Watching your loved one struggling with addiction is painful. The addiction, whether to alcohol or drugs, gradually takes over their lives and they end up destroying whatever’s important to them. The effect on their relationships is even harder to bear as they seem to care more about feeding their addiction than caring for their family or friends.
As you watch them grappling with their substance use disorder, you realize they need help. The only problem with this is that they don’t agree with you.
Every attempt to get them to acknowledge the gravity of the situation is met with resistance and hostility. Every time you bring up the subject of therapy or addiction treatment, your suggestions are ignored or dismissed. The situation keeps deteriorating and you can’t help but get desperate as you realize they are putting their lives in danger.
But, how can you admit someone to rehab if they refuse to go? Can you force them to go if your suggestions have been ignored?
It turns out that there are ways you can get your loved one who is suffering from an addiction checked into rehab. Here are two routes you can follow:
Court-ordered Rehab
Also known as involuntary commitment, this is one of the ways you can get someone into rehab if they’re unwilling to check themselves in. Just as the name suggests, a court orders the person to go to rehab and they have no choice but to comply. This can be done in instances where the individual has become a danger to themselves or others. Maybe they are parents who’ve been neglecting their children or perhaps their addiction has driven them to make some irresponsible decisions such as driving under the influence.
Staging an intervention
When faced with a loved one who is unwilling to seek treatment for their addiction, most people decide to hold an intervention. This involves sitting the person down and having an honest and open conversation with them about their substance use disorder. Be direct about how their addiction has affected not only their lives but those of people around them. Mention specific examples of any harmful habits they may have as well as things they’ve done because of the addiction.
As you have this conversation, stick to the facts and refrain from yelling, scolding, or guilt-tripping them because this will only create resistance. Instead, be firm but understanding and speak from a place of compassion. Show concern for their well-being and maintain a hopeful, positive, and encouraging tone.
During this conversation help them see what options they have for treatment, rehab being one of them.
Getting Someone Into Rehab when They Refuse to Go
If you’re stumped on how to get your loved one into a helpful rehab to receive much-needed addiction treatment, here are some pointers that might help.
Learn to identify the signs of addiction.
It’s helpful to learn how to recognize the signs of addiction so you can spot them in your loved one. This can help inform your next step in the intervention process. Different drugs and substances come with different addiction signs and knowing the difference can help you identify which substances are being abused, especially if the individual isn’t forthcoming about it.
Find out if your loved one is open to rehab.
After noticing the addiction signs and bringing up the issue with your loved one, find out how they feel about going to rehab. If they are open to the idea, we at Evolve Indy are ready to help them take the next steps to recovery. If they are still resistant or not sure about it, our caseworkers and interventionists can talk with them and see if they can get them to change their minds about it.
Check out the available treatment options.
Rehab treatment centers vary in their approach and the treatment options they offer. Here at Evolve Indy, we have a range of drug and alcohol treatment options that range from residential treatment to partial hospitalization or outpatient treatment programs. The type of treatment program your loved one is eligible for will depend on their level of addiction, among other factors.
Plan and hold an intervention.
Holding an intervention for your loved one can be difficult and tricky. On one hand, you need them to realize the seriousness of the situation and accept to get help. On the other, you risk alienating them further if you push too hard. The key here is to be firm and honest but to temper this with love and understanding. Emphasize that your priority is their health and well-being. It helps to plan out the intervention beforehand and also invite their close friends and family members. Seeing all those people looking out for them might motivate your loved one to finally go to rehab.
Don’t forget about aftercare services.
As you talk about treatment options and look through various rehab facilities, don’t forget to make plans for aftercare services. The kind of care and support your loved one will receive after they are discharged from rehab will play a huge part in keeping them from relapsing. They can join a community of supportive individuals who are going through the same struggles e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous. Through such communities, they can find the strength and support to keep living clean.
It’s easy to give in to frustration and anger when you see your loved one battling with addiction. However, the best strategy is to remain supportive, loving, and understanding throughout their treatment. Reminding yourself that addiction is a disease that affects an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional state will keep you from taking their actions or words personally.
If you need help getting a loved one into rehab, the qualified interventionists, counselors, and therapists at Evolve Indy are ready to assist you. Getting one of these professionals to talk to your loved one might be the push needed to get them to accept treatment.
Call us today for help getting your loved one into one of our drug and alcohol treatment programs.