If you have a loved one who faces an addiction problem, life can be hard for both of you. Loving someone who has an addiction can be difficult as most people who struggle with alcohol or drug addictions lose their ability to love and care for others around them. The focus in life for them shifts towards the addiction; about finding ways to fulfill the addiction like getting high or drunk. When you try to reach out to them, it may be hard to communicate and interact with them. To help them get out of their situation, the best help is to undergo rehab. A person with an addiction may be unwilling to admit their situation and thus refuse to go for rehab. Read on to find out how you can persuade them to choose the path towards healing and recovery.
Problems when convincing an addict to enter rehab
Most people who deal with addiction are often in denial. This makes it difficult to convince them to go into rehab since they do not want to go and all they want to do is to continue their addictive behavior. When talking to a family member about their problem with addiction, the important thing to remember is that addiction is the main focus for them and it is taking control over their lives. Convincing a loved one to go into rehab is, therefore, convincing them to regain control over their own lives. This can be a difficult task because most addicts are in denial about their situation. They end up lying to friends and family, co-workers and everyone around them. When talking to them, the key is to convince them that they are also lying to themselves and it is time to face the problem.
When you talk to a person that has an addiction, they will obviously be unwilling to go into rehab and it is against their will. However, you must stand your ground and push them to take up rehab, especially if it is the only way for them to get help and to get better. Research has actually shown that the success rates for those who were forced to go into rehab are similar to the rates of those who went to rehab on their own accord. That is to say, you might need to push and force them if really necessary. If they happen to be someone who enjoys relaxing environments like the beach, you can strongly suggest to them to enter The Beach Rehab for an alternative way of treatment.
The best time to do it
The best time to talk to them and convince them is when they are sober. Substances like drugs and alcohol can alter brain information and anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be able to understand what you are trying to say. Wait for a day where the person who has an addiction is sober and calm before you bring up the topic.
Things to take note of during the conversation
The main objective of your conversation with an addict is to get them to accept help and go for rehab. It will be helpful to take note of the following when conversing with an addict.
- Be calm, loving and compassionate. Although this can be hard as you can be angry about the situation, it will not be helpful for the conversation. Remember to stay calm and be loving to get the message across.
- Show them that you love and care for them. When talking to an addict, you should definitely express that you still love and care for them and want to help them get better.
- Do some research beforehand. You can prepare for the conversation by doing the necessary research about the rehabilitation program. You need to be well-versed and understand how the program works before you can ‘sell’ the idea to an addict and get them to accept the help.
- Listen as much as you speak. In order to reach out and get across to the addict, you need to listen to them and help them feel comfortable talking without being insulted or criticized. Listening to them can also show them that you care about how they feel.
- Don’t say things like “just stop doing it.” The matter of fact is, they cannot stop instantly on their own will without any help. The addiction does not go away simply because they want it to.
- Do not compare. Do not compare their problems with your own, or with others. For someone who has an addiction problem, they probably think that no one’s problems are as bad as theirs. This will not persuade them to get help.
- Do not use stories from others to scare them. You should not use stories of people who have failed to quit on their own to scare the person who has an addiction. The sharing of negative stories is unhelpful and you should share hopeful ones instead.
- Let them know the limits. If the person still refuses to get help or doesn’t want to change, you need to let them know the consequences. You can tell them your limits like you cannot continue living with them as long as they still abuse drugs or alcohol, or that you are afraid of leaving your kids alone with them.
What you should be prepared for
Even if an addict has agreed to go to rehab, they may still come up with excuses and evasions like being able to start next month, or putting rehab on hold. You need to be prepared with concrete examples to prove to them that they have a problem; it is urgent, and they have to do something about it immediately. By bringing up specific events and examples, it makes it harder for the individual to come up with excuses and evade rehab.
Conclusion
Convincing a loved one to go for rehab can be a difficult and long process, especially if they are in denial about the situation and are unwilling to go. However, it is the right thing to do if it is the only way they can get help and become better. You need to stand your ground and be prepared that it will take time and effort to talk them into entering rehab.
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