What to do When your Son is Addicted to Amphetamines and Won’t Go to Rehab

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, amphetamines are highly addictive stimulants that doctor’s often use to treat disorders such as ADD and ADHD. Unfortunately, once the addiction starts it will only gradually worsen due to the nature of amphetamines. These drugs are linked directly into the pleasure centers of the brain. Most people who deal with amphetamines wind up addicted and often refuse to attend a rehab.

Talk to Him

The first step in getting your son into a rehab is to talk to him. This means both talking and listening. Do not yell or blame, just talk. Find out the reasons why he is using or overusing amphetamines. Many times the answer to getting him into a rehab lies in what is actually discovering the reason why the addition is so alluring to him. When you find out the cause, you can often use it as a way to talk him into seeking help.

Research the Different Courses of Action

If talking does not help, there are several ways to get him to go to rehab. You will want to have answers ready before you try any of these so some research and planning is involved.

Stage an Intervention

Son is Addicted to Amphetamines

By refusing to help your son financially, he may agree to attend rehab.

Interventions involve getting the whole family and various friends together and talking to your son all at once. This takes some planning and often a interventionist. An interventionist is a therapist who specializes in conducting interventions for people who need them. They keep things calm during the intervention.

During the intervention, each family member states reasons why they want your son to seek help for his addiction. Sometimes in a negative intervention, they state how they’ve been harmed by your son’s amphetamine use. After the intervention, a designated person takes your son to a rehab and helps him get checked in.

Coercion

If you are paying for your son’s expenses, it is time to stop. Tell him that you will not pay anymore unless he attends a rehab of your choice. As long as he is in rehab, you continue to help him. If he leaves the rehab, you stop paying for things. This is a hard course of action, but you have to stick to it once you have started. Most people use an intermediary for this.

Force

This is only a last resort. Most people who have to resort to this know their son is a danger to himself or others. Many states have laws that allow you to use force to commit your son for at least 72 hours where he will be evaluated by a psychiatrist and an addiction specialist. If you truly believe, your son might seriously harm himself or someone else this method can be used although it is not the best method available.

Ask for Help

You do not need to do this alone. You can ask for help when you need to get your son into rehab. To find the help that you need or a rehab that is right for him all you have to do is call 800-816-1059(Who Answers?).