Whether it’s your husband, wife, sibling, child, coworker, or friend, watching someone struggle with substance use disorder is brutal. The fear, confusion, and sadness can be overwhelming. But how can you tell if your loved one’s situation is “bad enough” to get help? What are the signs that someone needs rehab?
First of all, you can’t force someone into residential addiction treatment. The decision to get help must ultimately be theirs (and usually, recovery sticks better if it’s their choice, anyways). Still there are some signs to look out for if you’re thinking of staging an intervention, or even just having a serious talk.
The most obvious sign of drug or alcohol abuse is pretty common-sense: They’ve changed. In addiction, athletes become coach potatoes, foodies lose their appetite, and the sweetest person can become unrecognizably angry. If attitude and lifestyle changes persist, there could be something deeper going on.
How can you tell if it’s “just” depression though, or a phase? Financial issues can be another sign that someone’s addiction is spiraling out of control. Feeding a habit is expensive, no matter what your drug of choice. If someone you know is skipping their car and rent payments or even stealing to feed their habit, their addiction is growing into something that could destroy their whole life.
Of course, the physical signs of addiction can be literally life-threatening. Drastic weight loss, skin sores, scars, burns, nosebleeds, and other unusual physical problems are the outer signs of the inner torment experienced by someone in addiction.
With all that in mind, how can you really tell if someone needs rehab? Ask them! As you might expect, they are very likely to flip out on you in a storm of denial and anger. But, there’s still a slim chance that you might get lucky and break through. You never know, your comments or conversation could be the final factor that pushes someone to get help.
Are you worried about someone you know who seems to have a drug or alcohol issue? Or something else going on? Our team has seen it all, and they can talk you through the problem and how you might be able to help.
Contact us for support and more info.
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Getting Clean & Sober at Home
Today, more than 75% of hospitals and healthcare providers offer access to telehealth treatment, with 29 states having gone so far as to enact telehealth parity laws, which force insurance companies to reimburse patients for telehealth at the same rates as they would for in-person treatment.
If you’ve been thinking about getting clean and sober, or if you’ve been wanting to work on and strengthen the recovery you already have, it’s never been easier to do it through telehealth.
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