It can be tough to know how to proceed when someone close to you requires help. Furthermore, it can be hard to try and lend a hand when you’re unsure if doing so will make the problem even worse. It’s very easy for a bad situation to become worse, and many of us couldn’t handle the guilt knowing we were at fault. Even if we weren’t at fault, it’s easy to convince yourself that you were.

But all of this barely changes the fact that your friend or relative is in real need of help. How can you get them through this difficult process without forcing them? After all, they say that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. If someone doesn’t want to be helped, then it can be hard to help them. That being said, simply stepping aside and letting them continue into their spiral can be hard to bear, and sometimes intolerable if you’re a parent or relative.

So, where are you supposed to begin? In the following advice, we’ll discuss this topic together:

Know Your Rights

Know what rights you have to exercise control over the situation. If you’re talking to someone in your family who has grown, you may have little recourse. If they have displayed negative behavior in the past, you may be able to take drastic measures of care, but that is always a sticky subject. If it’s your child, you can find that certain laws give you the right to exercise full medical control over them as they are not old enough to seek that themselves. Looking at the recourse you have can help you avoid any nasty surprises, or it can at least lessen a sense of powerlessness.

Lay Out Your Strategy

Getting help for someone is best when it’s a collaborative process. How can you make sure this is the case with the person you’re trying to help? Well, laying out your strategy to begin with can be a solid means forward. It helps you explain your step-by-step process, what boundaries you’re prepared to enforce, or what they can expect if they don’t listen to you. For instance, it’s not uncommon for families to suggest that if rehab fails this time, they will struggle to invest in helping them again. Sometimes a strategy can be for you as well as the person who needs help.

Consider The Best Options

It’s always best to consider your best options, even if you’re not sure which ones you will engage with, or if you’ll be able to have the person in question engage with them at all. For instance, taking the time to compare different rehab facilities can more easily help you understand what’s on offer. Educating yourself helps you avoid making the problem worse, as you will be able to refer to the experts. Or, at the very least, you’ll know where they are.

With this advice, we hope you can more easily find help for someone who needs it.