Many free rehabilitation places actually require that the addict themselves be the one to check in periodically looking for a bed. When my older cousin finally hit her bottom she had to try daily to get in, and they expected her to be clean while she was waiting and checking in with them - and I get it. It's better for those free spots to go to those that sincerely want sobriety more than anything else in the world, enough to drag themselves sweating and in pain to the bus to ride across the city to get to the house even to possibly be turned away again for each open check-in. There has to be some sort of demonstration of honest desire beyond "hi, gimme a room!" - it's a sad fact, but there are just too many addicts to accommodate, at least in our city.
For the record, she was a meth addict, and she did go through those steps. It was ugly but she eventually got in and she got sober, worked her recovery, got on her feet, and got her kids back. It's not exactly a fairy tale, but she did that all on her own - she was never able to do that for the nearly 10 years that we were all trying to do it for her.
Hang in there, CFD, you'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
