How to Get a Loved One into Drug Rehab or Alcohol Rehab

How to Encourage Someone to Go into Addiction Treatment

Trying to figure out how to get a loved one into drug rehab can feel like an impossible puzzle to solve. You know they are battling with drug or alcohol addiction, and you know that a treatment program could save their life, but how do you get them to commit to the process? That’s where it gets tricky.

We’d like to use this page to offer some advice on how to get a loved one into drug rehab or alcohol rehab. You are doing the right thing by encouraging a loved one to seek treatment. Having a few smart strategies on your side might make all the difference, and hopefully, they will go to rehab and come out on the other side as a new person.

Having a treatment facility in mind for your loved one when you start this process is a good plan. At Ingrained Recovery, we are ready to help with our medical detox and inpatient treatment program options.

Understanding the Barriers to Getting Someone Into Rehab

It’s hard to see anything in life from a perspective that isn’t your own. That’s an important thing to keep in mind when trying to help someone dealing with drug abuse. You see that they are struggling, and to you, getting treatment is the obvious solution. But they aren’t likely to see it the same way.

There are a number of barriers that stand in the way of your loved one deciding to enter treatment on their own, as opposed to needing to pursue involuntary treatment options. The first is denial over the severity of the problem.

People who are addicted to substances commonly don’t think the problem is that bad. They feel like they have it under control, so looking into treatment centers just isn’t necessary.

The Fear of Withdrawal Can Be Overcome

You may also find that they are afraid of the withdrawal symptoms that will be experienced once detox starts. While substance use disorder comes with many negative consequences, continuing to use drugs or alcohol is often the most comfortable option in the moment.

Going into a rehab program may clearly be the best option for the long run, but in the short term, it’s going to be difficult and unpleasant.

Finally, there is perhaps the biggest issue of all – the underlying mental health issues that caused your loved one to turn to substance abuse in the first place. They are likely using drugs or alcohol to break free from the mental health challenges they face, at least temporarily.

Mental health services will be needed to address these underlying issues, but the individual has to be willing to confront them first.

Start By Educating Yourself

Before you even get into the process of talking to your loved one about addiction treatment, start by educating yourself as much as possible. Do plenty of reading to understand how addiction works, why it is so difficult to break out of these patterns, and what types of treatment options are available. You want to know as much as you can so you can position yourself as a trusted resource for your loved one if they become receptive to assistance.

Many different kinds of addiction treatment are available today. There are inpatient treatment centers like Ingrained Recovery, outpatient rehab options, medical detox facilities, and more.

You should also learn about how insurance can help to pay for rehab, what your loved one should expect early on in the process, and more. Gaining insight into all of these various areas will give you more confidence when you decide to talk to your family member about this matter.

Choosing the Right Time to Talk

Picking the right time to talk is one of the most important parts of this whole process. A successful intervention depends on chatting at a time when the conditions are just right for your message to be received positively.

First, avoid any time when your loved one is known to be under the influence. You need them to be sober, or as sober as possible, if this talk is going to have the desired effect. Also, make sure you will be able to talk in private without anyone else hearing the conversation, and be sure that enough time is available without being interrupted.

Approaching Your Loved One Without Aggression

Striking the right tone is also crucial. You want to be as calm and compassionate as possible. This is not the time to be confrontational or judgmental. Don’t accuse your loved one of anything, and don’t come across as an opponent.

You want to position yourself as being on the same team in this battle. If they see you as an ally rather than a foe, the things you say are far more likely to be well-received.

Express Concern Without Criticism

Understand that your loved one likely already feels bad about the situation they are in. They might be fighting a mental illness or experiencing some other type of difficulty that has led them to this place. You don’t want to make them feel any worse than they already do.

At the same time, you want to make it clear that you are concerned. This is a tricky balance to strike. You can sound concerned without being critical by using phrases like “I love you and I’m worried about you”, or “You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Drug misuse and other risky behaviors can be isolating, not just anecdotally, but as per evidence from studies from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) and are often associated with strong feelings of shame. Make sure your love for the person comes through first and foremost.

Offer Concrete Solutions

It’s easy enough to say that someone should “get help”, but it might not be immediately clear what that means. You’ll have better success if you come into this process with a plan in mind for what kind of help they can see and how the individual’s life can be improved by getting that help. One of the best ways to offer support is to already have done much of the legwork for them.

So, you might tell them about a treatment center that you have already found (we suggest Ingrained and our secluded, 50 acre campus!) You can explain how they will be able to check your insurance and get treatment started right away. An honest conversation about the options available and how they would play out in a practical sense might be what it takes to get the ball rolling.

Consider a Formal Intervention

Sometimes, having a one-on-one conversation with your loved one won’t quite be enough. It might be necessary to get family and friends together, along with an intervention professional, to schedule an event where this can happen all at once.

With a room full of people who care about the individual and want to see them get help, it’s possible that a breakthrough will occur.

Bringing in a professional interventionist is a smart strategy because they will know how to keep things moving in the right direction. Interventions are hard, by definition, and using a professional will give you the support and structure needed to move more effectively toward the ultimate goal of accepting treatment.

Stay Involved Once Treatment Begins

You will feel a great sense of accomplishment and relief if you reach a point where your loved one agrees to enter rehab. There was probably some push back and resistance along the way, but you made it through those issues and did what was right for the well being of this person that you love. That’s a great starting point, but it’s only just that – a starting point. The real work begins now.

It’s important for you to stay involved in the rehab process moving forward. For example, if family sessions are part of their treatment plan, you should attend those sessions consistently and be an active participant.

Providing Support to a Loved One During a Rehab Stay

You can also do other things like writing letters of encouragement during an inpatient treatment stay. While the early stages of treatment are underway, continue to educate yourself on things that will be important later on, like strategies to prevent a relapse.

You’ll also have to accept the fact that recovery isn’t always linear. Setbacks do occur, and relapse is possible. This is a battle that lasts a lifetime. Make it a point to celebrate milestones with your loved one – such as 90 days sober – and continue to be positive and encouraging.

Also, helping your loved one build a new life around sobriety, such as picking up other hobbies, can help make it less likely that addiction will come back to be a problem again in the future.

It’s Worth the Challenge: Get a Loved One Help at Ingrained Today

Don’t give up on trying to get your loved one into substance abuse treatment if they aren’t receptive at first. This is a difficult step to take, and they are currently facing a major struggle in life. Drug addiction or alcohol addiction is a serious disease and the thought of admitting that help is needed is too much for many people to face.

So keep trying. With persistence, and some help from the ideas above, you may finally be successful in getting them to commit to a treatment plan. All of the struggles and challenges will be worth it when you see them start their recovery journey.

Contact Ingrained Recovery in Eastman, GA today to learn more about this process. We have many treatment options available and will build a custom plan that perfectly suits the needs of your loved one and their addiction. We appreciate your consideration and wish you all the best.