It might be a challenge to help someone you care about suffering from drug or alcohol addiction. It’s even more agonizing if they refuse to seek help because they don’t comprehend the consequences of their behavior. The best way to encourage your loved one to seek in-patient treatment, or residential treatment, is to explain how important this step is for their family, health, and future.
There are several efforts a family member may make to support a loved one’s recovery, whether this is their first time in treatment or one of several in-patient stints. You can help your loved one’s residential treatment by making the following best practice efforts:
Be Honest With Them About Residential Treatment
Tell your loved one the truth about their drug or alcohol use and how it’s hurting you. Your loved ones may know they are injuring themselves with each dose, but they are unaware of how it affects you. Show that you care about them by expressing your concern. Be fully honest and use your words and love to move them.
Tell them you believe resident treatment would be helpful in the long run and that you only want what is best for them. They will never know how you feel about their decision-making processes if you don’t tell them, and they are likely to believe it doesn’t matter to you. Don’t scream or assign blame.
Educate Them
Educating your loved ones about residential treatment will make them feel more at peace about the treatment. Sharing the success stories of others in their condition who have gone to in-patient treatment and achieved a full recovery would give them hope.
Educating them on what a typical day would be like allows them to visualize themselves in the situation. Incorporate encouraging words into the discourse, and attempt to emphasize activities they will appreciate.
Outdoor activities such as athletics, and horseback riding, are available at many in-patient treatment facilities. If they love these activities, let them know they will still be able to engage in them. You should emphasize that it isn’t just about sitting around and talking about their problems.
The more information you can provide on in-patient therapy and its benefits, the more at ease your loved one will be about going. And less afraid of the unknown that the transition may bring.
Make It Their Decision to Go
When encouraging a loved one to go to a residential treatment center, the first rule is never to push or force them. Check in with them once you’ve explained the advantages of therapy. Allow them to speak for themselves by asking them open-ended questions.
The following are some examples of questions you could ask:
- What do they wish to be in the future?
- What are their thoughts about going for in-patient treatment?
- How satisfied are they with their current circumstances?
- What adjustments do they believe they must make to live their desired life?
Consider each response. It could be an emotional time for both of you, and you can use it to get closer to your partner. Allow them to open up and feel what they’re feeling right now. There may be a scream for help between the tears and their responses.
Form a conversation about what they truly desire for themselves, and discuss the possibility of going to residential treatment. Also, check-in on how they are feeling now and allow them to consider whether this would benefit them;- give them time to think about it. Always offer them comfort and support, regardless of what they decide at the time.
Find a Residential Treatment Site That Works for Your Loved One
Choose a residential treatment facility where you can provide all the support and love throughout the treatment process. One of the most challenging things your loved one will ever do is recover from a substance misuse problem. Don’t leave them to their own devices. As much as possible, make sure you’re there for them.
You’ll serve as a foundation for them, a rock on which they can build their recovery. It may sound cliche, but having a solid support system is critical to any recovery journey’s success.
At Fairwinds Treatment Center, our therapists coordinate with family members to ensure that each client has the necessary resources to be clean and sober. Contact Fairwinds Treatment Center today if you want to help your loved one with in-patient treatment.
