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Substance abuse treatment is needed for anyone who has a problem with drugs or alcohol, but can an individual be forced to accept help? A common misconception is that the addict must be ready to ask for help and voluntarily submit to substance abuse treatment in order for this therapy to be effective and cause the individual to stop using drugs or alcohol. There are many cases of courts ordering substance abuse treatment as part of sentencing in criminal cases, and some areas in Canada and the USA actually have special courts to deal with criminal acts that were caused by substance abuse. Statistics show that individuals who are forced into treatment may do just as well as those who seek out help on their own, and sometimes court oversight can be a big motivating factor in completing a substance abuse treatment program.

If someone you know needs substance abuse treatment but they will not ask for help an intervention can be a great starting point. This may not force the addict to seek substance abuse treatment but it will show the individual how their drug or alcohol abuse affects those that they care about. Sometimes an intervention can be just the thing to show the individual with a substance abuse problem just how bad things have become. If an intervention is desired this should be handled by a professional who is experienced in this type of confrontation. The user may become angry when confronted with the effects of their substance abuse, and the situation can become volatile very quickly if there is not a substance abuse professional to keep control.