When Clients Are Mandated to Treatment
July 11th, 2012
By Jennifer Lipack, LMHC, CASAC, Drug & Alcohol Addiction Topic Expert Contributor
Sometimes people with addiction are mandated to complete a substance abuse program. This usually occurs after they have been convicted of DWI or been found guilty of drug possession or when an employment agency recommends it so they are allowed to return to work. Whatever the reason, the individual is forced into treatment even though he or she does not want counseling.
When clients are asked to attend counseling without having an interest in participating in treatment, they usually become resistant and reluctant. They spend a lot of their time trying to justify their past substance use and rationalizing how they do not belong in treatment. Quite often these individuals become angry, frustrated, and occasionally disrespectful. When individuals are mandated, it is very hard to convince them of why they belong in treatment. What makes it worse is that for the person in treatment, it feels like a waste of time, and he or she may resent the time spent in a counseling session, which interferes with the person’s daily routine.
Here are some suggestions to help those clients mandated to counseling to view it in a more positive light:
- Recognize why you were mandated in the first place. If you had a past DWI offense or have a history of using alcohol or drugs, chances are that you are mandated to treatment to learn about changing your behavior and making better choices. If you did not do anything that did not warrant counseling or have you reflect on your choices, you would not be mandated in the first place.
- Trust your referring source. The person who mandated you has seen other people who are in your position. They have mandated people with similar backgrounds numerous times and have achieved positive results for their clients. If they did not feel that people benefited from treatment, they would not continue to mandate people to treatment.
- Learn to be humble. Take it as a learning experience. Learn about other people’s experiences; be happy that you are only mandated to treatment and not sentenced to jail or fired from your job. Practice gratitude.
- Learn to respect decisions other than your own. When people are upset that they are mandated to counseling, it is usually because they do not agree with the terms. Begin learning from other people’s opinions and not just your own.
- Most importantly, learn about yourself. Learn about your emotions, feelings, and what brought you here. Learn about how you can change your life for the better and educate yourself on a life without substances. Learn about the cause of your substance use and why life is better when you remain free from all mood-altering substances. Be open to feedback.
Counseling does not have to be a stigma, especially when it is not your choice. It is not something that could ruin your life; rather, it is something that can help you in the long run. Instead of thinking that it is a waste of time, remember to always try and make the best of each counseling session so that your time is not wasted.
Related articles:
What Is Recovery?
Do I Really Have a Drinking Problem?
Identifying and Treating Addiction and Substance Abuse Problems
©Copyright 2012 by Jennifer Lipack, LMHC, CASAC, therapist in Melville, NY. All Rights Reserved.
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Comments
If they are presented with this mandate as something that could change their lives for the better and not as a “punishment” for their crime, then maybe they would be able to better tolerate having to be a part of it and hopefully will pick up something good from it along the way.
I work with clients who are mandated to treatment and those who aren’t and the motivation behind seeking treatment makes a HUGE difference in that persons attitude, the therapeutic relationship and whether they’ll continue or suffer the consequences. But I do think there can be successes if the therapist can align with the client and help them to see any patterns and its effects
I was sent to a treatment facility by the judge once for a drug offense.I was very opposed to it initially but after some talk over there I did understand how it was an attempt to help me and didn’t think of it as a punishment.Although I cannot say I loved going there,there were quite a few things I learned there that I can use for a long long time to come.
If someone actually wnats to be treated for their addictions then that is one thing. But to me making it mandatory or as a stipulation of part of an early release program or something like that, those kinds of situations never work. There is no sense spending my tax money sending someone to therapy and counseling when they don’t want to be there or will not even acknowledge that they have a problem. So let’s make more of an effort to pour that money into services that willimg people want and deserve and not continue to invest in the lives of the offenders until they are ready to do the work and take some responsibility for their actions.
How willing are most of us to do something and do it well when it is something that we are being forced to do? I know that when my back’s against the wall and I feel like someone is making me do something that I am not ready to be a part of or that I am not interested in, then in all likelihood I am not going to be my best and brightest. You can;t force someone to change something about themselves that they are not ready to change, and that’s the bottom line. I realize that most of them probably do need some sort of treatment, but there are just others who probably made a mistake and could get by without the mandated care.
would we rather them have forced treatment and hope that something gets thru to them or would we rather they just sit around in prison and learn even more creative ways to break the law? i say send them to treatment whether they want to go or not and hope that ultimately there will be a breakthrough. i wouldn’t like it if someone gave up on me so soon, and i am sure that many of these guys just want someone to believe in them and cheer them on too.
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