How to Get a Loved One Into Treatment

1. Understand the Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse

To help your loved one recover from substance use disorder, you need to recognize the warning signs of drug and alcohol addiction. The early warning signs of addiction include:

• Being secretive
• Avoiding responsibilities
• Borrowing money without any important reasons
• Poor hygiene
• Frequent mood changes
• Becoming isolated
• Coming home smelling like smoke or alcohol

These are some general signs and symptoms that could indicate your loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol. The exact symptoms they demonstrate will vary depending on their level of addiction, as well as the substances they choose to use. Someone suffering from alcoholism may come home smelling of alcohol, but a person who is abusing other drugs may not demonstrate that particular sign.

If your loved one is using cocaine or other stimulants, there may not be any outward signs. However, they may demonstrate uncharacteristic hyperactivity or the ability to go for long periods without sleep. Those who use heroin may also display a dramatic change in their sleeping schedule. Unless you see the needle marks on their arms, though, you might not be able to tell your loved one is abusing an illicit substance.

The point here isn’t that you won’t be able to see the signs and symptoms of substance abuse in your loved ones. It’s that you might need to look a little closer to figure out something is wrong. Once you do that, you can figure out how to get a loved one into rehab.

Substance abuse can cause problems at home and even lead to job loss or failure at school. If you notice these symptoms, you need to take prompt action. Don’t wait until your loved one displays dangerous, violent or life-threatening behavior such as drunk driving.

3. Learn the Most Effective Treatment Options

The exact steps to addiction recovery vary from person to person. This is because drug abuse triggers and situations that lure people into drug use vary widely. So, it’s important to know the different types of treatment available and choose the one best suited for your loved one.

You can learn about the different types of treatment on our website and find out more about the types of aftercare, family therapy and support groups designed to meet your loved one’s needs.

Selecting the right addiction treatment center will determine whether your loved one stays on the path to recovery or if they’ll struggle with relapse. At Gateway, we use nine core treatment methods to ensure we address the drug addiction but also deal with the co-occurring factors that led to the addiction in the first place.

Our treatment facility offers everything required to handle withdrawal and detox symptoms, and we have a complete team of medical professionals to handle every aspect of addiction recovery. We offer amenities that will make your loved one feel safe and comfortable.