76: Why forced treatment can't fix substance use disorder

First Opinion Podcast

When a loved one is living with serious substance use disorder and refuses to get help, sometimes it seems like the only solution is to force them into it. In many states, people can be “arrescued” — that is, forced under penalty of law into a treatment program that is nearly identical to being incarcerated, down to orange jumpsuits. But Sarah Wakeman, an addiction medicine physician, says that while she understands the love that makes people see involuntary treatment as a solution, it doesn’t actually work.