I've been worried about you. Can we talk? If not, who are you comfortable talking to?
I see you're going through something. How can I best support you?
I care about you and am here to listen. Do you want to talk about what's been going on?
I've noticed you haven't seemed like yourself lately. How can I help?
People can, and do, recover. Family support can make all the difference.
For more information, visit SAMHSA.gov/families →
People refer to addiction as a family disease because the turmoil, suffering, and ups and downs involve not only the addicted person but the entire family. Partners of a substance abuser are often on the frontlines, and the effects of addiction can be especially devastating to their emotional, mental, and even physical health.
If you are the partner of a substance abuser, you are likely to experience an immense amount of heartache as you watch your loved one fall deeper into the throes of addiction. You might try to help them clean up their messes, take on the stress of their addiction, or try to solve problems (financial, legal, personal) related to their drug use.
No one can change your partner's behavior—not even you. As difficult as it may be, you have to allow them to come to terms with their problems on their own, and in the meantime, you can practice taking care of yourself.
The most important thing you can do as a partner is to take care of yourself. In a study of 100 family members of addicts, researchers found that those who coped with their loved one's addiction by quietly tolerating their behavior had the lowest scores of psychological well-being.
Once you have accepted that your loved one has a problem with drugs and alcohol, you can help to better reach them by educating yourself about the disease of addiction. Although more is known about addiction today, there is still a large amount of misunderstanding. By knowing more about how addiction develops and how drugs affect the brain, you will be in a better position to empathize and understand what your loved one is going through.
The brain is designed to reward you for engaging in life-sustaining activities like eating, exercising, or connecting with others. Some substances activate these same reward pathways in the brain, which serves to reinforce continued use of them. Over time, the brain becomes used to the drug and a person will need increasingly higher doses of the drug to feel the same effects (tolerance).
You might fall into a trap of thinking that things are "supposed" to go a certain way. When things don't go the way you planned (i.e. your partner is struggling with addiction) you might beat yourself up about it. Do not dwell on feeling shameful of whatever situation your family is going through. This can lead you to isolate and may cause further problems.
Allow yourself to acknowledge the difficulty of your position and forgive yourself for what you see as your mistakes.
No. Involuntary commitment should be the last option for treatment.
If an individual is willing to enter treatment voluntarily, there are many private and public programs available. If an individual feels they are part of making the decision to enter treatment, they often will be more receptive to it. Outcomes are often better if an individual is motivated and willing to engage in treatment, in the least restrictive environment.
Often, just the threat of being committed will influence an individual to enter treatment voluntarily.
Only a qualified petitioner may request the court to commit someone to treatment under Section 35:
The petitioner must go to the local court and file a written petition or affidavit for an order of commitment. Petitions may be filed at any District or Juvenile Court, regardless of home residence of the person being petitioned.
The court reviews the facts and decides whether to issue either a summons or a warrant of apprehension.
If summonsed: The person will receive an order to appear in court before a judge.
If a warrant is issued: Police officers will attempt to locate the person, take them into custody, and deliver them to court for a commitment hearing. The warrant is valid for up to five consecutive days.
At the court hearing:
After testimony and evidence, the judge will decide if there is clear and convincing evidence that:
The statute defines "likelihood of serious harm" as:
The "likelihood of serious harm" must be directly related to the substance use and must be a current or imminent threat.
The evaluator will make a recommendation to the judge as to which facility will provide the most appropriate level of services based on individual need and bed availability.
The statute states the commitment may be up to, but not exceed 90 days. The commitment may be less than 90 days depending on the individual's clinical needs and if they cease to meet the criteria for likelihood of serious harm.
Note: If an individual no longer meets commitment criteria, they may remain in the program on a voluntary basis for continued treatment. Length of commitment shouldn't be confused with length of treatment episode.
Once the petition has been filed, it cannot be withdrawn without the permission of the court. If the commitment has been granted, it must occur regardless of what facility is designated.
Once admitted to a facility:
The goal: Have every client remain in treatment for as long as necessary. The level of care and length of stay is determined by individual treatment needs and progress.
Section 35 now requires courts to provide a commitment's name, social security number, and date of birth to the department of criminal justice information services. The person will be prohibited from being issued a firearms identification card. This may be appealed under certain circumstances after 5 years.
Recovery is a process and withdrawal is a start.
It is important to understand that addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences.
For some individuals, a civil commitment to treatment begins their recovery. Others do not see a need or have a willingness to address their alcohol or drug use disorders. As with all behavior changes, they cannot be simply ordered.
The programs will work to provide education on substance use disorders, relapse prevention, and aftercare resources. Hopefully this will motivate the individual to want to take the next step in recovery.