Data shows that only one in ten people with addictions get the treatment they need. With 46 million U.S. adults diagnosed with substance use disorder in 2021, learning what must be done with a person who is addicted to a drug could be beneficial.
This guide will show you how to connect your loved one with addiction treatment, even if they are initially not ready to commit to recovery.
Need help getting addiction treatment?
How Can I Get My Addicted Family Member into Treatment?
Watching a loved one’s life disintegrate before your eyes is heart-rending, and this can be even tougher if you meet with denial when you broach their alcohol abuse or substance abuse.
Determining when it’s time to step in and take action is not an easy decision to make, but you should prepare yourself for this.
Unfortunately, addiction remains to some extent stigmatized, even while it is now recognized as a chronic and relapsing disease.
Calling someone’s intake of substances into question will always be a sensitive issue, so it is vital to approach this subject very gently and supportively. Leave guilt and blame aside, focusing instead only on the issue at hand.
If you find the idea of getting someone to go to rehab overwhelming, break it down into smaller chunks, as follows:
- Start by discovering as much as possible about addiction
- Use what you have learned to establish the extent of your loved one’s addiction
- Stop enabling your loved one’s behaviors
- Encourage your loved one to get the treatment they need without applying guilt
- Seek outside help if required
1) Start by discovering as much as possible about addiction
Discovering how to get someone to go to rehab will be streamlined if you find out as much as you can about addiction and recovery.
Watching a loved one indiscriminately use alcohol or drugs despite obvious and mounting negative consequences can be frustrating. The better you understand the nature of addiction and the changes to the brain it brings about, the more easily you can accept that your loved one is not behaving this way through choice, even if they chose to start using substances in the first place.
Learn about the differences between inpatient rehab (best for severe addictions and co-occurring disorder) and outpatient treatment – proven just as effective as residential rehab for most mild and moderate addictions.
Find out about local 12-step support groups and other relevant recovery resources.
2) Use what you have learned to establish the extent of your loved one’s addiction
You should now feel much more confident of establishing the scope and severity of your loved one’s addiction.
Getting someone into rehab might seem like an involved process and an uphill struggle, but you should be able to use what you have learned to determine whether your loved one is likely to need to pack their bags for rehab, or whether an outpatient treatment program would make better sense.
Now, since we can assume that your loved one is not yet engaging with treatment, it’s a good time to double down on stopping their substance abuse. One of the most effective ways you can do that is to stop enabling their behaviors in any way.
3) Stop enabling your loved one’s behaviors
Even if getting your loved one into rehab still seems a distant prospect, you should immediately stop enabling their behavior in any way.
Stop covering up for their behavior, refuse to make excuses on their behalf, and stop providing any funds if these are being used for drink or drugs.
Be prepared to meet resistance if you have been enabling your loved one’s addiction and stay strong. You are killing them with kindness by allowing them to continue abusing substances once addiction has set in. Be consistent, as well, or your loved one is likely to try manipulating you emotionally.
4) Encourage your loved one to get the treatment they need without applying guilt
When you address the issue of addiction treatment with your loved one, resist any temptation to lecture them. Don’t try to use guilt as leverage to get them the help they need either. This is not the right reason for someone to engage with addiction treatment.
If your loved one admits they have a problem and admits they need help, you can move forward by providing a robust argument for formal treatment, whether inpatient or outpatient, as the most fruitful route to recovery.
Depending on the severity of your loved one’s addiction, you may also need to consider medical detox. This usually occurs at a dedicated medical detox center, and FDA-approved medications can reduce the intensity of both cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Make it clear that you are there to help them every step of the way, encouraging them without applying guilt, and without shaming them.
Now, we appreciate by no means every encounter with an addicted loved one will go that smoothly. You may try repeatedly to bring up the topic only to meet with a wall of denial, outright hostility, or both. If this happens, it’s time to look further afield.
5) Seek outside help if required
You may need some outside help to determine how to get someone into drug rehab when they are resistant or dismissive.
Here are some immediate options to widen the net:
- Attend groups like Al-Anon or Nar-Anon, both designed for the families of those in active addiction or recovery
- Connect with friends or family in long-term recovery
- Engage with a counselor or therapist for yourself
- Contact some addiction treatment specialists
How to get someone into rehab against their will is still possible, even if they point-black refuse to comply.
Can You Make a Family Member Go to Rehab?
How to get someone to go to rehab when they refuse to embrace the idea could start with an intervention. Along with other friends and family, you will confront your loved one – possibly with the help of a professional interventionist – with the aim of getting them into rehab.
In many states, California included, you could petition the court for involuntary commitment to addiction treatment so your loved one gets the help they need. This is not a seamless process and is by no means guaranteed, but it remains an option of last resort.
Addiction Treatment at Renaissance Recovery
Choose from drug and alcohol addiction treatment at the following levels of intensity for your family member at Renaissance Recovery Center in Orange County:
- Supervised medical detox program
- PHP (partial hospitalization program)
- IOPs (intensive outpatient program)
- Dual diagnosis treatment program
Whatever level of treatment intensity best suits the needs of your loved one, they can access these evidence-based and holistic interventions at Renaissance:
- MAT (medication-assisted treatment)
- Psychotherapy
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Family therapy
- Experiential adventure therapy
When your loved one completes their treatment program, they will leave equipped with an aftercare plan that includes relapse management strategies and access to the Renaissance alumni program. They can also take advantage of various vocational development opportunities if they need help finding employment.
Take the first crucial step by speaking with admissions at 866.330.9449.
