Counseling
Hi - my AH, who just finished detox for the second time, is now on Antabuse and has a Naltrexone implant. Today is 8 days sober. He knows he needs to get set up with a counselor, and has the name of a Psychiatrist who specializes in Alcoholism and substance abuse.
Problem is, he went through counseling, group therapy, and intensive outpatient and it was all the same message. Everyone is pushing him into a religious-based program; even the counselor at the detox facility has told him he can't succeed unless he addresses his spiritual side. Now, he's convinced that seeing the Psychiatrist will be a waste of time because it will be the same old message. But, he knows he needs to see someone to address the depression that comes over him sometimes randomly. He has very intense feelings about religion and some of his beliefs may be viewed by some as being kind of out there, although he probably knows more about religion generally than most people. He's also worried that he may even be refused treatment if he doesn't participate in some sort of AA or IOP program. I don't believe that's the case, but the IOP program required him to go to so many AA meetings and if he decided not to go to write an essay as to why.
I told him he should go to the psychiatrist and be upfront from the get go about his opposition to any kind of faith-based recovery program. Has anyone else figured out a way to address this? If this happens again, he won't go back.