Category: Family and Caregiver Support

Though having a friend or family member in drug or alcohol rehab is certainly difficult, the process of recovery from drug or alcohol addiction is even more difficult for the person who is going through it. So, sending gifts and messages of support to a loved one in early recovery can be a great way to keep a friends’ or family member’s spirits up.

Residential drug treatment facilities may even restrict patient’s access to cell phones, so you may have to maintain contact with them through other means, which is where sending letters of support as well as sending gifts through a care package helps your loved one to feel more connected to you and to the outside world.

Rehab care packages can help remind the person you are sending a care package to that you still love and support them, and helping a friend or loved one to pack for rehab can also be highly appreciated during an otherwise difficult time.

What Someone Should Bring To A Rehab Facility

Obviously, someone should not forget to bring basic items they use in their day to day life with them to a rehab center. These include personal hygiene items, like body soap, toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, hairbrush, and other toiletries. They should also bring comfortable clothing for day to day wear, that should also not be overly revealing to ensure appropriateness in a treatment center setting.

Formal identification and health insurance card will also most likely be necessary for someone entering rehab. Depending on what other therapeutic activities are offered at the specific rehab facility, workout clothes or a water bottle for use during outdoor activities may also be a good choices to make sure you have in your patient’s possession. Alternate methods of therapy may require specialized supplies or apparel, so you should check out the website of whatever treatment center your loved one is attending before sending them off to their new environment.

Recovery Care Package Ideas For Friends And Family Members

As far as less essential items that might make a good idea to include in a care package, self care is a great direction to go in. Fun activities your friend or loved one could do in their free time like sudoku puzzles, word puzzles, or adult coloring books could be a great way to brighten someone’s day, as could something like a scented lotion or shampoo you know your loved one would enjoy. Decorative items featuring inspirational quotes might also be welcome gifts for someone in the early days of their recovery.

You can also rely on your personal knowledge of your loved one to think of ideas about what they might appreciate, such as books by one of their favorite authors, favorite snacks or candy, or something with sentimental value that they may have left behind, like a favorite t shirt, book, or even stuffed animal.

Some more practical gift ideas for a loved one in treatment include additional apparel, especially if someone is traveling to a climate they may not be used to. You should also keep in mind that not everyone in treatment will have a large amount of space in their treatment center accommodations, so you may want to keep your care package small, or find ways to give a meaningful gift while still being somewhat minimalist space wise.

For instance, a digital picture frame could make a great gift as it can include many photos without taking up as much space as a bulkier photo album. If you happen to have personal experience with addiction, a letter revealing those experiences as well as expressing support could be a welcome personal touch to add to a care package.

Restrictions At Most Rehab Facilities And Other Items You May Want To Avoid

Rules dictating what is and is not permitted can vary across facilities, so if there’s anything you’re unsure about, checking with a staff member before sending something could be a good bet. Across the substance abuse field, any and all drug related items will be prohibited at rehab for obvious reasons, as might any object that could theoretically be used for self harm.

Less obviously, you’ll also want to avoid anything that might trigger thoughts of the life events they are missing out on while in rehab, or could trigger negative thoughts of their past substance abuse. Thus, books or personal photos that romanticize drug and alcohol use should definitely be avoided, while inspirational or spiritual reading material would be a better bet.

You should also note that your package will likely be searched by a staff member before it reaches your loved one to ensure that it is in compliance with the specific rules of the treatment center, so you may not want to send your loved one in recovery anything embarrassingly personal even if it is not technically prohibited.

Using The Marchman Act To Force A Loved One Into An Addiction Treatment Center

If a close friend or loved one is currently struggling with addiction but is unwilling to consider recovery, you may want to consider using the Marchman Act. Advanced substance abuse can interfere with an addict’s thinking to the extent that they may not be able to think rationally about their need for treatment, which is when a substance use disorder counselor may be able to step in and get them to consider recovery.

It’s only if this lesser intervention does not prove helpful that a measure as drastic as the Marchman Act may be warranted. To learn more about the rules of the Marchman Act, our intervention services, and helping people understand the dangers of their addiction, contact us anytime at 833-955-1007 or online anytime here.

Getting Treatment For Substance Abuse As A Parent

While it can be difficult for almost anyone with substance abuse issues to take the difficult step of committing to drug rehab, the road to recovery may be even more difficult for an addicted parent. Along with all the other difficulties that come with seeking addiction treatment, addicted parents must arrange other childcare for their children while they go to rehab if they are planning on utilizing a residential treatment center.

In the best case scenario, the parent will be able to leave the children with a spouse or other family member while they attend rehab, and will be able to maintain custody of their child throughout their rehab center process. However, If a parent is sufficiently incapacitated due to a substance use disorder, the child’s safety may be at risk, in which case the parents may lose custody in order to ensure the child’s protection.

So, parents who do not have family members who can commit to raising children while they go to rehab may face the threat of losing custody of them due to their drug addiction if they cannot make alternate arrangements. According to the National Association for Children of Addiction, one in four children in the US is exposed to dependence on drugs or alcohol in their family, an experience that can lead to “serious physical and emotional difficulties” and a plethora of long-term risks.

Though, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, most parents with substance abuse problems are not actually dangerous to their children, it is thus also true that a significant percentage of children who are in foster care are there due to a parental substance abuse problem.

Worries about custody, though, shouldn’t be a reason for a parent not going to rehab for drugs or alcohol if it is warranted by the severity of their substance use. For one thing, even in the unfortunate case that a parent does lose custody of a child while going to rehab, it will not necessarily be permanent, especially if a parent surrenders the child themselves. Though the child will likely be placed in temporary foster care, family services are obligated to work to reunite children with their parents once it is clear that returning home is a safe option.

This is in contrast to the likely outcome if the parent continues their substance abuse as opposed to choosing to seeking help from a qualified treatment provider. Parents suffering from sufficiently severe substance use disorders who do not seek treatment for their condition are at a high risk of losing custody due to factors like arrests or other evidence that the safety of their children is at risk.

It’s also worth noting that treatment options may include those that are flexible enough that a parent could attend intensive substance abuse treatment while still fulfilling their childcare and other family obligations.

Many rehab centers offer outpatient care, which means that instead of staying full time in a residential treatment facility as in typical inpatient rehab, patients will instead only have to come to the rehab center to receive treatment for a minimum of nine hours a week. American addiction centers that offer outpatient care also tend to be less expensive than inpatient rehab centers, so depending on your financial situation, insurance provider, and what you are looking for in a treatment provider, it could be a fitting option for your needs.

Thus, a parent may be able to participate in an addiction treatment program while their child is at school, or arrange childcare for only those few hours of rehab program instead of around the clock. Some American addiction centers also offer parents the opportunity to take their young children with them when they go to rehab, though this is relatively rare among rehab programs. However, allowing occasional visits from family members at set times is much more standard for most American addiction centers.

What To Expect in Addiction Treatment: Individual and Family Therapy

Once the parent has entered a rehabilitation program, a therapist or other qualified healthcare provider can begin to treat them for any underlying mental health disorder or other behavioral health conditions that may be fueling their drug or alcohol addiction.

These mental health issues will then be addressed with treatment options like the prescription of any appropriate medications and advanced recovery systems consisting of therapies scientifically backed by addiction research like cognitive behavioral therapy. Experts in addiction medicine at reputable American addiction centers will be able to asses you or your loved one’s individual needs, thus paving the way for individualized treatment options that will help them get to the root of their unique substance abuse issues.

High quality treatment facilities are also aware that a parent’s addiction affects not only themselves but their entire family unit. If you are a parent, both you and your children have likely been affected by your drug and alcohol use, which is why your addiction treatment may also involve the participation of other family members, such as in family therapy.

Family therapy sessions may explore unhealthy family dynamics and examine the structure of the family system, so that these problems can be resolved and healthier ways of relating can be established.

Family or individual therapy may also help children process the trauma of a parent’s substance use disorder, and both patients and their families often benefit from participation in support groups offered by drug addiction treatment centers. In support group meetings, former substance abusers may discuss strategies that helped them to stay sober from drug and alcohol, while loved ones will be able to discuss the emotional fallout that their family members drug use has had on them. For both groups, the community and acceptance that sharing stories can bring can be a valuable source of healing.

Depending on a child’s age, you may want to keep explanations of their parent’s substance use disorder vague and simple rather than risk going over their heads, but older children may be able to handle more information about a parent’s stay in drug rehab.

Use The Marchman Act To Force A Loved One To Go To Rehab For Drug Abuse

If you are worried about the drug abuse or alcohol abuse of a loved one who remains unwilling to commit to addiction treatment, you may want to consider forcing them to go to rehab by using the Marchman Act.

While involuntary commitment should be a last resort, professional medical advice dictates that, in situations where someone is a danger to themselves or others, such as if a parent’s drug addiction is rendering them incapable of adequately caring for a child, mandating someone to go to drug rehab may be the best option for ensuring that they do not fall victim to their own substance use disorder as well as to ensure their child’s safety.

Despite the risk that this course of actions could cause a parent to lose custody, in the end, a parent who finds their mandated addiction treatment beneficial is far more likely to eventually be able to be a positive influence in their children’s lives. Advanced recovery systems and treatment options offered in American addiction centers have a high likelihood of putting anyone who suffers from a substance use disorder back on the track to a healthy, productive life, while someone who refuses to consider a treatment provider is likely to continue their downward spiral.

For more information on using the Marchman Act to force a loved one into a drug rehab treatment program, feel free to call us anytime at 833-497-3808 or to contact us online anytime here. We can also arrange a consultation with a professional intervention counselor who may have the ability to convince your loved one to consider drug rehab programs without such extreme measures, or help you to get in touch with a qualified admissions representative for drug rehab treatment centers that may be appropriate to your loved one’s needs.

Why A Professional Treatment Program Is Essential To Helping Someone With Drug And Alcohol Addiction

Dealing with a loved one’s addiction can be a harrowing experience for concerned family and friends. It can be hard for family members to understand addiction, especially given the unwillingness that many people with substance addiction can display to accept treatment for their condition.

But, as opposed to being a moral issue or a “choice,” substance use disorder should be considered as a disease, a serious mental illness that sometimes requires the help of a certified addiction professional before your loved one is ready to embark on their addiction recovery journey.

Rather than not caring about the effect that his or her substance abuse is having on his or her family, someone with drug addiction often simply does not have the emotional resources to consider the effect that their addiction is having on others. This is because of the all-consuming effect that their substance use is having on their own mental health.

They may be fearful of experiencing painful withdrawal symptoms if they stop their alcohol or drug use, or they may fear learning to live without the drug abuse that has become their central emotional coping mechanism for all of the obstacles life throws at them.

Along with the painful feelings that may have motivated them to start abusing drugs in the first place, they may now also be struggling with guilt and shame for the suffering that their addiction has caused their loved ones, which may only feed a vicious cycle of drug abuse.

However, at addiction treatment centers, caring treatment providers can provide medical advice and formulate an appropriate treatment plan for your loved one. A stay in a treatment facility will offer a person with addiction a controlled and completely drug free environment, where they will be able to slowly process all the painful emotions that they may have been using drugs and alcohol to escape.

An addiction treatment approach will generally involve specialized therapy designed to help your loved one to address these underlying mental health issues, as well as to work through the traumatic experiences that may have fueled their drug or alcohol addiction.

Depending on the patient’s needs, addiction treatment also may incorporate the prescription of whatever psychiatric medication would be appropriate for the patient’s specific mental health condition. It may also involve prescription of an appropriate regimen of medication assisted treatment, which is sometimes prescribed to ease a patient’s physical withdrawal symptoms so that they can focus on the cognitive and emotional aspects of their recovery, especially in the case of drugs like opioid that are known to result in intense physical cravings.

Treatment programs will also teach a person who is struggling with addiction healthier alternative coping mechanisms that they can use rather than resort to substance abuse. They will learn to identify and avoid people, places, and things that might “trigger” them to use drugs, and to pursue the kind of full and meaningful life that will make sobriety an appealing prospect.

Some addiction treatment centers also incorporate activities designed to foster a patient’s holistic wellness, like yoga or horseback riding. Treatment centers might also offer experiential outings and events which can help build community and connections between patients in early addiction recovery and help them to rediscover joy in their new life free of addiction.

Group therapy can also be an invaluable resource as it provides patients a chance to share their experiences of addiction with others who have gone through similar trauma, helping them to feel less alone and often helping them to become a lasting support system for each other through long term alumni and aftercare services.

If you suspect that a friend or family member may be struggling with addiction, you can also read about the warning signs that your loved one has a substance abuse problem here. But if you already have clear evidence that your loved one is in need of substance abuse treatment, there is no time to waste in convincing them to enter a rehab facility.

The longer a person remains in active addiction, the more entrenched their behavior will become, making it harder and harder for them to pursue recovery, and the more likely that they will tragically lose their chance to pursue recovery at all.

As attested to by this report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, overdoses have been rising steeply since 2013, when dangerously powerful opioid fentanyl entered the drug supply, with 64 percent of last year’s massive overdose death toll thought to involve the substance.

The incredibly deadly nature of this drug means that your loved one’s life may be at stake if they do not receive substance abuse treatment at an appropriate addiction treatment center if they are abusing any illegal substances.

Aside from the risk of acute overdose or a fatal incident caused by behaviors like intoxicated driving, continual abuse of most substances poses a serious threat to long-term physical as well as mental health, even in the case of legal drugs like alcohol. Though it may not be easy, convincing your loved one to commit to a treatment plan may be the best chance you have at saving their life.

How To Help A Loved One Struggling With Substance Abuse

One important role family members can play for someone who is struggling with substance abuse is by serving as a part of their emotional support system. Instead of offering harmful “tough love” or playing an unproductive blame game, you should emphasize how much you care about them, which is why you are so concerned about their well being that you are willing to go to extreme lengths to ensure that they pursue treatment options.

However, if your loved one remains in denial that they have a problem, or otherwise unwilling to consider an appropriate rehab program, you may want to seek out the services of a professional interventionist, who can help you develop an intervention plan to break through to your loved one.

They may also be able to help you to find a specific treatment provider best suited to your loved one’s needs, such as a medical provider that is qualified to help patients through acute detox, which can sometimes be physically dangerous depending on the drug that they abused. In particular, alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawals can lead to potentially fatal symptoms, so it’s important that a patient not try to go cold turkey without first consulting a qualified medical professional.

Involuntarily Committing Someone With Drug Or Alcohol Addiction To A Treatment Facility

Involuntary commitment should always be a last resort if a person is struggling with addiction issues. But, sometimes, compelling them to get help can be the only way to get your loved one to accept the life changing care they need. This is why, if confrontation and/or intervention has failed, it may be necessary to use the Marchman Act to force your loved one into a rehab program.

The Marchman Act is a Florida statute allows a concerned loved one to legally require that loved one to enter a treatment program if they can prove that the person is too incapacitated by an addiction to recognize their need for treatment.

To start this process, the loved one will have to file a Marchman Act petition, after which the court will determine whether the situation of the person with addiction warrants a court mandated stay in a rehab center. However, you will still be responsible for finding a specific treatment center with an available opening for your loved one, as well as for paying for their addiction treatment.

For a more detailed breakdown and step by step guide to what to expect if you initiate the Marchman Act process, you can click here. You can also contact our team of experts to learn everything you need to know about getting your loved one to seek treatment options for their addiction, including pursuing involuntary commitment to treatment centers if it becomes necessary.

For our professional treatment advice, and to learn about our professional interventionist services, you can call our website’s main phone number at 833-497-3808. We will be available to answer calls to the toll free numbers listed on our site 24/7, or you can also use our online chat function to talk to a live agent in real time.