Substance use disorder is a common issue that affects people from all walks of life. It can damage a person’s physical and mental health and impact their relationships. Alcoholism can also be challenging for family members who want to help their loved ones but aren’t sure what to do.
If you’re researching how to get someone into alcohol rehab, these tips might help you broach the conversation and encourage your loved one to seek help.
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Preparing for the Conversation
One of the most difficult parts of staging an addiction intervention is approaching your friend or family member to tell them you think they need to take that first step on a recovery journey. Many people struggling with addiction either don’t believe they need help or are aware of their addiction but choose not to seek treatment. When someone is in denial about their addiction, they may not respond well to an intervention, seeing it as an attack.
To have the best chance of persuading someone to accept treatment, it’s vital to approach the conversation carefully. Before you consider arranging an intervention, familiarize yourself with the treatment process and learn a little about addiction so you’re well-equipped to have the conversation.
Try to rehearse what you plan to say to your loved one, and consider your wording carefully. By choosing compassionate, empathetic language, you’re more likely to receive a positive response from your friend or family member.
Approaching Your Loved One
If you’re wondering how to help someone get into alcohol rehab, it could be worth seeking advice from a professional addiction counselor about how to approach the conversation.
Try to get together with your loved one and several friends and family members and have a calm conversation in a neutral, safe place. Focus on the facts, and acknowledge that substance use disorder is a disease rather than a personal failing. To this day, there’s a stigma around addiction, and a “functioning alcoholic” may balk if they feel they’re being accused of being a drug addict during an intervention.
Always remember that the goal of the intervention is to encourage your loved one to seek help. To that end, try to stick to science-based language. Rather than saying they’re “addicted to alcohol” or “an alcoholic,” talk about how people with substance use disorder experience certain symptoms. Lay out the treatment options and explain that you care about their health.
Aim to have the intervention at a time when your loved one is calm and not intoxicated or under the influence of other substances. There may not ever be a perfect time, but trying to choose a time when everyone is in a good mood helps start the conversation in a positive light. You may be met with anger or denial, but try to remain calm and remember your loved one’s behavior is a symptom of their substance misuse.
It’s all too easy to take a negative response personally when it comes from someone you’re close to. Having an intervention expert mediate the conversation could make it go more smoothly and reduce the likelihood of them refusing treatment.
Understanding Alcohol Rehab Options
If your loved one is ready to address their addiction, you can offer to help them find the right kind of treatment facility. There are several options to consider:
- Inpatient and outpatient programs: Inpatient programs can be useful for people with severe or long-term addiction. They offer medically supervised drug and alcohol detox services to help manage the withdrawal symptoms. Outpatient programs, IOP and PHP, differ slightly in that your loved one can continue their day-to-day routine and still attend appointments and support groups at the treatment center.
- Detoxification services: It can be dangerous to stop consuming drugs or alcohol suddenly. Detoxification services help people through the initial withdrawal process, providing medical supervision and monitoring.
- Therapy and counseling options: Individual or group therapy can be an invaluable part of the recovery process. When someone seeks treatment for substance abuse, their care team will devise a personalized treatment plan that includes counseling and therapies tailored to the individual’s circumstances.
- Specialized programs (for example, for co-occurring disorders): It’s common for substance use disorders to occur alongside other mental health challenges. If your loved one is also struggling with drug addiction, depression, or PTSD, they may need more specialized treatment. Camelback Recovery dual diagnosis rehab facilities offer a variety of treatment programs for addiction and co-occurring disorders.
If possible, do some research into treatment facilities before you have the intervention so you can offer some options to your loved one while they’re receptive to the idea of treatment.
Many people who opt for inpatient care will stay at a facility for a short time and then continue their recovery journey via an outpatient program. Attending regular support group sessions or maintaining an ongoing relationship with a therapist who understands what sparked their initial addiction and how the struggle against addiction has been so far can be invaluable. Building trust and a good rapport with a therapist makes it much easier to stay the course when life becomes stressful.
Selecting the Right Rehab Facility
If you’ve addressed your loved one’s addiction and been fortunate enough to have a successful intervention, the next step is to find a suitable treatment program.
Start by researching which facilities in your area offer an addiction treatment rehab program. If your loved one has an existing mental illness, drug addiction, or other issues alongside the main substance misuse that led to the intervention, check that the facility can support that.
Read Reviews and Feedback
Look at reviews from people who’ve received help for substance abuse at each facility. What sort of approach does the facility take to addiction treatment? Does it focus on detox and early recovery, or does it provide ongoing support to help ensure a long-term recovery?
Consider the Location
Consider the location of the facility. Some people find recovery easier if they’re close to home, where friends and family can visit them. Others find it easier to focus on recovery when they’re further from home in a distraction-free environment.
Check Insurance and Finance Options
Another important consideration is whether the facility accepts your loved one’s health insurance. At Camelback Recovery, we work with a large number of health insurance providers and may be able to offer payment plans or financial aid for those who are uninsured or under-insured. We understand that addiction doesn’t discriminate, and we want to see as many people as possible attend our treatment centers and beat substance abuse.
Supporting Your Loved One Through the Process
Once your loved one has agreed to attend a treatment program, the journey to recovery can begin. Recovery isn’t always linear, and they may experience a relapse along the way.
As part of the admissions process, our therapists, counselors, and physicians talk to your loved one and ask them about the substances they’re addicted to and what other challenges they’re facing. We’ll devise a treatment plan tailored to their needs. Every plan is different, but there may be an opportunity for loved ones to join in group therapy or other support.
Be Patient With Your Loved One During Recovery
Having a caring and supportive family can go a long way toward helping someone beat addiction. However, just as interventions must be approached tactfully, it’s important to be patient with your loved one while they’re recovering from their addiction. For some recovering alcoholics, there’s never a time when they’re completely cured, so your loved one may need to learn some coping mechanisms and strategies to help them in situations where people are drinking. They can take control of their life, but the addiction will always be something they’re fighting.
Understanding that and doing your part to support them in their fight will help them stay dry long-term.
Help a Loved One Overcome Alcohol Addiction Today
The thought of holding an intervention can be stressful, but it’s something worth doing to help someone you love reclaim their life from addiction. If you’re researching rehab programs in preparation for holding an intervention, add Camelback Recovery to your list.
Our compassionate counselors and therapists are here to help people beat all kinds of addictions. We offer a variety of therapies, counseling options, and medically supervised withdrawal services to promote lasting recovery. If you have any questions about the treatments we offer, please don’t hesitate to call us. Our team would be happy to answer questions about any topic, ranging from whether your insurance is supported to how our rehab programs work.
To learn more about the alcohol addiction treatment services we offer at Camelback Recovery, call us now at 602-466-9880 to request a free and confidential consultation with one of our addiction experts.
