What if I am not ready for rehab?
I am interested in treatment for Alcohol | Drugs | Other Addiction
Joining a rehab programme can be a life-changing experience and admission to residential rehab is usually a straight-forward process. However for many reasons people can feel that they aren’t ready for rehab or that there are barriers to overcome before they can start treatment.
Barriers to Rehab
Denial – addiction is characterised by denial, a strong feeling that you do not suffer from the illness. This is one reason why many people do not reach out for help until their symptoms are severe and the addiction is having a detrimental impact across all aspects of their life and their family.
Anxiety – The prospect of entering a new environment and facing your issues can be overwhelming. Additionally social anxiety may cause you to fear being surrounded by other people in the same situation.
Stigma – You may worry about how others will perceive you, leading to feelings of shame or embarrassment.
Responsibility – You may feel an overwhelming sense of obligation to support your family, dependents or coworkers, fearing that they will struggle without you. Additionally fear of consequences might prevent you from entering rehab.
Cost: For many, concerns about the financial implications of rehab, such as treatment expenses and potential loss of income, can be a significant barrier to seeking help.
Previous negative experiences – If you have had a bad experience with treatment before, you might be hesitant to try again.
Desire for Control – You may want to maintain control over your situation or try to solve the problem yourself.
How to Persuade Someone to go to Rehab
Intervention
An intervention is a structured and controlled process carried out by concerned family members, friends, or co-workers and an intervention professional.
The aim is to set up a meeting with the addicted person to openly engage and discuss the situation and their behaviour with a view to entering rehab, often straightaway. An intervention is a delicate tool and should only be carried out by a trained psychotherapist, nurse, or doctor with additional interventionist training.
Alternative Options to Rehab
While we advocate residential rehab as the most effective way to start your recovery journey, which will be a journey for life, we have put together some alternative suggestions that can help someone who does not feel quite ready to receive rehabilitation treatment for their drug addiction or alcohol addiction.
Family Doctor/GP
One starting point for anyone looking for help with an addiction problem will be through a general practitioner (GP) or family doctor. Your family doctor will be able to assess you for addiction and refer you to other specialists, such as community day programmes through the NHS. If you are seeing a private GP then they can refer you on to a private therapist.
Self-Help Groups
Another option is to begin attending 12-step fellowship groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or Gamblers Anonymous (GA). Attending one of these groups before entering rehab is recommended in order for the individual to familiarise themselves with the process and workings of group therapy and the language used in AA/NA.
Outpatient Treatment
CATCH Recovery is a leading outpatient clinic in London that provides exceptional addiction treatment services for patients struggling with substance misuse disorders. CATCH Recovery offers online addiction assessments and 2-week addiction programmes and a 3 month outpatient programme, which is tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient.
Therapy
A trained, accredited therapist or counsellor can help someone with alcohol, drug, or gambling addiction to understand their emotional needs and explore their feelings and ways of thinking. They will help the sufferer address any underlying problems contributing to their addiction. If counselling does not help to stop the drinking and using patterns then the therapist may refer the patient to residential rehab.
Treating Addiction Since 1988
Roseanne’s Story
My addiction became problematic in 1995, but I wasn’t ready for rehab. I suffered from depression but I didn’t relate it to my drug use. My drugs of choice were stimulant drugs: amphetamines and cocaine. I had been employed since I left school in Glasgow, at the age of 16, and had a great job in the financial services industry.
Initially, I would only take drugs every other weekend and would scoff at people: Why would they take drugs midweek? Why would they take drugs and then go to work? But then I became that person and I was taking amphetamines just to feel normal. I believed I was functioning normally but then I started being late for work and getting irritated with the guys I was working with. In 1995 I walked out of my job. My family became very concerned about me: why was I doing this? But they didn’t know what was going on, and neither did my colleagues. However, my recreational drug use became very problematic.
I became depressed for a few months, not getting out of bed and not taking care of myself at all. My family got involved and the doctor came to visit me at home. I was then referred to a psychiatric ward and I remained there for five and a half months — for depression. But I was dishonest and I didn’t mention my drug use.
Over 6 Years to Get Ready for Rehab
Castle Craig was mentioned by my consultant in 1995 but I wasn’t ready, I really didn’t think I had a problem with drugs. I didn’t consider myself an addict and the idea of rehab just went over the top of my head. Unfortunately, I went back to using drugs for another 6 years.
I started to take drugs daily and for the next 6 years, it got worse. Even though my behaviour and attitude were out of control — I was doing things I would never normally have gotten involved in and I often ended up in the hospital — I still didn’t feel I was ready for rehab.
I was involved in an unhealthy relationship — my partner also took drugs — and the norm for me was to get up in the morning, take drugs, dress nicely and go out like everyone else. I didn’t believe I needed help. I was living on benefits at the time.
The depression then kicked in again, probably due to the overload of drugs. I was given a psychiatrist who I saw weekly as an outpatient and he said I needed treatment. My other family members were getting involved by then. I was seven and a half stone (48kg) and psychologically very damaged, although I didn’t realise it at the time.
I was a wreck by this point and my GP got involved. I was shaking, trembling and I wouldn’t come out of the house; I was becoming a recluse. The amphetamine-type drugs had given me a lot of energy at the beginning but by the end, I had no energy at all. I was literally crawling to bed at one point.
That was when I realised I needed some help. My GP sent me to a psychiatrist who sent me to Castle Craig. I believe at that time I was ready for treatment. It had taken almost 7 years for me to admit that I had a problem.
“I Was Not Like These People”
I was admitted to Castle Craig on Wednesday the 31st of January 2001. It wasn’t an easy ride. The only person who knew I was coming in was my brother. I was pretty ashamed but still not realising that I was an addict.
When I came into treatment I felt different. I felt I was not like these people and I went to the staff room and said: “Excuse me, I really don’t need to be here. These people need more help than I do.” I was still delusional. The staff were very gentle with me and said “we’ll talk about that.”
For two or three days I was crying and feeling overwhelmed. It was scary. I never thought I would get one day free of drugs. There was an inkling that I wanted to but I didn’t know how to do it. I had no detox because it was not needed for my type of drug, and it took me about three weeks to “land” in Castle Craig. I had a lot of damage, nightmares, and negative thinking.
Gradually I realised that I was just like the other people in treatment and I spent over four months there.
I was fearful. I didn’t think I could have a life without drugs, without having a chemical in my body. This is what my addiction was telling me. I learned a lot about myself and today I can say I am in recovery.
If you or someone you know is experiencing what Roseanne describes above, contact us to get help. We have a call-back service, where you can speak to someone and request support for admission to Castle Craig.