Thanksgiving Gratitude: Discovering Renewal and Freedom at Serenity Vista
Living with somebody who is addicted to alcohol or drugs can be incredibly stressful. You may even begin to experience a loss of identity because so much of your focus is on the needs of this other person. If you have other kids, you may need to protect them from the addict's outbursts or erratic mood changes. The question becomes, "how to get my son to go to rehab".
You have been living with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You know he’s crazy sometimes. Sober he is charming and sociable. Perhaps, others only see his lovable side. But in the privacy of his home, among people who love him, he unleashes his insecurities and tremendous self-hate on you. ~ Margaret Joyce - The Turmoil of Someone Else's Drinking
Getting your son to agree to go for help for his addiction can be a huge challenge. He may be in complete denial about the extent drinking or using drugs is impacting his life – instead he’ll put the blame for his problems on his horrible girlfriend, his bad luck, his unfortunate childhood, the economy, the police, the weather, or his mother who doesn’t understand him!Presenting him with reasonable arguments might not be enough to get your son to agree to go to rehab. Those who are caught up in addiction can be completely resistant to the idea of getting help, and will use ploys such as manipulation, anger, or bargaining to avoid it. The best chance of this approach working is to do it at a time when your son is feeling remorseful – e.g. when he is badly hungover or has behaved particularly badly. Having this type of talk when your son is intoxicated is usually counterproductive.
Sometimes the best option for getting your son into rehab is to stage an intervention. This is where you along with other concerned family and friends gather together to confront his behavior in a more formal way. It is usually best if the intervention involves some type of ultimatum (e.g. either he agrees to go to rehab or he needs to leave the home. It is important that you are fully prepared to follow through on any ultimatum you give – otherwise you will lose your credibility with your son, and the rest of the family!)
It is of course better if your son feels motivated to change prior to going to rehab. It means he can hit the ground running. The reality is that most people are resistant to treatment initially, and need to spend a bit of time in the nurturing environment of rehab before developing the willingness to transform.Fear of negative consequences is usually only enough to get people through the door of rehab. To get people to commit to long-sobriety, they need to accept that this is in their best interests to do so. The whole point of rehab is to demonstrate how recovery is not only achievable but also worth achieving. So, even if your son only agrees to go to rehab for less than ideal reasons (e.g. because he is afraid of losing his family and support), there is a good chance he will fully commit to the process once he is there.If you would like some more advice about getting your son to go to rehab, please contact us now here at Serenity Vista.
One thing that stops a lot of people from rehab is the thought of spending time in a sterile environment, with white coats and cafeterias. In many insurance-covered, or government programs, beds are filled with court-ordered justice offenders. Sometimes these folks are more interested in staying out of jail than getting healthy. This can create a toxic environment that make recovery extremely difficult. Private-pay rehab in Panama is surprisingly affordable. Serenity Vista Addiction Recovery Retreat is owned by Canadians, and staffed with professional therapists from North America and Europe. The highest standards for excellence in therapy, counselling, recreation, location and care are held.
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