By Jennifer McDougall
The number of overdoses killing millions of Americans leave us to question, why don’t those who desperately need addiction treatment ever receive it? Some may ask, “What will it take for them to finally agree to get the help they need?” Even after multiple DUIs, years of abuse and embarrassing themselves in front of friends and family, some people still refuse to get the help they need. The reasons why are tragic. With all of the resources available to people, they still refuse to grab a hold of the help being offered.
You most likely know someone who drowns themselves in substance abuse to cope with pain, past traumas, a chemical imbalance, or untrue beliefs. We turn on the evening news and see people all over the world hurting themselves and others from substance abuse. Maybe they have attempted rehab before and it didn’t work so they are unwilling to try it again; unwilling to even try something with a better approach. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why people refuse rehab for professional help. Here are five of them.
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They see addiction as a weakness and feel ashamed to admit they need professional help.
When we go through hard times or face difficulties in life, sometimes it can be hard to admit the suffering because we don’t want to look weak. Many of those in the most depth of helplessness refuse help the most. They would rather try and pick up the pieces alone without bringing anyone into the solution. This is also known as pride. For many people, it’s more comfortable to suffer alone than to reach out to a friend, family member, or professional for help. Coming to terms with this issue can take a lot of time and hard work, but it is possible and it is not something anyone should feel bad about. Asking for help is not a weakness. It takes a great deal of strength and courage to admit you need help—that you can no longer do it on your own.
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They are afraid to lose their job or career.
When a person’s job or income is on the line, they will put aside just about anything to save it. The only problem with this is their job is probably suffering from the abuse that they are hiding behind closed doors. If they got professional help and healed the underlying conditions causing them to use and abuse drugs or alcohol, their career would more than likely sky rocket or improve drastically.
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They don’t have insurance coverage for treatment or enough money to fund it.
At Passages Addiction Treatment Centers, we accept a handful of insurance policies that cover treatment at our facilities. We offer 30-90-day treatment programs that most insurance policies will cover. For more information, please call (888) 397-0112 and ask to speak with our admissions department about pricing and program options. There are other resources out there such as SAMHSA which help those who have no money and limited insurance coverage. They can be reached by calling 1-800-662-4357.
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They are not ready to quit using.
Many of those who are in denial of having an addiction to drugs and alcohol are also not ready to quit using. The process to finally come around could take up to years for them to finally admit they need help and they can no longer live a life burying their hopes and dreams with substance abuse. Even when they see what the damage is doing to them physically, mentally, emotionally, and ruining their relationships, opportunities, and abilities—they still would rather continue using and abusing drugs and alcohol just to cope with the pain and suffering they can’t deal with without numbing it down with substances. It’s sad to watch someone you love and care about so much ruining their lives and belittling their potential just to stay high. We understand how truly difficult it is for those trying to get their loved one to come around and get the help they need. We ease into the approach. We yell and scream with tears dripping down our face unable to get through to the one we are trying so hard to help. If the person who’s using and abusing drugs and alcohol refuses to get help and are not ready to give it up, the likelihood of them to go to rehab can feel almost impossible.
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They are suicidal and would rather die than fight to overcome the battle of addiction.
Those who have literally given up on everything in their lives and find the only times they are slightly alive is when they high are experiencing some incredibly deep and dark battles. They should not be left alone. Be available as often to reach out to them, check in, give support at any given moment. Do not let them feel ignored or invisible. If you or someone you know is suicidal, please call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Call Passages Addiction Treatment Centers today if you or a loved one is battling an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. Our admissions department is available 24/7 and can be reached directly by calling our toll-free number at (888) 397-0112. We look forward to speaking with you soon.
Passages, Where Addiction Ends and Life Begins™
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