Substance abuse often reaches a point where the person who is using drugs or alcohol can no longer make the best decisions on their own. Your loved one might already be showing signs of being out of control such as lashing out at you or getting in trouble at work. Although you might be dealing with a wide range of emotions in response to their addiction, your primary concern right now may be regarding how to get them help. When your loved one needs help with substance abuse recovery, you might be the only person who is willing to reach out. Or, you might have a few other people within your family or social circle who are also willing to help. Knowing what to do next makes it possible to get your loved one the help they need to get sober and protect their wellbeing.
The first thing you’ll need to do is make sure that your loved one is ready to start their recovery. Substance abuse treatment works best when your loved one is a willing participant. However, there are some situations where you might have to make treatment mandatory, such as if your loved one’s life is at risk and they are eligible for the Marchman Act. In that type of severe case, you’ll need to work with a counselor and the courts to get your loved one into an eligible treatment center.
For all other situations, it is best to talk to your loved one about the need to go to treatment. You can do this by hosting an intervention, or you might choose to just have a simple talk one-on-one when they have time to listen to your concerns. During your discussion, you might want to highlight a few of the reasons why you think they need treatment. You can use these talking points as a springboard for your discussion.
•They’ve recently been in trouble with the law
•They’re burning through money buying drugs or alcohol
•Your kids are starting to notice their behavior
•You feel like your relationship is falling apart
•You fear them having an overdose
•They are engaging in other risky behaviors such as driving while intoxicated
•You found evidence of a relapse
How to Help Your Loved One Find the Right Place to Start Their Recovery
When you have your discussion, try to remember not to focus solely on the negative things that are happening due to their addiction. While you do need to let your loved one know why you can’t tolerate their substance abuse anymore, it is also important to give them hope. Even people with the worst addictions are capable of a full recovery when they receive the right types of support. After explaining to your loved one about the things that you have noticed, you can follow up with ideas for helping them get sober.
Most people who misuse substances aren’t able to get sober on their own. If your loved one had that much control over their behavior, then they probably would have stopped using drugs or drinking long ago. Instead, they’re going to need to attend a formal addiction treatment program. For the majority of people with an addiction, the first phase of treatment will need to involve either inpatient care or an intensive outpatient program.
Staying in a residential treatment facility takes your loved one out of their normal environment where it is too easy to get drugs or alcohol. Inpatient treatment also allows your loved one to step away from their stressful life and focus on self-improvement for a period of time. Intensive outpatient care also provides these benefits, but your loved one will return home at night. This option only works if they are secure enough to avoid using drugs or alcohol during the periods of time when they are at home. Talking to your loved one about their options helps them to pick what works best for their vision of getting sober. Keep in mind that you can continue to offer them support when they enter treatment by attending family counseling sessions, talking on the phone or writing letters.
Do you need help figuring out how to get your loved one into a substance abuse treatment program? We’ve got what you need right here. Call us now at 833-846-5669.