5 Excuses Your Loved One May Use To Avoid Rehab
Seeing a spouse or a child go through the ravages of alcohol or drug abuse can be as traumatic as it is confusing. It’s so traumatic and confusing that we are often willing to suspend disbelief and enable all kinds of negative behavior that we may normally find unacceptable.
For instance, we might look the other way when they lie about their substance misuse or even when they steal or are physically and verbally violent because of it. At some point, we may just get used to it and it becomes incredibly easy to believe any excuse that they might have about their drug or alcohol abuse.
Even when you’ve managed to get past this point and have them admit that they abuse substances, chances are they will also have excuses handy that will use to keep them out of rehab. Below are some of the ones our experts at Dallas Drug Rehab Centers keep hearing. If you suspect that you or someone you love has a problem with drugs or alcohol, please get in touch with a mental health expert immediately.
1.) “It’s not really a problem”
Denial can be extremely powerful, and even contagious. In most cases, we would also like to believe that our loved one doesn’t have a problem. This often means that we can be susceptible to taking them at their word.
Even if we don’t believe it, necessarily, we might act like it, out of fear of what they might do if we forced the issue. If you’re already at the point where you have to convince yourself that nothing’s wrong, then chances are something is.
2.) “I can quit anytime I want to”
Yet they haven’t. This phrase and variations of it are so common that it has become kind of a trope. The fact is, they probably can’t quit without any help. By the time someone uses this phrase, chances are their substance misuse has led to strained relationships and problems at work or school. At the very least, they likely already suffer from physical and psychiatric health issues as a result of repeated substance misuse.
3.) “Rehab’s useless. People relapse all the time”
Unfortunately, this can be true of some rehabs, particularly those that do not emphasize a holistic treatment or teaching important relapse prevention skills. However, these days, these types of rehabs are the exception rather than the rule. There has been a quantum leap in how rehabs approach substance use disorders, which has led to better outcomes for most patients overall.
Additionally, relapses do not necessarily signal the failure of the rehab process the way they did decades ago. Thanks to advances in our understanding of substance use disorders, it’s now understood that falling off the wagon a couple of times does not have to mean that an individual has stopped recovering.
4.) “We can’t afford rehab”
While rehab isn’t necessarily cheap, there are more options than ever before for effective treatment.
Worth noting is the exciting gains made in outpatient treatment methods, which have democratized effective treatments for lower-income families. Previously, residential treatments were widely acknowledged to be the only effective choice for treating severe drug and alcohol use disorders. Thanks to a better understanding of what usually works, the effectiveness of more affordable outpatient treatments has steadily increased in the past few decades.
Additionally, federal legislation has greatly expanded the options available for actually paying for rehab. Never has there been a time in American history that drug treatments have been as effective and as affordable for the majority of recovering individuals.
5.) “It’s the only thing that’s making my life bearable”
Substance misuse is not a healthy way to cope with life issues and unresolved trauma. If someone says something like this, chances are that they have underlying mental health problems that need to be addressed alongside their substance use disorder. Going to a rehab program that also addresses co-occurring psychiatric disorders can greatly improve the odds that your loved one will not only kick their habit but also be better prepared to address the underlying causes of their substance misuse.
Find help for your loved one today
Substance abuse can and will get out of hand if you accept these excuses. While leaving things be might seem to be the right decision, your loved one’s drug problem is just bound to get worse with time.
If you’re certain that your loved one has a drug or alcohol problem, it’s important to get in touch with a mental health expert and possibly a professional interventionist as soon as you can. Early treatment can dramatically improve the chance of better outcomes while reducing the associated financial burden. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Dallas Drug Treatment Centers to find the best facilities and programs in North Texas.