What Options Do I Have to Help My Daughter Get Drug Treatment in Florida if She Doesn’t Want It?

One of the most heartbreaking situations parents can address is the disease of drug addiction. Drug and alcohol addiction can strip families of their dignity and render everyone emotionally broken. As a parent of a daughter, you will be faced with some potentially tough decisions.

One problem is trying to convince her she needs treatment, especially if she resists the idea. If you live in Florida, there are three basic steps you can take. Each one depends on the severity of the situation and your individual family dynamic.

The One-on-One

When you discover a drug problem early enough, sometimes a heart-to-heart, one-on-one conversation can help convince a family member that they have a problem. There are some pitfalls you must avoid, if you hope the result is successful.

One important thing to remember is that invariably drug addicts and alcoholics rarely envision themselves as having a problem. Frequently, they will immediately become defensive and elusive. Your goal as a parent is to help your daughter feel she is making a decision for herself and on her own.

This can be very difficult. Try never to accuse her of anything or make hardline ultimatums. You may drive her further away. While you want to avoid enabling the behavior, a rigid approach is not suggested. The best course of action is to make suggestions and ask questions.

Try to get your daughter to realize the dangers posed by abuse. If you’re not comfortable with your understanding of drug and alcohol addiction, add individuals who have experience on their side to the equation.

The Intervention

Sometimes, exposing a person to a surprise intervention doesn’t work well. Your objective is never to embarrass your daughter. You want her to realize how dangerous drug addiction is, and why she needs to seek help, hopefully before it’s too late. However, you can entrust an intervention setting to a trained professional.

Drug and alcohol counselors will meet with parents and their children. By bringing a knowledgeable, essentially neutral party into the equation, you can reduce the tension. Interventions are great things for television drama, but a setting that is orchestrated by a trained professional is far more advisable.

All too often, goodhearted family members and friends will allow emotions to comprise their better sense of judgment. An intervention can help convince your daughter that she should voluntarily agree to enter a treatment program for her own wellbeing.

However, just like a hardline, do-as-I-say personal interaction, an overzealous insistent attitude can drive her farther into her addiction. If you choose to try an intervention to entice a family member to seek treatment, definitely consider a professionally supervised situation.

The Marchman Act

The third approach you can take to get a daughter or other family member into treatment is definitely a rigid course of action. However, when someone’s life may depend on them getting help, it should never be considered stepping outside the boundaries of good parenting.

If you live in Florida, you can utilize the Marchman Act to get someone the help they refuse to accept voluntarily. In long form, it is the Hal S. Marchman Alcohol and Other Drug Services Act of 1993.

It designed to get emergency treatment for substance abuse, often before it’s too late. By filing a Marchman Act Petition, you can initiate a process that will evaluate and recommend treatment options for your daughter.

While it may seem like such a hardline approach to involve the court system, it is far better than the possible alternatives. Your objective is to save your daughter’s life. The Marchman Act may be the final tool at your disposal.

Albeit, it is a court-ordered action; however, it can help establish a foundation for living a clean and sober life. If you’ve exhausted the normal avenues to get your daughter into treatment, but she still refuses, the Marchman Act could save her life.

Being a parent with a child caught in the web of addiction can be a harrowing experience. Be mindful, there is help available. If you’re not comfortable with your own understanding of addiction, by all means utilize the knowledge of a trained professional. Convincing someone that they have a drug or alcohol problem can be a struggle.

However, sometimes even the earliest exposure to treatment can be enough to open their eyes. These are three options you have for getting your daughter treatment help if she doesn’t want it. The key is to start today and to never give up hope, because there is help and it often takes just a phone call. Call us today at 833-846-5669.