How to Get Someone to Go to Rehab: 4 Steps to Take

In a 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) survey, nearly 20 million people in the United States require substance abuse therapy. Despite this, more than 80% of people surveyed have not sought professional assistance. Most of the time, this is because they do not see a need for treatment. They are oblivious to the existence of a problem. At the same time, they cannot abstain from drugs or alcohol on their own.

When a loved one’s drinking or drug usage causes concern, it can be tough to know what to do. Getting someone to go to rehab might result in various outcomes, including fear, hesitation, or uncertainty about the best methods to assist the loved one.

These reservations can be dispelled with a few words of advice that may assist family or friends of a person battling drug usage or addiction in determining the best strategy to persuade their loved one to attend a treatment program. Today, we’ll help you prepare what to say to someone going to rehab.

How to Get Someone to Go to Rehab?

For most people, being admitted to rehab is a terrifying reality. Many are terrified about being away from their families and making such a significant shift in their lives. Change is often frightening, especially the life-changing decision to get sober. The greatest method to convince your loved one to attend treatment is to explain how vital this transformation is for their family, future, and health.

Getting someone to go to rehab is a challenging process. Here are some steps to take to help you help your loved one:

1. Get educated.

Learning about addiction and drug abuse before you approach your loved one about getting help is essential. The conversation will be easier if you are prepared with facts. First, know the signs and symptoms of drug abuse. These will help you build your rehab case.

Next, you will need to learn more about addiction and the dangers associated with drug abuse. Talk to addiction specialists or read literature. These will help you answer questions and guide the conversation with a level head. Recognizing that addiction is a disease and understanding how it affects people mentally will help you approach the topic of rehabilitation with more empathy and understanding.

You can also research treatment options for addiction to find out exactly what happens and what you should expect in a rehabilitation program, which may also reduce your loved one’s fear or dispel some of their uncertainty.

2. Make it appear as if they’re deciding to go.

The first guideline for encouraging a loved one to attend treatment is never to pressure or force them. Check in with them once you’ve explained the advantages of therapy. Ask them open-ended inquiries and let them speak for themselves.

Here are some examples of questions you might ask:

• How do they feel about their usage?
• What do they envision for their future?
• How satisfied are they with their current situation?
• How do they feel about going to rehab?
• What adjustments do they believe they must make to live their desired life?

Each answer should be taken into consideration. This could be an emotionally charged moment you can both use to connect with your loved ones—a time for them to feel and open up.

A cry for help might be necessary between their tears and their responses. Talk about what they want, then bring up rehab. Then, check in on how they feel. Ask them if they think this would be a good idea and let them explore the possibility. No matter their decision, you will always give support and comfort.

3. Tell them the truth.

If you’re having trouble about what to say to someone going to rehab or how to persuade them even to go to one: the solution is fairly straightforward— just be honest. Communicate openly and honestly with your loved one about their drug usage and how it affects you. Your loved ones may know that they are endangering themselves with each dosage, but they are unaware of how severely it impacts them.

Demonstrate your attention and affection for them. Be truly honest and move them with your words and affection. Tell them you believe rehab would be helpful and are just concerned with what is best for them in the long term.

If you don’t express your feelings about their decision-making tendencies, they won’t know and probably won’t think it matters that much to you. However, don’t scream or assign blame. Simply have a heart-to-heart talk and allow your emotions to merge into one choice.

4. Organize an intervention.

If nothing else works, holding an intervention may help them realize how important recovery is.

An intervention consists of close friends and family members gathering to talk to a loved one who is misusing drugs to get them to enter treatment. Intervention professionals can be brought in if you are unclear how to hold the meeting or direct the dialogue.

It is important to note that these are not intended to place blame on the user or attendees, nor are they intended to be embarrassing for the user; instead, they are intended to let everyone express their thoughts regarding drug use and work together to address a problem.

Holding an intervention may be your greatest shot at convincing your loved one to enter treatment since it demonstrates that they have a problem and that many others are worried.

Why Forced Addiction Treatment Fails

Rehab for drug or alcohol misuse is sometimes a complex procedure. For many, it is simply a matter of offering them hope that treatment can help them get their lives back on track and rid themselves of the agony of addiction. Others are coerced into it, with some penalty if they do not finish therapy. Whatever the cause, people enter drug treatment seeking a variety of things and for a variety of reasons.

Drug usage rehabilitation can be successful, but it requires a substantial degree of adjustment all around for a person to enter recovery. Patients in rehab must adjust their therapy significantly. Still, they must also acquire new coping mechanisms, maintain a better, healthier routine, and, most importantly, stay away from individuals or things that can trigger their relapse.

Drug rehab frequently fails because nothing changes for them outside of therapy, and no one is there to support them from the outside. Make sure to offer encouraging words for someone in rehab and to remain a positive pillar in their life after rehab.

Key Takeaway

Whatever you do to persuade your loved one to go to treatment, remember never to point fingers and always to provide support. Making them feel like it’s their fault is one of the many reasons why forced addiction treatment fails. That’s why it’s important that you make your loved one feel at ease and supported in their decision is everything to them. They require that push break out of their comfort zone and take the next step toward self-improvement.

It is crucial that you are always there for them as their guiding light through it all. They will eventually understand they need to make a change; all it takes is effort, patience, and love. But it doesn’t stop there, either. Once they’re in rehab, never stop supporting your loved one. You can do this by offering encouraging words for someone in rehab through regular phone calls and showing compassing throughout their journey.

It Is Never Too Late to Get Assistance

Quitting involves not just stopping but also recognizing and addressing the issues that lead to addiction in the first place. To guarantee that it never occurs again, loved ones battling with addiction must seek treatment, which often falls on families.

Luckily, Haven House Recovery is here to assist you in helping your loved one’s recovery. We are a nearby center for addiction recovery in Clarksville that provides a reliable 12-step Christian-based approach— ensuring your family’s hope and relief that their loved one is secure.

Our Santa Rosa Beach, Florida facility offers medically supervised detoxification, group and individual therapy, peer support, community-building activities, and a relapse prevention strategy. To learn more about our program, be sure to get in touch with us immediately. It is never too late to get someone the assistance they require to overcome addiction.