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How to talk about addiction
By Newport Coast | January 17, 2008
Discussing drug and alcohol addiction with a chemically dependent friend or family member can be a very difficult situation. While some individuals are completely willing to face their addiction and admit they need help, many others meet the idea of drug and alcohol rehab with varying levels of resistance.
Denial is a common trait found among many drug and alcohol abusers, even when they’ve admitted to having a problem (i.e. ‘it’s just a small problem’ or ‘I can manage my problem without help’). If the individual is completely resistant to any plan at sobriety, a behavioral intervention may become necessary, but this should only be done with the help of a certified professional.
When it comes to simply talking about potential drug problems, its best to do so before the problem gets even more out of hand. Drug and alcohol rehab can turn an individuals life around, however convincing them of this can be difficult. It’s inadvisable to outright force someone to go to rehab - they have to be willing to recover (people who are forced into rehab often go through the motions and relapse fairly quickly)
Some of the major issues that come up when discussing rehab are the time commitment, the financial commitment as well as a wish for one’s problem to stay relatively private.
The time commitment to rehab is definitely a major one - leaving one’s life and work for one or more months can be difficult. It’s important to put everything in perspective though - how long would that life even be sustainable with the addiction? Rehab may take time, but the alternative could cost immensely more.
The financial commitment to attend rehab is another concern that comes up in discussing addictions. Reputable rehab programs generally do cost a substantial amount of money, so if you’re talking to someone about getting help, you may also wish to take into consideration how the stay at rehab might be paid for.
Finally, individuals are often worried about the stigma that would be placed on them in the event that people found out about their stay in rehab. This isn’t usually a problem because rehab is a confidential process - patient names and information are kept strictly confidential and may be released to certain individuals only upon the written request of the patient.
The support of family and friends in getting help for drug or alcohol addiction is important to achieve the best possible results. It all starts with a talk. If you’d like some more information about finding a drug and alcohol rehab program, just check out
Topics: About Addiction, Addiction in the Family |
February 20th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Nice Site! Thanks!