Going through drug addiction is a life-threatening and often the most challenging phase of an individual. A substance abuse disorder like this ruins an individual’s life and their relationships with their loved ones.
This problematic disorder not only affects an addict’s life but disrupts other people’s lives, too, especially family members. You might have gone through something similar as well. For instance, seeing your close one lose every precious thing one by one due to drug abuse. You must have noticed how they lost their job and became distant from friends and family. The most prominent sign would have been their deteriorating health. As if they have been suffering from a chronic disease for years.
It is possible that you only have suspected these behavioral and health issues in your loved one for a short time. However, you should not take these symptoms lightly or ignore them. You can put their life at risk without taking any necessary action. As someone who does not suffer from substance abuse, you cannot relate to/understand what an addict is going through. Therefore, you must play your part and convince your loved one to join rehab before it gets too late.
While you are at it, understand that you cannot force anyone to join rehab against their will. If they are not ready to take professional help, try to change their mind. There are some strategies that you can use to persuade them. Through these strategies, you can make them realize their addiction problem and need immediate help.
Let’s learn how to convince someone to join a rehab facility and get themselves treated.
1- Do some homework before getting started
If you want to convince someone to get addiction treatment, you must educate yourself first. Fortunately, there are a few places that guide people about substance abuse and addiction treatments. For instance, the Delphi Behavioral Health Group offers personalized addiction treatments and online consultation. You can talk to their customer representatives online and learn more about which treatments they are currently offering. Reaching out to a professional institute is always a big help. After all, how will you understand the victim’s substance abuse problem without learning about the underlying details? Only a professional institute and online research will help you put yourself in another person’s shoes.
2- Show compassion and love to the other person
Showing love and concern to your loved one who is going through substance abuse is highly crucial. You cannot judge or blame the victim who is already juggling between trauma and shame. Suppose the victim feels like you are overstepping your boundaries in any way or being suffocating. In that case, they will instantly cut you off. Therefore, you must show compassion towards them so they feel comfortable discussing their issues with you. You need to build a trustworthy relationship with them and find the right time to talk about rehab. Make it clear through your behavior that you are concerned about their health. Try to convince them to take addiction treatment and show genuine concern while doing so.
3- Propose an intervention
If your loved one is still hesitant about joining rehab, try to hold an intervention with a few family members and friends. An addict needs to realize that they are not alone in this problem, and some people want to help. It is best to plan an intervention and consult with everyone on how to proceed ahead. Everyone must be on the same page during an intervention. They need to be more careful about what they say to an addict and how they behave in front of them. You can also take help from an intervention specialist who can assist you in carrying out a successful intervention.
4- Do not make them feel apologetic
Convincing your loved one to join therapy or addiction treatment only works if you communicate the right message. When talking to the other person, try to use “I” statements instead of using “you” back to back. Your responsibility is not to come out as intimidating or make them feel apologetic in any way. If they feel defensive in your presence, they will never pay attention to what you say. Therefore, project your thoughts on how you feel about their problem and what you think is best for the victim. Do not pass any judgment that may offend the other person. You are there to help them out, not to make them feel about their condition. If that happens, they will have second thoughts about joining rehab. They might never join one even if they were willing to do that before.
5- Keep trying and do not lose hope
As everyone says, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. If the strategies mentioned above do not work out, hold yourself together and keep trying. Sometimes, convincing your loved one to join rehab is an overwhelming experience. But you are the only hope they have. If you give up on them now, they may never get the chance to recover and live a normal life. They must be in denial right now, but you are in perfect senses to think otherwise. So prepare yourself to try multiple times and ensure that your loved one listens to you.
The Bottom Line:
Indeed, persuading someone for addiction treatment is a tricky job, but keep at it. With the help of these strategies, you can convince them to get treated as soon as possible. Your encouragement and honest concern will make them understand the gravity of the situation. So do not feel scared to speak up and guide them towards the right path of recovery. Try to be the bigger person here and convince them to seek help right away.
