Experiences with rehab

[ThreeDogNight]

Good morning, All!

I am curious about experiences any of you have had with in-patient or out-patient rehab. I did a few things before my 28 day rehab in Nov-Dec, but none were successful (or I wasn't successful.) The 28 day program was what I needed (12 step model) and I am now 112 days sober. I wish I'd done it sooner--would have meant a lot fewer troubles for me.

Really interested in knowing how long you have been (or were) sober after rehab?

Have a great weekend!
TDN

[jessie]

Experiences with rehab

I did a spell in rehab a couple of years back and started drinking again straight away. I was just not ready yet. Also the rehab was staffed by retired volunteers and the program amateurish. Still, I wasn't ready and that is the simple truth.

[Bean]

Experiences with rehab

I think the 'being ready' bit is crucial. I often hear people at meetings say they wish they'd got the program earlier or started meetings earlier etc and someone once responded that's like saying your degree has been so helpful to you, you wish you'd gone to university right after nursery school. Only problem is you wouldn't have been ready...

I did 6 weeks in rehab from mid October last year and have been sober since. I should add that I went in there thinking i knew a lot about addiction, that I understood exactly what it was all about, it was only my 'weakness' that got in the way of me stopping permanently on my own etc. What I learnt there turned a lot of my previous attitudes on their heads.

Some of you will think "brainwashing". Not true either. I was ready to quit but terrified and rehab helped me jump that hurdle and learn a lot of unbelievably useful stuff. I'm not white knuckling. Life is SO much happier and moving forward in a positive direction every day.

So thankful I had the opportunity to go.

[ThreeDogNight]

Experiences with rehab

Thanks for the great feedback, Molly, Jessie and Bean!
Bean, I do remember your post about your rehab experience. Read it not long after I got back home and you expressed my thoughts exactly. And you and Molly have again said exactly what I'd say! I did have to be ready to accept that I could not drink again and I had to find my Higher Power. Being away from all the chaos of my life for a month gave me that opportunity. My counselor warned me that she could see through any BS, but I wanted to get better and never gave her any BS. I, too, saw some people--mostly the younger group--not taking the program seriously. They were reprimanded several times for treating rehab like a fraternity or sorority house. I was able to focus on myself and my counselor and all the group leaders encouraged my sobriety. When we had the coin out for me, my counselor said that I was one of the few she sees coming in truly wanting to get sober, and she felt I was on a path to success. I keep that thought with me every day, and one of my goals is to go back when I have a year's sobriety and be a speaker there. I was a bit nervous about coming home, but knew the triggers, knew that I'd go to AA almost every day, and come here for help and support. I am facing the consequences of a DUI, but am doing it sober --doing everything sober! I do coffee and set up at my AA group now, am starting this week to help with a group of kids at church one day a week, and hoping to find a job. I credit rehab with so much of my success. Am still in touch with my counselor, and she wrote a letter for me for my attorney in my court case.
I hope we hear from others about their experiences. And hope that anyone who needs rehab can find a way to do it.
TDN

[rubywillow]

Experiences with rehab

3, you are so right. I went in for the wrong reasons in part, because of a court case that was later dismissed. Also, as one of the older ones there, (and there were both drug and AL abusers there), I was targeted by one younger woman there who was somewhat attractive but used her sexuality to create a following of others who reveled in telling their escapades. We had great counselors and therapists, and I couldn't understand them not intervening, until one confrontation got particularly ugly and I decided I couldn't stand the environment any more, was headed for the phone to call Hubs, who already knew about the problems, when a therapist intercepted me and took me to a meeting with the whole staff. They wouldn't comment then on the others involved, only asked me to practice an excercise for 24 hours before I called Hubs, and I reluctantly agreed. Surprisingly, they were concerned that I had taken the abuse without fighting back for myself, had let the others run over me. The exercise worked perfectly, and I learned so much during that 24-hour period, about myself and others.
I can't say I never drank again after I left, but now have no problems with AL like I did before (and the before was AWFUL). I kept up with my friends there later, and learned the leader had gone straight back to meth and AL, tried another stint and on a weekend furlough got high again and was put out. She eventually lost her family, house, everything good in her life and called one of them trying to sell her diamond wedding ring for $20. Last I heard she was living on the streets, selling herself for money and anything to get her high. She had so much, but focused on me instead of herself during treatment. As when I've told this story before, I feel no vindication in her loss, but a better understanding of how addiction robs us. I was there 28 days, and they wanted me to stay longer but that was the limit of my insurance and my husband's patience. At the end, though the counselors wouldn't use any other person's name, one told me they saw a great possibility in me, wanted me to find my own way and understand myself. Like I said, everything didn't immediately take, but I'd never give up that experience, and I'm so thankful I was able to have it.