Rehab facilities for drug and alcohol abuse accept patients at all stages of addiction. However, it might be challenging to help a loved one accept the idea of a detox treatment program.
You Are Not Alone
An alcohol user disorder affects more than 14 million people nationwide. Adults with AUD only received treatment in roughly 7.9% of cases in the past year. In the United States, 10% of adults have had a substance use disorder (SUD) at some point in their lives. And 75% said they are not getting any treatment for their issue.
You’ve undoubtedly tried pleading with your loved one to cut down on alcohol or drugs and warned them about the risks to their health if they don’t get help right now. Nevertheless, there are other ways to inspire your loved one if your pleadings consistently fail.
Here are three suggestions for persuading someone to enter rehab who is reluctant to do so:
1. Show Empathy.
Try not to criticize or judge your loved one’s actions. To build rapport and trust, attempt to empathize with them instead.
Asking open-ended inquiries instead of making generalizations or claiming to be an expert on them and their circumstances is one way to do this. They might be more receptive to your recommendation to try rehab after they completely understand that you have their best interests at heart and they feel heard and understood.
2. Hold Them Accountable
Recognizing error is the first step toward changing any behavior.
Therefore, if your loved one doesn’t even acknowledge that their actions are bad, they won’t accept that they need to change. Hence, try to avoid giving them support. Instead, exhort them to be responsible for their actions or the lack thereof.
3. Enlist Help
It won’t be very easy on your own to convince your loved one to enter treatment. However, if you can get the support of loved ones who care about this individual, the weight of several viewpoints can hit them more forcefully.
Organizing a family intervention is a terrific place to start. In addition, if you can at least get your loved one to look into support groups, it would be helpful. People in these groups have been in your loved one’s shoes. Therefore, they are a good resource.
Some States Permit Involuntary Rehabilitation
In some places, you can compel a loved one to enter treatment if you can’t get them to do so on their own.
According to recent research, even involuntary commitment to a Detox to Rehab facility leads to at least 50 percent fewer admissions for treatment in the future and an average of 20 fewer days spent in the hospital than those who do not receive it.
You can obtain a court order to send them if they are older than 18 and you reside in one of the 37 states with laws authorizing involuntary commitment to mental health treatment facilities.
Alternatives to a Rehabilitation Facility
There are other options besides inpatient and outpatient alcohol and drug treatment facilities for those battling with unhealthful alcohol and/or drug use:
- Going to family counseling to discuss the drinking or drug problem with a support network
- Locating support networks to facilitate the healing process
- Locating an alternative comprehensive treatment strategy that addresses one’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being
- Receiving conventional treatment to examine the causes of alcohol or drug abuse
Planning an Intervention
Setting up an intervention with a loved one is more difficult than it may seem. You must confront your loved one, which could be awkward.
While you definitely don’t want to make them feel ashamed, humiliated, or devalued, you still need to show your care for them and recognize that they require assistance.
To avoid having to carry the majority of the burden yourself, enlisting the aid of other family members can be helpful. The more loving support you can gather together, the better.