Watching a loved one give in to addiction can be a painful experience. You see their personality change before your very eyes. They may descend into depression or become aggressive. Things they once cared about may become unimportant, and they may lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. They become a different person, and it affects every aspect of their life, including their relationship with you.
If your loved one refuses to seek help for their addiction, that can be even more painful and frustrating. No doubt, you want to do everything you can to help them. You may wonder why they wouldn’t want to help themselves. You can’t force someone to get help for an addiction if they don’t want it, but there’s still hope. You have options even if your loved one isn’t yet ready for addiction treatment in Glendale.
Family Support Groups
Family support groups can be a helpful option if your loved one refuses to seek help for addiction. They can give you some of the tools you need to stay afloat. Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are a couple of the groups that offer guidance and emotional support for families of people who are living with addiction. Other local groups may also be available depending on where you live.
CRAFT, or Community Reinforcement and Family Training, is another resource available to families through some mental health centers, therapists, and addiction treatment center. It’s a type of therapy that helps families cope with addiction. It also teaches them ways of gently encouraging loved ones to get help for their addictions.
Communication
Communicating with your loved one is essential. They may not want to talk about their addiction. They may not even be ready to admit that they have one. Still, you need to keep the lines of communication open. Talk to them when they’re calm and sober rather than when they’re under the influence. Try to stay calm and compassionate during your conversations.
Instead of using blame and accusations to get through to them, try to express your own needs and concerns. Using “I” statements instead of “you” statements is recommended. For example, rather than saying, “You’re not the person I fell in love with,” say, “I miss who you used to be.” While the former could cause your loved one to become defensive, the latter is a nonconfrontational way to express your concern.
Set Boundaries
Finally, it’s important to set boundaries if your loved one refuses to seek help for an addiction. Those aren’t necessarily the same for everyone; they vary depending on each family’s circumstances. You might tell your loved one that you won’t be an enabler by giving them money to fuel their addiction or taking them to purchase their substance of choice. In the case of a spouse, when they’re under the influence, you may choose to take your children and leave until they’re sober again. No matter which boundaries you set, be sure to communicate them clearly and consistently follow through with them.
Helping Your Loved One Beat Addiction
People who are living with addiction may not be ready to seek treatment for several reasons. Some are afraid of addiction treatment while others fear what life will be like after the fact. Some have had negative experiences with addiction treatments in the past whereas others have yet to realize they have a problem. No matter what your loved one’s reasons are for refusing to get help, trying to force them into treatment isn’t likely to bring about positive results. Until they’re ready, the measures listed here can help you address and cope with the situation.
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