When you Can’t Do Anything Else: Getting your Son into Inpatient Care

You know you son is a drug addict, you may have even tried to get him into treatment before, but the drug addiction continues. There are ways to get him into drug treatment without his consent. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it is not necessary to want to go to treatment for treatment to be effective. There are ways that you can get your son into inpatient care when he just won’t go.

Gathering Information

The first thing that you need to do is gather information. By researching the various treatment methods, you can make an informed decision on which type of treatment will work best for your son. If your son is resistant to stopping his drug use, inpatient treatment might be the best option.

There are a variety of forms of inpatient treatment, the exact type of treatment will depend on which drug your son is addicted to and what his triggers are. It is important to know as much as you can about his drug addiction before finding a suitable treatment center.

Talking to Your Son

Try to remain calm and expect resistance when you approach your son about getting treatment.

Some of the information you need is available just by talking to your son about his addiction. Although this can be difficult, there are ways that you find the information that you need. If you find a time when your son is sober, you can have a rational conversation with him. Try:

• remaining calm
• asking why he does the drugs that he does
• expect resistance and anger
• be prepared to stop and start the talk at a later time if things get out of hand
• try to be understanding of his situation
• ask the questions you need to but be aware of evasive answers

Having this talk might be difficult but it is possible to keep it civil and calm.

Getting Him into Inpatient Care

There are ways to get your son into inpatient care. If he is still a minor, you easily do this without his consent. If he is no longer a minor you can use the current laws regarding drug use and endangering themselves or others.

If someone is a danger to themselves or others, there is a federal law that allows you as a family member, the police, or three people who are adults who know him well to convince authorities that he is in danger.

The best way is to convince him to go to inpatient care himself. Once there he will be in a locked facility and will not be able to leave. You can convince him by withholding financial support or by taking away things that you normally provide unless he checks himself in.

Inpatient care does not have to be a last resort but is necessary when someone will use drugs no matter what, even when they are in an outpatient treatment program. Inpatient care allows someone to detox and start counseling without being exposed to his triggers.

Should I Choose Outpatient or inpatient Rehab for My Son?

Where to Go for Help

In order to find all the information you need to get your son into inpatient care, all you need to do is call 800-430-1407Who Answers?. We can answer all your questions about inpatient care, find a treatment center that is right for your son, and give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing the right thing to do.