The United States has more than 20 million individuals that need treatment for drug abuse. About 80% of these people do not receive professional assistance because most of them do not perceive addiction as a medical problem. Furthermore, most people that abuse drugs find it difficult to stop without external help. If you have a companion or relative battling substance abuse, you must recognize addiction as a disease.
Drugs can alter a person capacity to make a rational judgement, setting priorities, and psychological behavior. When a person you love misuses drugs or alcohol, you may notice they need assistance long before it is apparent to them. It is disheartening to witness a loved one continually carry themselves in self-destructive means. Moreover, their behavior might affect your life to great lengths because of continually worrying about their condition.
Here is an insight on ways you can convince a loved one to attend rehab to free themselves from addiction.
Understand addiction.
The first action of starting a conversation with a loved one concerning their addiction can be challenging, and thus you should educate yourself intensely on the topic. You should know how it occurs, its effects on an individuals’ behavior and brain, and the importance of treatment. Education on the subject matter will enable you to know the manifestations of substance abuse, which will aid you in developing a strong case for drug rehab.
You should consult addiction specialist, attend support groups, and read literature to familiarize yourself as much as you can with drug addiction. In-depth knowledge in the subject will prepare you to address the queries your loved one might have, and ensure the conversation is prolific. Furthermore, understanding the effects of addiction on a person will assist you in handling the issue of convincing them to go to rehab via an empathetic approach and creating assurance on its effectiveness.
Plan an intervention.
Intervention is considered among the most effective ways of convincing someone to attend rehab. An intervention involves the combined effort of family members and friends, who explain to the individual how his or her substance abuse negatively influences their lives. Such an approach motivates the afflicted person to consider rehab because most of them fail to notice how their behavior affects those around them. You should select a time that the loved is sober and is in a clear state of thinking.
Control attitudes and emotions.
Interventions should be done compassionately and calmly without being judgmental. During an intervention, you should leave out all emotions that might stem from how your loved one’s addiction angered or hurt you. Such negative attitudes and emotions will make it difficult for them to want to change or understand the reason for the intervention. Conversely, you should make them feel that the intervention originates from pure love and compassion that you have for them.
Controlling your emotions and avoiding negative attitudes will make your loved one see that the goal of proposing rehab is for them to get happier and healthier. You should let them know that you love them and assure them of your support. Avoid making blame remarks and replace them with ‘I’ statements like ‘I feel hurt.’ It would assist if you were an active listener to make the loved one feel seen and heard, which makes an intervention productive.
Seek professional intervention.
Considering professional intervention might be the best thing for an addict. A person that specializes in giving addiction counselling will assist you in making a productive conversation. An addiction counselor eases the post-intervention process that ensures that your loved ones’ enroll into rehab. You should admit the loved one into the rehab program as soon as they are willing to promote a confident start and therapy results.
Act early.
You must intervene early and avoid acting too late, which might result in an overdose. Do not allow your loved one to ‘hit rock bottom’ before seeking treatment option such as rehab. Therefore, you should not wait for them to destroy their life, such as going to jail, hospitalization, or homelessness, to intervene. If you speculate that your loved one might have a substance abuse problem, you should intervene as early as possible. Moreover, you should know that addiction is a fatal illness and gets worse the longer an individual uses drugs putting them at more risk of developing long-term effects.
Set boundaries.
You should protect yourself while helping a loved one get over an addiction by establishing real boundaries. When setting boundaries, ensure you are careful, think through what you can commit to and what you cannot. Moreover, you should ensure that communication is clear and you stick to the boundaries created. Avoid making promises or threats you cannot uphold.
If you have a relative or companion grappling with any form of addiction and seek help, our counselors are available 24 hours a day. Call 833-820-2922.