How to convince an addict to get help
By Stan Popovich
February 20, 2023

	Stan Popovich

There are many reasons why people who use drugs and alcohol do not get the help they need to overcome their addictions and other issues.

Some family members who see the people they love struggle may have a difficult time in getting them assistance.

As a result, here are seven suggestions on how to convince a person struggling with drugs and alcohol to get help:

1. A family intervention could work: The most popular way to get someone the help they need is to do a family intervention. This is when family members and an interventionist get together with the person to tell them how much they love them and that they need to get some assistance. The person whose having a hard time listens and hopefully they become convinced to get the treatment they need.

2. Get an addiction expert to talk to the person: Another way to convince the person to get help is to get someone who is an expert on drugs and alcohol and have them do a one-on-one talk with the person who is struggling. This person should explain what will happen if they do nothing. This may help convince the individual whose having a difficult time to get some guidance.

3. Use the services of a former addict: Get somebody who used to battle addiction to talk to your friend who needs assistance. A person who used drugs and alcohol in the past could use their past experiences to try to reason with the person you know. He or she might be able to use their insights to convince the individual to seek treatment.

4. Find out why the person won’t get help: Ask the individual who is struggling to list the main reasons why they will not get assistance. It might take a few tries, however try to find out what is stopping your friend from getting treatment. Fear and frustration are huge factors for not getting help.

5. Address the reasons why the individual won’t get help: Once you get the reasons why he or she won’t go to rehab, the next step is to find the ways to address the fears the individual may have. Addressing one’s fears and concerns may convince them to take some action that will get their life back on track.

6. Talk to the person instead of talking at them: Nobody wants to be lectured or yelled at. The person who is suffering is scared and they need help in overcoming their fears and resistance to getting some guidance. Treat others the way you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed.

7. You can’t manage your mental health all by yourself: Fear and anxiety can be difficult to manage and more than likely your friend will need some counseling. Many people think that they can overcome their mental health problems on their own. This is a mistake. A person should admit they have a problem and then seek treatment to start the recovery process.


Stan Popovich is the author of the popular managing fear book, A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear. For more information about Stan’s book and to get some more free mental health advice, please visit Stan’s website at www.managingfear.com.

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• Managing stress and anxiety
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