Entering Treatment
Entering treatment when you know you can no longer hide from the problems you’ve been experiencing is one of the most difficult steps a person can take when trying to better their life. However, sometimes there can be something even more difficult to address on this journey: sharing the struggles you may be experiencing with your family and asking for their support. Showing that you want to enter into the recovery system, whether it be for substance addiction or mental health issues can be highly stigmatizing in today’s society, whether anybody likes it or not. With or without the support of your family, a person can manage to make it through their struggles on their own accord.
However, if you are looking to share your plans to enter into treatment with them, this can be an incredibly difficult conversation depending on your family situation, their views on addiction and mental health, and their general stance on the rehabilitation system in America. Here are some ways to approach your family comfortably and confidently about your future plans to help yourself. At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way to do this but if you have a relationship with family members and want to share your intentions of either getting clean or improving your mental health, healthy communication regarding this topic can be extremely beneficial going forward before you take the leap into the next phase of your life.
Evaluating Expectations
The first step in approaching your family with plans to enter a treatment program is to evaluate our expectations of their reaction to the news. If your family is relatively open-minded and is ultimately looking to support you in this journey, then make a plan to explain to them that you have been having these problems for a long time and can no longer pardon yourself without knowing that it would be a mistake not to seek a higher level of treatment. This would be a good course of action for anyone to take, as it will make family members more sympathetic to what may seem like an extreme reaction to what may seem like a “small” problem to some.
While in certain scenarios, family members may push someone suffering to enter treatment, sometimes the scenario is the exact opposite and families may be ashamed by the idea that a sibling, parent, or relative is struggling with addiction or mental health issues. While it can be scary to open up to your family, it’s important to communicate honestly with them about your needs and, hopefully, they will be willing to support you in this crucial endeavor.
Sharing Resources
If you have family members who tend to be more judgmental, remind them that this is your life and that your recovery is your responsibility. Ultimately it is their choice whether or not they will judge you or support you. At the end of the day, you can’t change the opinions of everyone in your life and, while facing judgement from your family is hard, you need to put yourself first.
Sometimes, you can provide your family with helpful resources about addiction or mental health conditions to help them better understand what you’re going through and why you need to seek help. Some of the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health is based on outdated and inaccurate depictions of rehabilitation facilities in the media, such as in films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or tv shows like Euphoria. Do your best to counter these negative perceptions by providing family members with up-to-date information about substance abuse disorder, mental health disorders, and the kinds of treatment available. Hopefully they will become more informed and willing to listen to your concerns and reasons for why you want to seek treatment. Many medical professionals and treatment centers can provide you with guides and resources that you can share with your family.
Seeking Financial Support
If you need your family’s financial support to enter treatment but are afraid that certain factors will prevent them from helping you out, know that there will always be resources available to you no matter what. Talk to a treatment center to see what kinds of insurance they accept and if they have any financial assistance programs to help cover the costs of treatment. Everyone wants you to get better and the first person who should be aware of this is you. Ideally, your family will want to help support you in getting the help you need, but if that’s not the case, know that you are not alone and that there are treatment facilities that are eager to help you overcome your struggles.
Entering treatment can be incredibly daunting. It’s hard to admit that you are struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues and, sometimes, it can be even harder to admit to your family that you need to seek professional help. Ideally, family members will be understanding and supportive of your desire to get better–but that’s not always the case. There is a lot of stigma and misinformation surrounding addiction and mental health disorders, so it’s a good idea to provide your family with current, accurate resources about various disorders and how to treat them. For more information about substance abuse disorder and mental health disorders, call Sober Life Recovery Solutions at (619) 542-9542. There are also testimonials that you can read and share with family members. No matter your family situation, you are not alone and our caring and compassion staff of medical professionals and counselors are here to give you the help and support you deserve.
