Make no bones about it, getting someone into rehab is generally not easy. People don’t often just volunteer for it.

Rarely is it as simple as saying, “I think you have a problem; can you please go to rehab?”

Getting someone into treatment is tough. It’s work. But it’s worth it because recovery and sobriety are a second chance at leading a good life.

Signs Your Loved One Is Struggling with Addiction

Before we talk about how to get someone into drug rehab though, it’s important to discuss what addiction looks like.

Depending on the drug, a substance use disorder can manifest itself somewhat differently, with addiction to amphetamines not looking exactly the same as a cocaine addiction would for example. That said, and this is crucial, addiction itself has underlying characteristics that are there regardless of which drug we’re talking about.

The signs of addiction are:

• Taking larger amounts of the drug than intended or taking them for longer than planned
• Being unable to cut back on drugs despite trying to do so
• Spending a considerable amount of time getting, using, and recovering from drugs
• Intense cravings
• Failing to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home
• Using despite damage to interpersonal relationships
• Skipping or forgoing activities, social events, and more that they once enjoyed in favor of drugs
• Continuing to use despite very clear negative effects, both physical and mental
• Usage puts them in increasingly more dangerous situations with increasing frequency
• Developing a tolerance that requires larger doses to get the same effect
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using and overcoming them by using more

As you can see, these signs aren’t drug-specific and therefore apply across the board. You’ll see these whether it’s an addiction to opioids or benzodiazepines.

The longer the addiction is left to linger, unchecked and unchallenged, the worse the substance use disorder becomes. As we noted at the top, it’s a difficult take to get a loved one into rehab. Denial is powerful among addicts and it makes sense why; no one wants to admit they have a problem.

How To Get Someone into Drug Rehab

What can you do to get someone you care about into rehab then?

For starters, be patient, be non-confrontational and be understanding.

The addiction didn’t take hold overnight, it was a slippery slope that happened over time. Given that, you can’t realistically expect a person to change overnight either. They say patience is a virtue, and they’re right.

This leads us to the idea of avoiding confrontation. Getting irate and attacking a person, loved one or not, is a surefire way to get them to put up walls. No likes being berated and it could very well lead to more using and self-destructive behavior. That’s not to say you need to be an enabler and just watch the downward spiral, tough love is a real thing – it just shouldn’t come from an attacking place. You can express your concerns in a way that’s stern but ultimately decent.

That’s where understanding comes in. You need to understand that addiction is a brain disorder and that there’s no quick fix. Just like there’s no quick fix, there’s also no button you can press to get them to go to rehab. It’s a process of understanding and reacting accordingly. All of that leads to finding a drug rehab that works best for them. The more you understand, the more you can home in on a treatment center that fits their needs.

Ultimately the damage done by prolonged substance abuse takes time to heal.

At Safe Harbor, we understand that and can help your loved ones get their life back.