If someone knows or suspects a loved one is addicted to a substance or behavior, they must act now. Addicts rarely admit they have a problem until it’s too late, so loved ones have to start the conversation and get them into a rehabilitation facility.
The right rehab center with an effective treatment program can reduce relapse later in life. Financing is also a factor, especially if you want to pay through insurance.
But the biggest problem is figuring out how to get the addict into rehab. The good news is that once an addict is in rehab, it doesn’t matter if they went there voluntarily or from compulsion. Research shows that in both cases, the addicts showed similar levels of motivation and willingness to change by discharge.
Start by Learning All You Can About the Addiction
Identifying and learning about addiction is the journey’s first and most crucial step. As the addict’s close relative or friend, educating yourself allows you to understand the addiction and how to handle the addict.
Most addicts are either unaware or in denial about their problem, which makes it extremely hard to help them. In many cases, addicts can hide the issue for years until it becomes full-blown physical and psychological dependence.
That’s why you need to learn what addiction is, what substance (or behavior) your loved one is abusing, and how the addiction is controlling them. That way, the addict won’t lie to you or take advantage of their loved one, and the loved one can also stop any enabling actions.
Look for Signs & Symptoms of Substance Abuse
Once an addiction has continued for long enough, there will be clear signs such as:
- Obsessive behavior – addicts a lot of time, effort, and resources to get their “fix.”
- Physical and psychological dependence
- Changes in social behaviors and preferring secrecy and solitude
- Physical symptoms – weight loss, changes in appetite, drastic changes in sleeping patterns, and lack of personal hygiene
- Tolerance – the addict needs more and more of the substance to get the same effect
- Risky behavior – addicts will do anything to get their fix, including trading sex, stealing, borrowing, and selling personal or family belongings.
- Loss of coordination, delusions, and slurred speech
- Disregard for others
There will also be more specific signs depending on the type of substance being abused. For example, addiction to opiates and meth is often accompanied by periods of hyperactivity, rapid weight loss, and needle marks on arms or feet.
Find out the substance or behavior to which a loved one is addicted and learn as much as possible about it. This will help you formulate a plan of action to get them the help they desperately need.
Make a Plan
Once you understand what you’re dealing with, you’ll be able to confront the addict. You can do this as a one-on-one conversation or stage an intervention. Whichever one you choose, we highly recommend that you rope in trusted family members, friends, or colleagues.
Talk to an Addiction Expert
If you can’t talk to the addict without it getting confrontational, we strongly recommend that you consult an addiction expert. Many therapists, psychologists, and social workers are highly skilled at handling addicts and will help get the conversation going. We encourage loved ones to contact an addiction expert here at Healthy Life Recovery, and we help support addicts and their loved ones through this challenging stage.
Consider Available Treatment Options
There are different treatment programs available. The most effective program will depend on many factors such as the type and severity of the addiction, finances, distance to the facility, work, family responsibilities, and many others.
Some of the treatment options you should consider include:
- Outpatient treatment – a non-residential program to help patients maintain accountability while receiving professional support and treatment
- Medically-assisted treatment – a program for serious addictions that require medical treatment to manage symptoms of physical and psychological withdrawal
- Behavioral therapy – is a form of “talk therapy” where experts provide guidance and incentives to help addictions overcome the problem.
- Individual and group counseling – this option is excellent for mild addictions and for recovering addictions seeking to prevent relapse
We also provide tailored programs on a case-by-case basis that allow us to cater to particular groups such as business professionals, LGBTQ+, and addicts requiring long-term support for sober living.
Contact the rehab facility and make admission arrangements when you figure out what will work best. This is necessary so that, if the confrontation or intervention is successful, you can escort your loved one to the facility at once.
Staging the Intervention
To stage an intervention, first select a trusted interventionist to help with the process. Form a group of people who can support in the intervention who care for the addict. Staying calm, avoiding judgment, avoiding blame, and focusing on expression how the addiction affects others can be the focus of the intervention.
Planning, preparing, and rehearsing the intervention can help achieve a successful intervention. Deciding on specific consequences and remaining strong with those consequences can show the addicted loved one the seriousness of their disease and actions.
Can You Force Someone Into Rehab?
Many states today allow involuntary commitment to a rehab provided that you meet strict guidelines. That often means that you have to file a petition in a court of law and prove that:
- That the person is addicted to alcohol or drugs
- That the addict is a threat to themselves or others, or
- The addict is incapacitated and unable to provide for their own basic needs
- Parents or guardians also have legal authority for involuntary commitment if the addict is underage
If the judge agrees, you will receive a court order to commit the addict to treatment by force. You may also receive help from law enforcement to transport them there. In fact, more than half of US states currently have involuntary commitment laws.
How to Check Into a Rehab Center
Once the addict has agreed to go to rehab, things can move fast. Get them admitted within the next few hours before they change their mind, which should be easy if you had already called.
There will be a pre-intake screening before admission, which allows the addiction experts to gain critical information to help with treatment. That includes family history, health, and psychiatric care, history of abuse or trauma, employment, and family status, among others.
This is also the time to finalize arrangements for payments. The facility staff will want to talk to you about the general treatment costs, insurance details, deductibles, available financing options, and the recommended level of care.
Help for Addiction in San Diego
Getting a loved one to go to rehab can be difficult and painful. The right treatment center can help make the process smooth and straightforward by providing friendly help, financing options, and valuable resources.
Healthy Life Recovery in San Diego, California offers customized rehab programs that can help care for the mind, body, and soul. Drug and alcohol rehabs can provide support for long-term recovery. .
