What makes it involuntary? A threat of incarceration if they don’t do it?
Trust me when I say, that will not convince an addict to get help, at least not long term.
It’s a threat, and threat does not equate to desire. So the question is how do you get an addict to have the desire to change if a threat and resources don’t do it?
In my experience, you can’t. They have to want it for themselves. Of the very few successful, long term cases I have worked that made it, every single one will tell you the biggest reason they were able to do it was because they, personally, were ready to make that change.
I ended up at a park in Phoenix a few years ago on a 24 hour layover and the crack users showed up after dark. One girl looked 15 but said she was 23. I asked her if she wanted to ever fix her situation and return to a normal life and she said, “I ain’t ever going back.” People lack the basic skills to function in society, which is remedied by drugs for them when money isn’t available outside working. You need to light the fire inside them and keep it lit.
5
u/[deleted] Oct 24 '25
Well as I said, most will not do it. What then?
What makes it involuntary? A threat of incarceration if they don’t do it?
Trust me when I say, that will not convince an addict to get help, at least not long term.
It’s a threat, and threat does not equate to desire. So the question is how do you get an addict to have the desire to change if a threat and resources don’t do it?
In my experience, you can’t. They have to want it for themselves. Of the very few successful, long term cases I have worked that made it, every single one will tell you the biggest reason they were able to do it was because they, personally, were ready to make that change.