Originally Posted by
marriedanaddict 
He would have to do an out patient detox to be able to stay home. He agreed. We have an appt tomorrow morning.
I think this is an important piece of the puzzle here. Tomorrow he has an appointment for professional help with outpatient. In my opinion this is key, as I believe people do need professional help in most cases. Detox is the start, and then people have to learn to cope with cravings, learn a new way to live, work on issues that may have contributed to drug use, etc. My husband actually ended up doing a rapid detox which was inpatient, and then went to 3 month rehab that was not based on the 12 steps but on private therapy. Then he came home, and continued to work with a therapist. He now has a year clean and has not relapsed. There are many stories of recovery and how it happens.
I think how you view a withdrawal is also based on the way we think about things. I happen to think of addiction as a medical condition, and therefore I would compare the withdrawal situation as something similar to a cancer patient who becomes ill after chemotherapy. Families just deal with it. It is not pleasant, symptoms will vary, but most get through it. All of this is a process. In my opinion family support is important, and I see support going on and not control. Will be sending prayers out to your family tonight. Hope it all goes well tomorrow... and beyond.