How to Get a Loved One into Rehab:
A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Tell if Someone Could Benefit From Rehab
Watching a loved one struggle with addiction can be mentally, emotionally and spiritually challenging for everyone involved. While family members and friends may see the damage addiction causes, those combating drug and/or alcohol addiction might have difficulty understanding the full impact.
Encouraging a loved one to seek help can be complicated if they don’t fully comprehend the addiction’s severity. If this is the case, it’s essential to understand how to guide a family member, friend, or significant other toward getting help—even if they are resistant to the idea at first.
This process can be scary and intimidating. It’s difficult to anticipate how a loved one will react towards the idea of rehab, which can cause anxiety, stress, and even guilt. But above all, remember that encouraging someone struggling to get help will likely lead to a positive—and possibly life-saving—change.
The process of guiding an individual toward recovery through a rehab program can be broken down into several steps. By following these steps, helping your loved one will be more organized, less stressful, and more effective. If needed, Beachway Therapy Center has licensed interventionists on staff who are ready to help.
How To Admit Someone to Rehab Who Refuses to Go
Some people fear that if an individual with a substance addiction is admitted to rehab against their will, they will not benefit from time spent in rehab. However, scientific evidence suggests few differences in the success rates of those who voluntarily go to rehab and those who go involuntarily. The patient suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction can still recover with a high-quality treatment program at a rehab center, even if they don’t go willingly at first.
It is indeed a smoother admission process when the patient is ready for change. But sometimes, an intervention is the best (and only) option. If a loved one continues down a self-destructive path, he or she could hurt themselves or others. It’s OK to guide them off that path and toward rehab instead.
Below are some actionable tips that may be useful for assisting someone struggling with addiction issues. These steps may help encourage a loved one to join a rehab program and begin the recovery journey.
Involuntary Commitment
Involuntary commitment is one potential way to assist an individual who requires healing and recovery from addiction issues. This might be the best option when the person suffering from a substance abuse disorder is a danger to themselves or others. Court-ordered rehab also falls under involuntary commitment as opposed to voluntary.
This option requires substantial and reliable evidence demonstrating the potential harm for the person or others, which might be difficult to obtain. It can also be a lengthy process. Involuntary commitment laws are not in place in all U.S. states, but the laws are changing.
In Florida, the specific law used to commit someone to treatment involuntarily is known as the Marchman Act. The Marchman Act provides for voluntary admissions and involuntary assessment, stabilization, and treatment of adults and youth who are severely impaired due to substance abuse.
How To Hold An Intervention
An intervention is a straightforward approach that may help a loved one reach an informed decision regarding their recovery options. Holding an intervention requires direct communication with the person suffering from a substance abuse disorder. This method allows for an upfront and honest conversation about addiction and how it affects their lives and the lives of others.
Try to discuss specific examples of harmful habits and the consequences of their substance issues during the intervention. After giving concrete evidence of the severity of the addiction, bring up a possible treatment plan. While an intervention does not force a person to go to rehab, it may help them to see the situation more clearly and to better understand their options.
When Is the Best Time to Talk to
Someone About Rehab?
There is no one ideal moment to have an intervention. It does help keep in mind both your mindset and the perspective of the person suffering from substance abuse. Ensure the individual is sober to hear and process the conversation. If they are not sober, they may lash out during the conversation or otherwise react irrationally. Or they may forget the conversation ever happened.
All intervention participants should be in a calm state. If the interventionists are emotionally charged, chances are there won’t be too much listening and understanding occurring.
Strategize the intervention and plan ahead of time so that everyone knows their role and understands the end goal. Doing research about what to expect at your chosen rehab center can help tremendously. It’s best to consult a professional counselor, psychologist, social worker, or interventionist to create an effective plan. Then, set a date and commit to it.
Can Tough Love Help or Hurt Someone With an Addiction?
It’s important to help a person with a drug or alcohol addiction understand that addiction can take control over their lives and choices. Tell them that they can take control back. There is no need to be overly cruel or to guilt them into rehab. Instead, use compassion to guide the conversation.
Express concern for their well-being and that the sincere concern comes from a place of love. Be encouraging, positive, and hopeful.
And finally, discuss the consequences of their actions if they continue unabated, whether that means eviction from their home, estrangement from family members, or potentially going to jail.
Steps For Getting Someone
Into a Rehab Program
Step 1:
Recognize the Signs of Addiction
There are many warning signs of addiction. From noticing a change in a person’s behavior to noticing a loved one acting dangerously and recklessly, the signs of addiction can hide in plain sight.
Drug and alcohol addiction can lead to problems at home, work issues, and deteriorating school performance. If a loved one shows these warning signs, it may be time to evaluate how to proceed.
Step 2:
Find Out If a Loved One Is Open to
the Idea of Rehab
Once the addiction signs are observed, find out if the individual is open to the idea of entering rehab as a next step. If he or she says yes, it’s time to begin planning and researching treatment options (see Step 3) if you haven’t done so already.
However, if they say no, or become hostile when the idea is brought up, it may be time to hire a professional interventionist. An interventionist is a trained specialist that can help family and friends get their loved ones to commit to a recovery plan; they are removed from the situation and can ensure a successful transition.
Step 3:
Research Treatment Options
Some questions to consider when looking at treatment options might include the following:
- Type of program: Is outpatient or inpatient the best fit for someone? Will they need a detox?
- Length of program: Will the patient be able to commit to a longer-term program (more than 30 days)?
- Location of treatment center: Will the patient be better served by staying local, or will they benefit from a new location further away?
- Treatment approach: What kind of therapy will be most suitable? Is a faith-based approach better? Or would they benefit from a trauma-focused approach?
- Treatment financing:How will the patient pay for their treatment services? Will they need to utilize their insurance, and if so, how much will they be responsible for paying out of pocket?
Step 4:
Discuss Logistical Options With a
Trained Counselor
When determining how to get someone into rehab, it’s best to have all the logistical details worked out before planning the intervention. Find out where the person will sleep, organize any necessary travel details, and arrange any required financing before someone enters rehab.
A predetermined plan in place may help avoid a situation in which a person can invent excuses for why they can’t commit to treatment.
Step 5:
Plan an Intervention
Talking to someone about their addiction needs to be approached with care. It’s critical to understand when to be sympathetic and when to be firm. Words and actions can have a significant impact, so choose them carefully.
The most effective way to confront a person struggling with an addiction is with an intervention. The intervention plan should include a chosen rehab center before the intervention takes place. This way, they can enter the facility immediately after the intervention, when the intervention’s impact is strongest.
Step 6:
Show Love, Support, and
Understanding
When communicating with loved ones, make sure they feel supported at all times. This is paramount because it helps patients to take their recovery seriously.
Choosing a treatment facility with an empathetic and understanding staff is also extremely important.
Committing to rehab can sometimes feel like a punishment for a person struggling with addiction. But regular communication and emotional support from the patient’s friends and family can make a large difference in their recovery chances.
Step 7:
Talk to Professionals About
Aftercare
Rehab is the best way to jump-start a recovery, but the real work happens when the patient is discharged from a treatment center and goes back to the “real world.” There are many programs in place for enrolling in rehab; combined with solid family support, a loved one has a better chance of maintaining his or her sobriety.
Getting help for a loved one can potentially be a life-saving event. Proper preparation will make the difficult journey to recovery just a little bit easier.
Contact Us
Reach out to the trained counselors and specialists at Beachway Therapy Center today at 877-284-0353
for help with getting a loved one into our drug or alcohol program.