How Do I Get My Adult Child Into A Drug Rehab Center?

One new method that some drug and alcohol rehab centers use to help reverse this dangerous trend is the practice of allowing the involuntary admittance of addicted adult children by their parents.

Usually, the only way that a person can be admitted into a treatment facility is if they choose to do so of their own accord. But that isn’t always possible when someone is under the influence of a substance that is altering their ability to think clearly, though.

In order to begin the process of getting an adult child into a rehab center, it helps for parents to try using the following steps:

Step 1: How To Confront My Adult Child About Their Drug Or Alcohol Abuse

Those who struggle with a drug or alcohol addiction often live in a perpetual state of denial about the way their dependency issues are affecting both them and their loved ones. Angry outbursts are common when anyone attempts to confront the individual about the need for them to get treatment.

To help reduce this kind of emotional backlash, it is important to begin the conversation in a neutral setting when the addicted person is sober. Then, calmly talk about the damage that the drug or alcohol use has done and how it needs to stop.

Step 2: Consider An Intervention

The next step in finding addiction treatment for your adult child may be an intervention. For those who have never participated in one before, it helps to talk to a drug rehab center or professional intervention specialist first to get more information about how to stage an intervention.

Most interventions involve the friends and family members of an addicted person getting together in one room to tell the person how their addiction is affecting their loved ones and that they want them to get help.

Usually, the addicted person isn’t told about the intervention ahead of time, because they might not show up if they know what is about to happen. To keep things calm and fair, a professional interventionist may be used to facilitate the meeting.

Step 3: Remove Any Negative Actions Or Emotions

Parents who want to know how to get addiction treatment help for their adult children are often full of mixed emotions about the process.

Still, it is important for parents to try to control any feelings of guilt, anger, and frustration because they will only exacerbate the situation.

There is also a good chance that the addicted son or daughter will try to use the emotions against their parents as a means of avoiding treatment.

Step 4: How To Stop Enabling My Adult Child In Their Addiction

A common tool when trying to prompt your adult child into addiction treatment is to let them know they will no longer receive physical or financial support unless they are willing to finally get help for their addiction.

Giving an addicted person money or cleaning up after one of their binges enables them to continue their drug and alcohol use. Enabling drug or alcohol abuse in adult children is also emotionally damaging for the parents because it contributes to the creation of a codependent relationship.

Step 5: Offer To Help Find Addiction Treatment

After making an adult child aware that their drug and alcohol use is out of control, it is imperative for parents to offer to help find them treatment. That way, a solution to the situation can be presented in a way that shows that the child is still loved and cared about.

Once a treatment center is located, the adult child needs to be taken there right away. Otherwise, there is a chance that getting them to go to the facility will be more difficult, especially if they are still in denial about their drug or alcohol dependency issues.

Getting an adult child to go to an alcohol or drug rehab center often takes some careful planning because of the highly emotional nature of the situation and the intervention that may be necessary. It can help to have a plan in place and a treatment center placement on hold for your adult child when prompting them to seek treatment.

Finding the right rehab center for you or a loved one can be a difficult decision, but there are professional treatment specialists who can aid you in this process. Those who need help finding a treatment center should be sure to contact one of our treatment specialists for advice.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff