This is a question that we are frequently asked, and unfortunately, we are never able to give the answer the person is hoping for. In the UK we are not able to force someone into rehab – they must be there of their own choice, and are free to leave at any time. That is not to say that the staff will not do their best to persuade the person to stay, but ultimately they cannot hold the person against their will. In some circumstances, a person may be put under a psychiatric hold if they are thought to be a serious harm to themselves or others (and unfortunately, in terms of sectioning, a serious addiction does not count as serious harm to self). Even if the person is held, it is likely to be for a short period of time, and will focus on the mental health aspect rather than the addiction.
So it’s a pretty grim situation – your loved one does not want to go to rehab and you can’t force them to go. This is where Addictionhelper specialises in helping family members. We know how emotionally draining the struggle can be, and we are here to do everything in our power to help make things easier. We have an abundance of literature we have written to give family and friends an idea of things they can be doing to improve the addict’s motivation towards treatment. We also provide intervention services.
An intervention is held by someone who is highly trained and has the skills necessary to make it work. The interventionist will gather with the family beforehand and prepare them for what needs to happen, which will include writing a letter to the addict. The addict will then be approached by everyone involved with the desired outcome being the person agreeing to enter rehab. The interventionist will then take the person straight to rehab to make sure there is no opportunity for the person to change their mind. We have very high success rates with our interventions and I truly believe that is because we see it as a process, and are there from start to finish – we support the family beforehand, we get the person into rehab where they are looked after, we then pick up again afterwards and support the person during their early recovery.
If you would like to speak to someone about any of the above information, please do feel free to contact us at any time. Addiction Helper can provide addiction advice and information on the best treatments and rehabilitation centres available.