luciddreamrgrl

I'm still deciding whether to go to an inpatient facility or remain at home outpatient. Would anyone be able to give me your experiences to help me decide?

Light and Love,

Sarah

FT

I think it depends on the drug you are withdrawing from. Benzos and alcohol are the most dangerous, due to seizure risk.

At the start of my recovery, I didn't know anything about withdrawal from opiates or benzos or anything else, even though I work in the medical field. I became a quick study AFTER I quit oxys, scared to death I would have a seizure.

I did home cold turkey. I was a user in secret, and I didn't want to do my recovery in public. That was the way I wanted to do it, so I did. I did have a doctor who knew I had been trying to taper, so I had been considered healthy enough to do that. So I jumped off.

Sometimes people will post they are about to leave for an inpatient stint. But we usually don't hear back. Iliveforyou (Jess) has some good threads to read, as she has been inpatient a few times. She has a lot of excellent stories, some scary, many triumphs. A real special lady.

FT

Smile123

I can only offer you my experience. Inpatient treatment saved my life. I had multiple overdoses, that ended in me being placed on life support for a short time. I was literally killing myself and my family.

I was on several dangerous medications (Ambien, Seconal, Phenobarbital, Tylenol 4,) but my biggest problem was with Xanax. Therefore, I HAD to have a safe, medical detox and HAD to go to a facility that would address the health issues that led me down the road of addiction (Sleep Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Chronic Pain.) I honestly needed to get away from my family, because they were enabling me quite a bit and I was taking advantage of EVERYONE with my lying. I was prescribed these medications by caring physicians, but I was manipulating them as well.

What works for some is not right for everyone, but inpatient worked for me. I had tried 5 day detox and outpatient before in 2006 and it didn't stick with me. I put a tremendous amount of effort in to inpatient and took all of their advice to heart. It has been a lot of hard work on my part, but the last 3+ years of my life have been incredible. I put my faith in God and my family and am so grateful for this miracle.

Follow your gut on this, but whatever you decide...do it 110%. Prayers for your health and peace!

luciddreamrgrl

Thank you both.

I really think I need to go to inpatient. If I'm going to do this I only want to do it once. I don't want to relapse. However my BF thinks I should just do it out patient. He said he will set up the house to make me comfortable and drive me to a therapist every day. I just think that seems like a huge burden on him. I feel like I've already screwed up enough, I don't need to put my family through my withdrawals also. I know what it's like at the end of the month when I run out. One time I even put a hole in my bathroom door. It's not pretty.

I'm going monday to an addiction specialist to get his opinion on what I should do and I'll probably go from there.

oxyious

If I had the money, I would have gone inpatient..... it took me many failed attempts to get it right. I have nobody... and I really mean NOBODY. Doing it without support of family or friends makes it quite a feat. I beat it, but I'm on the fence ready to fall off every day. I'd do almost anything to go inpatient for a few months and learn how to "live" again. I may be sober, but I'm useless right now. I'm already packing up getting ready to be homeless. (especially now that my mentally ill cousin is in custody in the mental ward, I have no reason to be a responsible person). I can't hold down a job. ALL I DO IS OBSESS ABOUT HOW GOOD MY DOC USED TO MAKE ME FEEL. All I want to do is sleep, so I don't have to feel the cravings. All I want to do is fade away.

hopeful8523

i feel you oxyious <3 i really do.

twilli59

hi LCD - i avoided it and it cost me four years of hell. At least, that's how it looks now. During my relapses and eventual ruin on every front - money, family, house, job...having that 28 days - or whatever - and then a structured follow-up looked like heaven. I underestimated this drastically - and almost died. That's me. In the end, if you have the ability to utilize that help, there's very little down-side - and a LOT of downside if you try to deny the power of this evil illness. I wish you the best!

larrylive

Do the most (best) you can do...can't hurt, and hey, you may even avoid having to make the same decision again.

Larry

luciddreamrgrl

Thanks guys. Definitely helped

Lightatend

hi, i will chime in with recommending inpatient! and I didnt want to go at first. I had a husband and three young kids to take care of! who would take care of them if i wasnt there?! So I went sort of willingly knowing that i needed help but not wanting to be gone for a long period of time. Plus I detoxed off of opiates a year ago at home with the help of a doctor and it was the worst thing i could have ever done. and a year later i relapsed. so this time i knew what i was in for (withdrawal wise) and knew that they would know how to take care of me. what i didnt expect was the kindness of the patients in the program that lovingly took me into their arms and and that brought me more comfort and hope than anything. I was totally taken care of, I didnt have to worry about anything...meals were provided, no laundry to worry about. I could totally focus on me. finally time for me! i was sad when I had to go but much better prepared for the outside world. the doctors and staff were amazing and helped me to understand my addiction. so I vote for inpatient!

sTiLlhErE1986

My RAF is the reason I have experiened this battle. I was over here (I normally just post on the f&f forum) leaving a question for you guys to advise me on, and I found your thread.

I have been with my abf for a few years, and through the past 6 months been by his side driving him to the different detox facilities, taking him to and from the treatment facilities, doing the detox from heroin at home, and taking him to his halfway house most recently.

And like your boyfriend, I offered to do it all for him because I love him and care about him getting better. So I know your bf offered that outpatient option, don't feel quilty he wants to be there and help you.

But my rabf will tell you that he would not be sober now, he probably wouldnt be clean now if he tried to do just the inpatient treatment, but like I said he had horrible heroin detox and he needs the classes and structure and the support he found inpatient. I dont know what your doc was but you will gain alot of support and knowledge from people who are going through what you are and from employess who know how to take care of you.

Best Wishes,
You are in my prayers

shadeofplato

Of course, being an inpatient has its benefits, such as better contact with your therapist and getting away from the old environment; but when you make decision you shouldn't forget about risk of so-called iatrogenic effect: sometimes environment in inpatient facilities effects patients negatively, and after discharge from a hospital patients can experience some difficulty with resocialization.