How To Get A Loved One Into Rehab

It’s never easy to convince someone they need professional help for their substance use. Staging an intervention, or just asking a loved one to seek addiction treatment, usually means that the person is either unaware they have a problem or else they refuse to seek treatment.

Read on to learn all the challenges and opportunities that come with figuring out how to get a loved one into rehab.

The Consequences of Substance Use Disorder

No matter what the drug of choice, one of the most dangerous aspects of a substance use disorder is its tendency to progress. As people in recovery often say, “It always gets worse, never better.” In other words, addiction cannot be cured. It will only get worse without professional help. This is something to keep in mind when exploring how to get a loved one into rehab.

Exactly how a substance use disorder progresses is unique to the user, but most addicts wind up struggling with worsening psychological symptoms like depression, anxiety, and wild mood swings. Meanwhile, they tend to engage in progressively riskier behavior. This can include driving while intoxicated or committing crimes to get more drugs.

Additionally, there are the physical effects of a substance use disorder, which can range from brain, kidney, or liver damage to rotting teeth. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, even a single instance of alcohol or drug abuse can have significant negative consequences.

These consequences include, but are not limited to:

• Immediate consequences. Substance abuse can have immediate, direct consequences for health ranging from effects on heart rate and regulation of body temperature to psychotic episodes, overdose, and death.
• Indirect consequences. These are consequences related to the risky behaviors that often accompany substance abuse. Because alcohol and drugs can impair judgment, risky behaviors like driving under the influence (DUI), unprotected sex, or syringe sharing can easily follow.
• Long-term health effects. Heavy drinking can lead to hypertension, liver disease, and cancer. Regular marijuana use is associated with chronic bronchitis. The long-term use of stimulants like cocaine can lead to heart disease.
• Long-term societal consequences. These can include reduced productivity at work or school, higher healthcare costs, unintended pregnancy, the spread of infectious disease, drug-related crime, interpersonal and domestic violence, and many other effects on families, communities, the economy, and society.

The Signs and Symptoms of Substance Use Disorders

Many substance use disorders start with experimental or recreational use. Then they grow more frequent. Other SUDs, like those involving opioid painkillers, begin with taking the substance as prescribed.

Then, a dependency on the drug to feel “normal” takes over. The risk of getting addicted to alcohol or drugs varies according to several factors. These include one’s genetic makeup, environment, the possibility of a co-occurring mental health disorder, and the drug itself.

That said, the common signs and symptoms of a substance use disorder can include:

• Feeling the need to use the drug regularly
• Intense drug cravings
• Needing more of the drug to achieve the desired effect
• Maintaining a steady supply of the drug
• Spending more than one can afford on the drug
• Missing obligations related to work, school, or family
• Continuing to use the drug, even though it’s causing personal or psychological problems
• Engaging in illegal or risky behaviors to get the drug
• Driving or engaging in other risky activities while under the influence of the drug
• Failing in attempts to stop using
• Experiencing intense withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop using

It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish a loved one’s moods or normal behaviors from signs of a developing substance use disorder. For instance, teenagers have been known to sleep at odd hours of the day or act intensely protective of their privacy.

Still, one might be aware of the following possible signs of a developing substance use disorder among their loved ones:

• Problems at school or work, including ore frequent absences, a sudden disinterest in school or work-related activities or work, and significant drops in grades or work performance
• Physical health issues, like a frequent lack of energy and motivation or weight loss or weight gain
• Neglected appearance, like wearing the same outfit day after day, lack of hygiene
• Changes in behavior, like being secretive about going out with friends or drastic changes in friend groups
• Money issues, like requests for money without an explanation, stealing from family members

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How to Convince a Loved One to Go to Rehab

Convincing someone to go to rehab can be extremely difficult but not impossible. It requires a combination of compassion and strategy. It also requires a fair amount of preparation. Read on to learn how someone can put themself in the best position to get a loved one to go to rehab.

Find Out if They Want to Go to Rehab

This might seem obvious, but finding out whether a loved one recognizes they have a problem should not be overlooked. If they are willing and able to consider going to rehab, then helping them choose a treatment facility might be all they need.

Learn the Most Effective Treatment Options

Everyone’s recovery journey is different. Over the last couple of decades, addiction treatment has grown more comprehensive, more compassionate, and more effective. Before convincing someone to go to rehab, one should get familiar with all the different types of addiction treatment available. Secondly, they can hone in on those most appropriate for their loved one to safely begin their recovery journey.

Discuss Options with a Professional

While considering how to get a loved one into rehab, it’s a good idea to figure out the necessary resources, finances, and logistics like packing and transportation. Keep in mind, the team at Tennessee Valley Recovery can help.

It is also a good time to consider available insurance options. Thus reaching out to a loved one’s insurance company representative is a good place to start. Fortunately, addiction treatment is covered by most insurance plans as part of one’s essential health benefits. However, issues like copays and deductibles may come up in one’s research and should probably be addressed sooner rather than later.

Have a Plan

A drug or alcohol intervention is the most effective way to get a loved one into rehab. When coming up with an intervention plan, one should invite the loved one’s closest friends and family members. Working with an interventionist will also make the process much smoother and more successful.

Interventions frequently take place with a licensed drug counselor or intervention professional present. These professionals are known as interventionists. They may be needed in cases where the drug abuser denies they have a problem or refuses to get help. An interventionist can often be the difference between a successful intervention and a failed one.

Someone planning what they have to say and how they’ll approach their loved one’s substance use is a good idea. Consider writing down what to say beforehand. Have a plan in place to take a loved one straight to the rehab facility once they agree.

Don’t Forget the Love and Support

Getting substance use disorder help is one of the hardest things—physically and emotionally—a person can do. It is important to let the loved one know they are not alone and they should not feel ashamed. A dedicated support system is essential to the success of any recovery journey, which begins with a loved one.

How Long Are Detox Programs?

A variety of factors play into the length of any given detox program. Such factors include the type of detox program and the kind of substance the patient had been using. It also includes how long the patient has been using the substance and the severity of withdrawal symptoms involved.

Lastly, it includes whether the patient takes medication to manage their withdrawal symptoms. In general terms, cocaine or methamphetamine detox typically lasts between three and five days. Alcohol and heroin detox can easily last for 10 days. In fact, the most intense withdrawal symptoms take their time to subside.

Some patients might opt for “rapid detox.” Rapid detox is a process that lasts about three days. With rapid detox, the patient takes anesthesia and remains unconscious as the toxic substances leave the body. When the patient does this, they will no longer have a physical addiction to the substance.

Rapid detox is not possible for all types of drugs, nor has its safety and effectiveness been proven beyond doubt. Additional therapy often happens at detox programs to empower patients to transition to a life of sobriety.

What to Expect After Detox

Once a person has cleansed their body of toxic substances, the real recovery work can begin. Recovery work addresses underlying mental health disorders that may have developed during or contributed to substance abuse.

It also entails the development of coping skills to avoid relapse while embracing a life of sobriety and wellness. In other words, detox is only the first step in a long journey. Knowing what happens after detox is also important to those in early recovery.

Because addiction is a progressive, chronic disease, addiction treatment is not a cure. Still, one can successfully manage their addiction for the rest of their life. The best addiction treatment programs prepare their clients with ideas and skills to counteract the more disruptive effects of addiction. As a result, they can maintain control of their lives.

A rehabilitation program is a more effective means of getting these skills. Residential addiction treatment, lasting 30 to 90 days, offers a combination of therapies like individual “talk” therapy and group counseling. Meanwhile, partial hospitalization and outpatient programs provide similar treatments without round-the-clock care and monitoring.

Learn How to Get a Loved One Into Rehab With Tennessee Valley Recovery

If you are concerned about a loved one’s substance use Tennessee Valley Recovery near Knoxville can help. Our staff is intimately familiar with addiction and everything surrounding it and can offer you or your loved one the best chance at lasting recovery and lifelong wellness. It is crucial to find help now before an overdose occurs.

Contact us today for more information.