If someone you care about is struggling with addictive behavior, you may be at a loss for what steps to take to get them the treatment they need. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this. Some people may respond well to a compassionate substance misuse intervention, while others could benefit from going to therapy instead. Whichever way you slice it, committing to help someone you love who is living with addiction issues can be an enormous responsibility.
Different addicts respond to the gut check of realizing they need help for their issues in a range of ways. However, you can use the following advice to map your plan of attack.
The Road to Recovery Is Not Simple or Straightforward
When you decide to help someone close to you admit they cannot overcome their substance misuse problems on their own, you can expect to encounter a few obstacles along the way. Keep in mind that, while these roadblocks can be daunting, they are not impossible to overcome.
Before broaching the topic of professional addiction recovery services with someone you care about, prepare yourself that the person:
- May deny the extent of their addiction, claiming they can quit anytime
- Might seem to enjoy their addictive behavior, despite its obvious negative consequences
- Could be unwilling or embarrassed to discuss the topic with you or anyone else, even a professional counselor or addiction treatment specialist
- Will often have deeply rooted co-occurring mental health issues that led them down the path of addiction and that continue to feed the cycle of abuse
Stay Realistic (and Optimistic)
Addiction is a chronic disease, which means there is no easy way out. No matter how determined you are to help someone you love recover, even the most persuasive arguments in the world will not help an addict who is resolutely intent on avoiding getting help. Therefore, you’ll need to establish buy-in with them over stages, with a combination of supportive steps.
Thinking and planning for the long term is the key to recovery, and will help you cope as well. If you go into the process of helping someone with an addiction armed with the knowledge that sobriety is a long road, you can set realistic expectations for yourself and your loved one.
Understand Available Treatment Options
Just as there is no one guaranteed formula to convince your loved one they need to get help for their substance misuse disorder, there are multiple treatment options for people in recovery, and the process often needs to happen in stages.
For example, people who have been abusing their substance of choice for a prolonged period may benefit from undergoing medical detox as the first step of their road to sobriety. During detox, your loved one can safely rid their bodies of addictive substances before progressing to the next phases of their treatment program.
At Inland Detox, we provide an ideal environment to complete medical detox in a clinical setting. Our caring addiction professionals can help manage undesirable withdrawal symptoms and set your loved one up for future success on their sobriety journey. Contact our admissions staff today to learn more.