Telling a loved one they need to enter drug or alcohol rehab to save their life and relationships is one of the hardest conversations you can have; Texas Recovery Center hopes to make it a little easier. Contact us at 844.230.5931 with any questions you may have or for more information about enrolling in our inpatient rehab program in Scurry, Texas.
How to Help a Loved One Into Addiction Rehab
There are very few things more painful than watching a loved one’s life transformed and ravaged by substance abuse and addiction, and addressing a drug or alcohol addiction in the family may be one of the most difficult steps you take in life. Often, families only learn to enable their addicted one – out of fear that their loved one will refuse help, hurt themselves or others, or leave. Rarely do family members or friends know how to bring up the topic of addiction and rehab.
Drug and alcohol addiction can be a sensitive topic, regardless of the relationship you share with the person in active addiction, and it’s important to approach the topic with gentleness and support. Here are some things you can consider to make the conversation easier.
Educate Yourself About the Power of Addiction
It’s important to educate yourself about the disease of addiction. Remember that their continued use of substances isn’t simply a choice; it is a symptom of their illness. Start by learning more about addiction by attending meetings for local addiction support groups like Nar-Anon or Al-Anon. Members may be able to provide guidance for providing local addiction resources and share their own experiences and help you to see that your family’s situation is one felt by many others.
Don’t Blame Yourself
Before you even attempt to help your loved one in active addiction into rehab, you must understand that you are not to blame for this situation, regardless of any pointed fingers. Without this mentality, the ritual of excuses, denial, and blame will draw you back in and may cause your efforts to fail. By admitting and acknowledging that you are not to blame, you may reduce any irritation or resentment that you may be holding onto, feelings that may hinder your desire to help.
Consider an Intervention With a Professional Interventionist
Interventions can be one of the most helpful and effective tools to get someone into rehab for drugs or alcohol. An intervention can help to show the person in active addiction how the disease has affected their life and the lives of their family and friends. While interventions can require much planning, they also require reasoning with the person whose logic has been impaired by their addiction. For this reason, a professional interventionist is often recommended to help plan, manage, and carry out the intervention process, as well as to be a neutral third party.
Make a Plan First
As you may know, drug and alcohol addiction can bring out powerful emotions. A well-intentioned conversation without planning can destroy the efforts of communicating with your loved one. An effective intervention requires a plan of action beyond a conversation; it entails making arrangements for other close family members or friends to participate and direct transportation to a drug rehab facility. Your plan should also outline the consequences if your loved one refuses help. While you may feel tempted to have an impromptu intervention, it’s essential to wait until you have all of the pieces in place.
Don’t Enable Your Loved One
When all’s said and done, the decision to enter substance use treatment or refuse it is a decision that only your loved one can make. You must be prepared that they will refuse treatment and that you will need to carry out the consequences that you outlined. Those consequences, such as cutting off financial support, must begin immediately. While enforcing these consequences will be extremely difficult, making idle threats will only enable your loved one to continue using and refusing residential treatment.
Support Your Loved One’s Treatment and Recovery Process
The best way to help your loved one on their journey to recovery is by following the advice of the treatment facility’s specialists. For example, following rules of no contact for a specified amount of time, refusing to pick them up if they decide to leave early, and offering them words of support when they contact you. This can also mean attending family addiction counseling with your loved one or on your own to support their recovery efforts when they complete treatment. As a family member or friend, you should do your best to provide healthy encouragement while your loved one fights the addiction and fights for their health and wellness. Getting a loved one into treatment for drugs or alcohol addiction can seem overwhelming, but the longer you delay the conversation, the more dire the situation may become. Your loved one’s life is worth the effort.
Break Addiction and Enter Recovery at Texas Recovery Center
Addiction takes a toll on everyone involved. Vertava Heath Texas is here to help. Call us at 844.230.5931 for information about our addiction treatment programs in Scurry. Take the first step in your recovery journey today.
