Don Draper is the smooth talking, creative ad exec from the hit TV show Mad Men. He’s the epitome of an old school Madison Ave executive. Draper lays the charm onto potential clients, tapping into their emotions, and pulling out the desired accounts. And like many of the advertisers of yesteryear, Don Draper drinks a lot.
Don is a classic alcohol abuser. Flip on any episode and you’ll most likely have seen Don pour himself a glass of rye whiskey, no matter the time of day. But Don is a high achiever. He performs exceptionally well at his advertising agency. And nobody asks questions when you’re pulling in the money.
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But all rides must end. If you have been a regular viewer of the show, you’ve probably been waiting for the demise of Don Draper for a few seasons.
As the seasons of the show have progressed, we’ve really gotten to take a look into what it’s like to be a high functioning alcohol abuser. It’s hard to suspect and when the individual seems to be in control (from all the lying) people ask fewer questions.
It’s clear now that Don’s star has fallen. His drinking has clearly become a problem for both himself and those around him. If Don Draper were a real person, now would be the time to suggest entering an alcohol rehab center.
Getting someone with an alcohol problem to attend rehab is no easy feat. That’s why we have discussed several times on this blog how to approach an alcoholic and get them to go to rehab. It’s a very common question. So how would we approach Don Draper to enter rehab?
Start With The 7 Questions
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We previously wrote a post about the “Seven Questions To Ask Yourself Before Rehab.” This would be the best place to start with Don Draper.
The two most important questions to ask are:
Do you really need to check into an inpatient drug rehab center?
Do you have a support system?
In the case of Don Draper, the answer is yes to both. Don clearly needs to check into rehab. His drinking has gotten out of hand and it’s become a burden to those around him.
While Don might be a bit of a lone wolf, he does have people around him that love him. Most notably, Don has his wife Megan. Having support is key to getting help.
Because Don Draper would answer yes to those two questions, we would move on to how we’d get him to go to rehab.
How To Get Don Draper Into Rehab
Don probably didn’t think he had a drinking problem for much of the Mad Men series. This season his drinking is getting worse, and it’s starting to dawn on him he might have a problem. But getting Don completely past his denial will help get him to rehab. That means his wife and co-workers have to stop enabling his drinking. If Don’s professional life really starts to suffer, getting him past denial will accelerate.
Don is a business executive. He doesn’t like excuses, he wants solutions. So once you’ve gotten Don past the denial phase, offer him a solution. We would offer Don a spot at our in-patient treatment center. By giving the alcohol abuser clear next steps, it will reduce the friction to going to rehab. There is no, let’s regroup after we research, you can keep the momentum going and get the addict on his/her way to recovery.
Don Draper is a beloved TV character. He brings us enjoyment on a weekly basis. But if Don were a real-live person, we’d be very worried about his drinking habits. If you know someone who reminds you of Don Draper, strongly consider our tips to getting them into rehab.