Get On The Road To Recovery With Gateway Foundation
At Gateway Foundation, we believe recovery doesnt end when you leave;one of our treatment facilities. Instead, its a lifelong activity;;which is why we are with you for life. For over 50 years, weve provided clients the tools they need to live a life free from addiction and regain control of their;health and happiness. Each clients recovery journey is unique, and were dedicated;to personalizing the treatment experience to see everyone who seeks our help;maintain a life of sobriety.
If you or a loved one needs;professional addiction treatment, take the first step and;get in touch;with Gateway Foundation by calling 877-381-6538. Reclaim control and;get your life back on track.
How Can You Convince Someone To Go To Rehab
There are few things in life that make you feel more helpless than to sit back and watch a loved one destroy themselves and everyone around them because of a substance abuse problem. Addiction is an insatiable disease, and unless its insidious progress is arrested, it will continue to take and take and take, until the person has nothing more to give, not even their life.
The vast majority of people who are suffering from drug addiction or alcoholism are completely unable to stop on their own. They need professional help alcohol and drug rehab and everything that that entails detoxification, alcohol/drug rehab, counseling, group therapy, support groups, and follow-up care.
Yet, even knowing all of that, it can be confusing and frustrating when you dont know exactly how to get from Point A where you are right now to Point B a clean and sober life for your loved one. At this point, you do not know what to do or what to say that might have any sort of real impact upon your drug-addicted loved one.
To that end, we have put together a few guidelines and words of advice that can help you choose what you might say when it comes time to try to convince your loved one to go to drug/alcohol rehab.
DONTListen to everybody else.; According to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, one out of every ten American adults considers themselves to be in recovery for some form of substance abuse.
Why Is Convincing Someone To Enter Rehab So Hard
There are many reasons why convincing someone to enter rehab is hard. One of the reasons is that addicts or those who abuse drugs or alcohol are typically in denial.
They refuse to see that they have a problem that needs urgent intervention.
Another reason is that people just do not understand how rehabs work. They think it is a place like they see in movies.
Another reason why it is difficult to get someone into rehab is how the intervention is done. This is why a professional rehab interventionist is recommended to help with the planning for s successful intervention.
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Be Prepared For Excuses And Evasions
The addicted person might say things like I can always start rehab next month, when its less busy at work, but thi is just an evasion, a way to avoid having to make drastic changes to their life.If the person firmly claims having the problem, be prepared with examples to show them that they do. Focus on specific events and incidents to make it harder for the addicted person to use general excuses.
What To Say To Someone In Rehab
Once your loved one agrees to get help, it may be difficult to know;what to say to someone in drug rehab. You may still be reeling from the experience and your loved one may be scared and feeling vulnerable. One of the most important things you can say to him or her right now is simply, I love you and I am here for you.
Let your loved one know that seeking treatment is a courageous thing to do and that you are proud of him or her for taking this step. This may be the encouragement he or she needs to keep going through this difficult process. Be sure to tell your loved one, I believe in you, and ask him or her how you can best be;supportive during recovery.
It may be difficult convincing someone to go to rehab. Watching your loved one struggle with his or her addiction may be heartbreaking. Remaining calm and showing your friend or family member that you are there to offer support and love can be instrumental in convincing an addict to get help. When your loved one is ready, give us a call and we can help you and your family through this difficult time.
The good news is that addiction is treatable. Getting someone into rehab is the first step in helping him or her live a clean and sober life. We are here to;help you on that journey.
Medical disclaimer:
Talk with one of our Treatment Specialists!
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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.
Trying To Convince Your Adult Child To Go To Rehab
Addiction plays a dangerous game with our hearts and minds, and when a loved one especially a son or daughter is addicted to drugs or alcohol, its easy to become desperate.
Youve watched helplessly as theyve lost relationships, their children, their jobs, their freedom almost everything that makes life worth living. The haunting thought that the next fix may be the last fix. keeps you up at night, every night.
Well do anything to stop them from picking up another beer; anything to stop them from meeting with their dealer; anything to stop them from bumping another line of cocaine, taking another Xanax, or sticking another needle in their arm.
Sometimes, that anything is the right thing. Most of the time, however, anything isnt helping. Incentivizing, bargaining and bribing will get you nowhere when it comes to getting your loved one into drug addiction treatment programs.
Loving someone in active addiction is terrifying.
Loving someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol can be one of the most stressful and painful situations we could ever encounter in our lives. Especially if that person is your child. There is likely not an hour that goes by that you arent worried about where your child is, what he is doing, and if youll ever see him again.
Heres how to change your approach.
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Top 5 Ways To Convince A Drug Addict To Go To Rehab
Many alcoholics and drug addicts tried quitting. They may have tried to quit by themselves or gone into a rehab program like the ones at;Elite Rehab Placement. Some addicts will try to quit many times and still relapse. They may have stayed clean and sober for a time, but then went back to addictive ways. Addicts do need to get help from rehab centers. How can they start seeing this is what is needed?
;It is a good assumption that many alcoholics and addicts have become cynical about rehab. It is also very common for an addict to completely deny they have an addiction. They may binge drink, blackout, take a lot of pills, inject or even snort drugs and still say they can quit if they wanted to. They really dont want to see they have an addiction and need to get help.
;If you want to convince the addict in your life they need to go to rehab, it is a tricky process. Most of the time, you cant expect to go to the addict in your life and have them just say yes, they need to get help. If it were that easy, more addicts would be getting the help they need. Remember, just like the rehab process,;talking to your loved one about their addiction;should be a process. You can have the conversation over the course of days, weeks or even months. Sometimes it takes years to convince a drug addict to get help. Hopefully, with the tips here today, you can have better chances of getting them to enter into a rehab center program.
How Not To Deal With An Addicted Loved One
There are specific tactics that simply dont work. Its in your and your addicted loved ones best interest to learn how to address the issue of encouraging them to get treatment. Here are a few strategies to avoid
- Ignore it. Some people wrongly believe the best way to deal with an addicted loved one is to ignore the situation. When confronted about their drug or alcohol use, addicts will lie. The behavior is part of the disease. Even if an addict is confronted with clear evidence of drugs such as a bag of marijuana, cocaine or pills they will have some type of story or excuse to deflect blame away from their behavior. They may say that the drugs arent theirs or that they only tried them once them. The addict may promise never to use again. Your family member may simply deny any knowledge about the drugs or how they came to be in their possession.
If you decide to ignore the situation, you are only allowing the addiction to continue and become stronger. Your addicted family member will tell you anything they think you want to hear to get you to back off and allow them to continue using.
Approaching an addict while youre angry or aggressive wont help them change or make healthier choices. Addiction is a disease, and it creates a physical dependency. An addicts brain no longer reasons in the same manner as a non-addict. Unless they seek professional help, feeding the addiction is their main priority and will always come first.
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Start With Mental Health Counseling
If your teen is very reluctant to go to drug rehab, starting with mental health counseling can be helpful. Many adolescents will not listen to their parents about important matters but will listen to a doctor or a therapist. This is an option if your teen is not in immediate danger and if the addiction has not gotten to the point where waiting a short period of time would turn into a dangerous situation.
Your teens pediatrician or your family physician can screen him or her for an addiction. Then the next step will be a referral to the appropriate mental health specialist. If your teen is refusing to go to an inpatient facility, they might agree to start with an outpatient treatment plan. Come up with an individualized plan that will work for your family and for your teenager.
Encourage Your Loved One To Get Help
Facing the consequences of an addiction can be a scary thought for many people suffering from a substance use disorder . They may picture themselves losing control of their life or feeling embarrassed among friends. These feelings are also at odds with the pervasive idea of self-reliance in modern society. Substance dependency is seen by these people as a weakness and not a medical condition. For this reason, denial is often a large part of addiction and convincing a loved one to get help can be challenging.
The strongest thing that is helpful is having a system of care that can surround the person.
Dr. Kelly Clark
Unfortunately, a hurdle many face when coming to terms with their SUD is overcoming the stigma of being an addict. This stigma could be found even in healthcare law until the 2010 Affordable Care Act, when the same level of coverage was required for addiction treatment as for other diseases, like diabetes. Family and friends trying to help a loved one must see a SUD in the same light. Just as diabetes cannot be treated without medical attention, the treatment of addiction may require one or more medical, clinical, and spiritual therapies. Do not shame an individual for their SUD, but encourage treatment for a disease that cant be fought alone.
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Create Specific Healthy Boundaries
The healthiest, most important decisions you can make about a loved ones addiction are about yourself.
Healthy boundaries are possible even when our loved ones arent healthy. Boundaries help to bring a measure of sanity and control into our lives, even when addiction creates chaos. Without them, you lose yourself, your freedom and your personal space compromising what makes you, you.
Setting limits isnt about the addicted person its about you. The boundaries you establish need to directly reduce the amount of stress and chaos you experience due to their drug or alcohol use. For a great list of some of the most important boundaries to set with an addicted loved one, check out this article.
In creating healthy boundaries, its crucial to be specific about what you will and will not do. Make your intentions clear to both yourself and your loved one, without making idle threats.
Signs That It Is Time For A Rehab Facility Help
Even though, it is recommended to seek professional intervention for someone before their substance use becomes an addiction the below are signs that it is really time to get that someone into rehab immediately:
- Neglecting their hygiene.
- Willing to engage in sexual and other criminal activities to get the fund to buy the substance.
- Neglecting work, school, and other responsibilities for drugs or alcohol.
- Selling or trading their personal belongings or their child to get the fund for the substance of choice.
- Continuous relapse.
- Tried to stop using the substance of choice but cant.
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Visit The Drug Rehab Facility To Reduce Fears
Your teen is young and inexperienced with life; sometimes its hard to keep this in mind when they are battling something as serious as an addiction. Its perfectly normal for them to not want to be separated from you and their friends for many weeks or even longer during rehab. Also, they likely have fears about what to expect and how their days will go while they are in treatment.
Visiting the treatment facility can ease their fears. They can meet some of the staff and learn about how they will spend their days. They can learn what the rules will be and what will be expected of them. All of this information will ease your teens mind and can give them a sense of hope, rather than dread.
When Is The Best Time To Talk To Someone About Rehab
First, its important to wait until the person is sober. Drugs and alcohol change how the brain processes information, and if the person is under the influence, an addict almost certainly wont be able to comprehend what one is trying to say.One should also not have such a discussion in the middle of some incident that has made either one or the addicted person angry or emotional. Wait until the next day, or some time to discuss things more calmly.
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How To Get Someone Into Rehab Using Intervention Plans
Family and friends are usually the first ones to intervene when a loved one is dealing with a drug or alcohol problem.
Sometimes it works and other times it doesnt. This is why having a well thought out intervention plan is very essential.
It is typically recommended that your intervention plan include an interventionist, doctor or clinician, therapists et cetera.
However,; if you do decide to have an intervention your own without the help of a rehab interventionist, here are some tips that could help run it effectively:
- Pick a specific time and place for the intervention.
- Have a specific plan.
- Rehearse with other people who will be part of the intervention what to say and when to say it.
- Be specific on destructive behaviors and give examples during the intervention meeting.
- Learn and educate yourself about the basics of how addiction affects the brain and take over so you can explain to them why they need help.
- Learn about rehab, program options, and how rehab work so you can educate them so that they understand that rehab is not that bad as some people think. If they have questions knowing these will help you answer them too.
- Have a plan in place on what to do next if the substance addict or abuser refuses treatment.
- Include someone they respect and trust as part of the meeting.
- Do not tell them what the meeting is about.
