Admitting You Need Help for Drugs Can Be Challenging

If you have been struggling with drug abuse, admitting you need help can be difficult, especially when approaching people you love, including your family.

The shame and stigma surrounding drug abuse and addiction can make you fearful of reaching out or admitting to your family that you have become a “drug addict.”

While it is normal to be anxious about telling others you need help for drugs, it is important to have open conversations with family, so they can be a source of support as you seek rehab.

Hopefully, through an honest, heartfelt conversation, your family will understand that treatment can help you recover from drug abuse and lead a happier, healthier life.

Doing Your Research Allows You to Explain Why You Need Help for Drugs

The first step in explaining to your family that you need help with drugs is researching what addiction means.

This can help you have an educated discussion with your family, so they know you are serious about seeking treatment.

For example, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is a mental illness and a chronic brain disease.

Over time, drug use causes lasting changes in the brain, leading people to seek drugs compulsively .

Therefore, it can be extremely difficult to stop using on your own.

When you approach your family to tell them you need help with drugs, it is helps to explain that addiction is a disease.

Just like any other medical condition, treatment is required to recover or get better.

 

Explain the Science of Why You Need Help for Drugs

If you have been living with addiction, there is a chance that your family is upset with you. Perhaps you have lashed out at them in anger during the worst phases of your addiction, or perhaps you have stolen money from them to support your habit. Whatever the case, your family may see you as a “hopeless drug addict.”

There is a chance that your family is fed up with your drug abuse and are convinced that drug rehab will not work. If you suspect your family might feel this way, explain to them that your behavior results from a chronic brain condition. For example, as the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains, while the initial choice to use drugs is voluntary, over time, drug abuse damages areas of the brain responsible for judgment and decision-making.

This means that addiction can make it difficult for you to control your behavior or make reasonable decisions. During the conversation with your family, it is beneficial to explain this fact.  Apologize for the decisions you made while addicted, and make it clear that you need help with drugs to make better choices in the future.

 

Other Talking Points When You Need Help for Drugs

Beyond explaining to your family that addiction is a legitimate medical condition that requires treatment because of its negative effects on the brain, it is helpful to educate your family about the prevalence of addiction and the effectiveness of addiction rehab.

A 2017 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that about 20.2 million adults have an addiction in any given year. Pointing this fact out can help your family understand that addiction is a common condition and that seeking drug rehab is a relatively acceptable thing. It may also be helpful to explain that treatment works and can help you to change your life.

Explain the Dangers of Not Seeking Treatment When You Need Help for Drugs

If your family is still hesitant about drug rehab, they may become more open to the idea when you explain the dangers of not seeking treatment. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the drug overdose death rate has tripled since 1999.

Avoiding going to treatment when you need help for drugs can increase your risk of death from an overdose. Not seeking treatment also puts you at risk of a multitude of health problems, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and mental health problems.

 

Explaining What Treatment Will Involve

Beyond understanding the science and consequences of drug abuse, it will be important for your family to know what to expect from drug rehab. They can understand whether you are going to inpatient rehab or attending drug rehab on an outpatient basis.
Additionally, your family should understand that they are an important part of your recovery journey. They may be upset about your addiction or unsure that you need help for drugs, but asking them to support you in your recovery is an important step.

Takeaways on Telling Your Family You Need Help for Drugs

Telling your family, you need help for drugs and need to go to drug rehab can be challenging. Given the stigma and shame surrounding having a drug addict in the family, your loved ones may have a negative opinion of addiction treatment.
Some of the stigma surrounding drug abuse can be corrected by developing an understanding of addiction, such as learning that addiction is a legitimate medical condition that causes lasting changes in the brain.

Explaining that addiction is a lasting brain condition, informing your family of the benefits of treatment, and asking for their support as you go to drug rehab can make a difference. Letting them know the reasons you need help for drugs and telling them what to expect will increase the chances that your family will support you.

Drug Abuse Treatment in Colorado and Arizona

If you are ready to seek treatment for drug abuse, Best Rehabs In Arizona has locations in both Colorado and Arizona. We are a luxury treatment center, and we offer a range of services, including residential treatment, outpatient rehab, detox, and partial hospitalization.

Best Rehabs In Arizona employs a leadership team with over 25 years of experience in the field, and we use evidence-based approaches for drug rehab. We are also considered a dual diagnosis center, meaning we are qualified to treat both addiction and mental illness.

 

Paying for Drug Rehab

After telling your family you need help with drugs, your next concern may be determining how to pay for drug rehab.

At Best Rehabs In Arizona, we make the process easier by offering a free insurance verification program.

Simply fill out a form on our website, and a member of our team will be in touch with you to inform you what you can expect to pay out-of-pocket for rehab.

If you do not have insurance, our team will also work with you to create a cash payment plan.

Reach out to us today to learn how we can help you recover from drug abuse.