There’s really nothing worse than trying to convince your loved one who is abusing drugs and alcohol to go to rehab for their addiction problem. This is just a horrendous thing to have to confront doing. All too often those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol just really do not want to go to rehab. This is particularly heartbreaking as this is a family member, a loved one, someone who is very close to you. You have to see them get help because you cannot bear the thought of them hurting themselves further with their addiction habits, but they will often become unbearable to be around if you try to convince them that they need to go to rehab when they don’t want to go.
Sadly, it would appear though that the family members are often the only ones who actually can get a drug or alcohol addict to go to rehab, and they do this by intervening with them, multiple times if necessary, until they get the message, give it up, and enter into a rehab center or program. But how does one get this message across? This is where an intervention would come into play. Read on.
Tips for Convincing Someone Who Does Not Want to Go to Rehab to See the Need for Rehab
There is no doubt about it, anyone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol really does need to go to rehab, and this fact could not be shown as any more obvious than it is when it is shown through an addict’s dangerous and self-destructive actions. This is why you and the other friends, family members, and loved ones of the addict really do need to do what it right and confront that addict about his or her drug and alcohol abuse habits. Listed below are some tips along this line:
• Remember that your verbal remarks will have little effect on their decision to get help.
• Addicts are much more inclined to seek help if they arrive at the decision on their own.
• Be aware that an addict will most likely lash out, guilt or become angry when approached. It is important not to reciprocate.
• Try to stick with open-ended questions that will get them talking, rather than using closed questions that only require a yes or no answer.
• Ask questions and avoid statements.
• Be prepared for resistance.
• Rather that drill them with questions, indicate you already know there is a problem and that debates, excuses or details are much less important than getting help and taking action.
• Understand that in order for someone to make changes to their behaviors, they must first accept responsibility for them.
• Offer encouragement instead of shaming.
• Show that you are concerned and be empathetic.
• Be prepared to set boundaries and stop enabling them.
If you use a combination of these tips and your own knowledge of the addict to really get down to their core personality and try to impinge on it, then you will most likely have success. Contrary to popular belief, interventions actually are successful most of the time, and when they are applied in a big way and using multiple different techniques and arguments they almost always do work. With intervention and with the above tips, odds are you will indeed be able to your addicted loved one to go to rehab and to stop abusing drugs and alcohol. Keep these words of encouragement in mind and no matter how cruel or antagonistic your family member or loved one gets, you will always have a way to win against them because you know that you are doing the right thing for them.
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