How to Convince Someone to Go to Rehab

Do you have a friend or loved one who seems to be in need of drug or alcohol rehab? Convincing an addict to get help is no small task, and you’re likely in for a big argument.

It’s hard to know how to convince someone to go to rehab without a fight or a lot of pushback. People who need help with addiction often don’t know that that’s the case until it’s too late, and you may end up isolating your friend or loved one by accident. We want to help you navigate this difficult situation. Keep reading for our tips for convincing someone to go to rehab.

How do you Convince Someone to go to Rehab?

1. Be Empathetic, Not Accusatory

No one likes to be approached with an accusation. This might make the addict in your life get defensive, closing them off to any potential help that you can offer or suggest to them.

Instead, try approaching your loved one with empathy and understanding. Know that even though you may not understand how they let themself get into this situation, they likely didn’t do it on purpose and they still deserve kindness and respect.

Empathy involves more listening than speaking. You want to hear your friend out before you go throwing accusations at them. You should show your concern, but not necessarily for the addiction itself. What is it that’s causing your friend to overuse drugs or alcohol? Addiction often has a root cause.

Talking to your loved one and trying to understand why they’ve been using drugs and alcohol is more beneficial than simply telling them that they need to stop. Many people know that they need to stop, they just don’t know how to.

Making yourself an empathetic figure that isn’t making demands of them turns you into a safe space. Your loved one will know that they can trust you, and they may be more inclined to take your advice and criticism to heart moving forward.

2. Research Rehab Centers and Programs

This is where you can do some of the work for your friend. When you notice a problem, start looking into different rehab centers in your area. Put the time in to do your research to find the place that would be best suited for your friend’s condition and personality.

Not all rehab programs are for everyone. You know your loved one and you know what they will and will not put up with. Doing this work ahead of time might make the conversation less frightening to your friend when you do broach the topic of rehab. Sometimes one of the biggest hurdles that can stop someone from getting help is not knowing where to go.

If you’ve already made a list of appropriate rehab programs with open spaces for new patients, you’re doing some of the scary work already and your friend may be more inclined to accept the help.

3. Encourage Power and Responsibility, Not Guilt

Many addicts are stuck in a state of victimhood. They feel as if the world is happening to them and that they have no power over their situation. Sometimes this feeling is masked by the party lifestyle that they use to cover and cope.

You need to encourage your friend to take responsibility for their own life. Empowering your friend might be the first real step to giving them the confidence to move forward with their treatment.

When someone feels responsible for their own actions and the subsequent consequences, it may be easier for them to see that they need a change. When they’re slaves to the substances and the world around them, it can feel useless to try to quit or get help. What’s the point if they have no power anyway?

4. Seek Help From Friends and Loved Ones

You don’t have to do this alone. It’s unwise to ambush someone with accusations from their friends and family. Like we mentioned before, this can put them in a defensive position and make all efforts to help obsolete.

You can, however, discuss things with other friends and family members to come up with an effective approach for getting your loved one the help that they need. Make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to attempting empathy instead of accusation.

You may also be able to stage an intervention if you feel as though your friend is in a good enough headspace for this. Remember, these aren’t accusatory, but they are intended to make your loved one realize how dire the situation is.

Try not to make them feel trapped or “yelled at”. The intervention is a supportive space that only serves to help your loved one rise up. They might not see it that way. Approach with caution.

5. Admit Them as Soon as You Can

You’ve already done the work to find the rehabilitation center and you know that they have openings. The second that your loved one agrees to get help, you need to get them into treatment.

It only takes a moment for a mind to change, and the concept of starting treatment is scary. If you wait too long, they may bolt. They need to start at a time where they feel most empowered to get better and improve their lives. Waiting too long can cause the process to start over.

6. Take Care of Yourself

When you’re doing all of this work to help another person, it can be easy to forget how important self-care is. This is an emotionally arduous process. Make sure that you’re checking in with yourself and giving yourself space to relax. This weight doesn’t have to all be on you. Seeking your own friend groups or mental health professionals is a great choice during this time.

Benefits of Attending Rehab

When encouraging your loved one to enter treatment, it can be very helpful to educate them on all of the benefits of going to rehab. Obviously, rehab is not as enticing as going to an all-inclusive resort, but by reminding them that attending a rehab program is actually a positive thing, you can help them finally accept the help they need. The following are just a few of many befits of rehab:

Sense of Community – It is vital to have a support system while undergoing addiction treatment. A rehab community of staff, counselors, and other recovering addicts provides support as well as a community of people who are fighting the same battle. A person who is attempting to cure their addiction will benefit from a person who understands their difficulty and can lend a shoulder. Recovering from addiction requires the help of people who can provide support, love, understanding, and hope while understanding what you are going through. Without community bonds, addiction may not be overcome.

Structured Setting – With regards to substance abuse rehabilitation centers, structure is one of the greatest advantages. Creating a schedule is the first step in addiction recovery, and rehab programs provide this. Daily routines, productive activities, and favorable habits are frequently emphasized in rehab institutions. Patients participate in a range of therapies and treatments in addition to the daily routine. Those who have addiction issues must abandon their self-destructive patterns, and this can only be achieved by establishing new healthy patterns and a strong routine after treatment. Because rehab provides structure, patients can establish a simple yet strong daily routine that focuses on staying sober and establishing new favorable habits that they can maintain after treatment has ended.

Better Overall Health and Wellbeing – ore than overcoming addiction, rehab focuses on your mind and body’s overall health. If you abuse drugs or alcohol, your body may lose essential nutrients. This can result in your body feeling weak, having difficulty sleeping, and experiencing headaches. When you halt using substances and your body feels weak, you are more likely to resume using when you do not address other health issues. A balanced diet helps the body recover the lost nutrients and therefore improves health and mood. Exercise may also assist in beating addiction, as well as create a stronger body. Rehabilitation facilities provide a variety of workout opportunities. This post-treatment, you can continue to do it to build a healthier body and boost your mood, among other benefits. It is something you will be pleased with, as your body changes and feels good with no drug usage. Drugs once had a substantial role in your life.

What do you do when Someone Won’t go to Rehab?

Accept

Even if you haven’t experienced a friend or family member descend the rabbit hole, it may be hard to accept that their issues have persisted for too long, resulting in serious or deadly consequences. Denying the problem doesn’t assist anyone. While this doesn’t seem to directly affect the suffering person, you’re acknowledging the issue and preparing yourself to be a support network for your loved one. It won’t be simple for either side, but they need to get well, and you should be there for them.

Stop Enabling

Human nature is controlled by fear, and it is why you should be vigilant in trying to help your loved one who has become addicted. Your loved one will not be able to receive the help they need if you are motivated by your fear of losing them to addiction or the dismal future it may lead to. You may have always been curious why they demanded a large amount of money or what they did with it, but now you understand. There are nonviolent ways to cease this activity. You should be nonconfrontational rather than confrontational, especially if they question you. If they request something and you refuse, give a justification.

Encourage Them

If a person has a substance use problem, we can tell by looking at their behavior whether we are enabling them or someone else is, but what matters is whether they seek treatment. You can better motivate them to seek help if you are an important and influential person in their lives.

Stage an Intervention

When we speak about ultimatums, we are not referring to interventions that are glorified in popular culture. We have real, time-tested intervention methods that can assist us reach out to our family and friends to inform them about substance abuse. Some might call this ‘tough love,’ but it’s all we have left. It’s a tough process for everyone involved and forever going to be remembered as a critical moment in their life. It may take some time to heal emotionally, but the risks and benefits of an intervention must be weighed carefully.