical professionals . The petitioner must show that the addict is a danger to himself or others. If the court finds that the addict could benefit from treatment, an order will be made that they will undergo treatment from 60-360 days. The petitioner is responsible for paying for the cost of treatment.
You Dont Have To Wait For Them To Hit Bottom
Weve all heard it before. Someone only gets sober when they hit rock bottom. While its true that most people dont seek treatment or help until they have experienced some consequences for their using and drinking, rock bottom does not have to be jail, homelessness, or hospitalization.
It is a good idea, though, to wait to discuss rehab or to get sober until your loved one has a moment of claritya time when they are sober and receptive to love and suggestions.
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When A Person Has Been To Rehab And Then Failed
It can be very tough for a person when he goes to rehab really wanting to get clean and then fails afterward. His guilt may double because his family already supported him and invested in him and he failed them as well as himself.
The answer to this one is a rehab where an individual will address all aspects of addiction and have a real chance at long-term sobriety. The Narconon program is built on a philosophy of repairing the damage done by drug abuse and then teaching a person how to maintain a sober life when they go home. The specific points that could lead a person back into drug abuse are covered in a comprehensive series of life skills courses.
When a family talks with an addictive loved one about rehab, very often the innovative nature of the Narconon program is enough for them all to see that this time, it can be different. Both the addicted person and the family often see that The Narconon New Life Detoxification, a deep detox utilizing a sauna, exercise, and nutritional supplements, offers a person an advantage they cant get anywhere else. Many people say that this phase of the recovery program greatly helps with cravings, one of the biggest barriers to lasting sobriety.
Families Plead With Addicted Loved Ones
When someone we love is addicted, its natural for family and friends to worry. In that worry, there is a natural tendency to plead, nag and preach. However, it seems as though our typical pleas with addicted loved ones go unheard.
You have to stop drinking!Youre going to die if you dont quit using pills.
When are you going to clean up your act?
Your drug use is killing me.Your drinking is tearing apart our family.
Dont you care if you get caught with heroin and go to jail?
Unfortunately, while family members may view these statements and questions as motivation they arent exactly actionable for the addicted person. The problem with these types of pleas comes down to the fact that many people trapped in the cycle of addiction cant bring themselves to care enough about these consequences to seek help because their thoughts are flooded with their drug of choice. Addiction isnt logical.
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Dont: Violate Their Privacy
In taking care of yourself and attending therapy, you may be tempted to vent about your loved one with an addiction. While you should be as honest about your feelings as possible when getting therapy, its important to respect their privacy. This is especially relevant when discussing someone with addiction with friends or family.
Make sure the person is okay being talked about and having their struggles discussed. If you attend counseling with your loved one, make sure you dont reveal what was said in session to others. If your loved one attends therapy or counseling on their own and dont want to discuss what they talked about in session, respect that and dont push them for details.
Helping An Addict In Denial
The power of these rationalizations is so strong that confronting an addict in denial is one of the most difficult things a loved one can do. Your loved one might not have any financial problems. He may have chalked up lost friendships to certain events or conversations but never the bad judgment that results from a chronic substance abuse problem. After all, you or your loved one may be holding down a job, married with children, and have all the outward appearances of a healthy lifestyle.
Unfortunately, addiction is cunning, as Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill W so succinctly noted. This means identifying a substance abuse problem can be more difficult than you ever thought possible.
Nevertheless, confronting an alcoholic or drug addict in denial is one of the most important ways to help them or yourself. If you notice any of the following symptoms in addition to denial, its time to have a conversation about quitting and getting help:
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How You Can Help Someone Who Is In Recovery
Family involvement is just one of the ways in which you can help your loved one when theyre in treatment. It allows counselors and doctors to get a better understanding of the patient as well as their behavioral patterns and habits. Other ways in which you can help your loved one include:
- Getting involved: Attend family therapy and express your feelings. This will allow them to get a better idea of how their addiction affects everyone around them. Its also a great way to show that you support your loved ones Recovery because you are willing to invest the time and effort to help them heal.
- Communicating with them: Once the blackout period is lifted, you will likely be allowed some contact with your loved ones. Communication can be very difficult, and a seemingly safe conversation can spiral into a heated argument. Find a mode of communication that works for both of you, be it phone calls, emails or in-person visits. Use it as an opportunity to verbalize your support.
- Offering support: Saying youre there for your loved one is one thing, but support goes beyond that. Talk positively about the future and of your loved ones progress. Let them know theyre not alone.
- Trusting but being mindful: Its important to maintain trust throughout the Recovery process, but its also important to remember not to fall into old habits. Show your loved one that you trust them, but be aware of old behaviors that may be problematic or harmful.
Invoke Shame And Guilt
Its counterproductive to shame or guilt someone who has a substance use disorder. This makes them feel bad, and its ineffective in encouraging them to seek help. When you view addiction as the disease that it is, it becomes easier to separate it from the person.
The same way you wouldnt guilt someone for having diabetes is the same reason you shouldnt guilt someone for having a substance use disorder. While it may have been a choice initially, the longer the addiction progresses, the less it becomes a choice and more a chronic illness for which they need support, not shame.
A good way to ensure your loved one isnt feeling blamed for their addiction is to use I statements. These are statements that focus on you as the subject rather than the person with the addiction. Instead of saying, You missed my birthday, and you made me cry, a better option would be to say, I was hurt when you missed my birthday, and it made me cry. With I statements, theres no blame thrown around, which reduces the likelihood of your loved one becoming defensive or closing themselves off.
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