I went to rehab they wouldn't give me the klonopin for withdrawls then I went insane back into psychosis cause I have schizophrenia. Turned myself in on a warrant to get out of rehab cause no one would pick me up. Went to jail for a night swear I could taste alcohol totally insane psychosis and withdrawls. From jail I went back to the mental hospital back on klonopin when I got sober and out of psychosis I quit the klonopin cold turkey which was worse then alcoholism withdrawls but I made it threw. I got off two charges do to insanity and got my license back.

No. It was Aa all the way.

No rahab. Went to AA

I went to an inpatient rehab for 6 months a couple years ago, drank again a month after leaving. I don't regret that now though, I see it as part of my journey.

Am now sober 6 months ODAAT, through AA. The gratitude I feel for the fellowship and the program is immeasurable. If you had told me 12 steps to get a power into my life and a design for living that works, I was more than sceptical even though I was dying (insanity!)

But it took me being on my knees and willing to do anything to finally accept my alcoholism and take a good look at myself. A daily reprieve, and the journey is only beginning. Amazing :ring

I'd be pleased if you would share the science you learned at rehab.

I did not go to rehab ....Went to a 3 day detox end then straight into therapy with an addictions specialist. I'm 2 years and 4 months sober.

In hindsight.... I would have and should have jumped into AA... It would have made my ride a lot less scary.

I didn't go so much as I was brought. My family had an intervention and I didn't know at the time that alcohol and drugs had beaten me into s state of reasonableness, but stayed 7 weeks. They gave me a toothbrush and a Big Book, both of which I really needed and brought in AA meetings where I began to hear the message of AA and that maybe another way was possible. I'm one of those that had to be separated from the substance and also the people and places for a time.

I also met a woman who also got sober young about 20 years earlier in the same part of NYC that I did the worst of my drinking. I had just turned 22 I think she was 21 when she got sober (it's a long time ago and memory fails). She got me and I got that she got me. One alcoholic sharing with another, right?

They suggested I go to a half way house where they told me to get a job and and sponsor. What?!?!? Anyway, the job kind of sucked but my first sponsor G helped save my life.

Anyway, it's beautiful here this morning so I'm done with y'all - for now. I'm going for a walk.

-allan

Went to Rehab for 5 months. Dreamed of drinking every day I was there.

Got kicked out (long story) and made a decision to never, ever seek sobriety ever again. I had "ceased fighting" alcohol. Accepted my fate and surrendered my expectations.

One millisecond later, all thoughts, temptation and attraction towards alcohol was removed from my mind root and branch. Haven't thought about drinking or not-drinking since.

Sound like a miracle? Darn right it was.

Sound like I am the only one to experience it? It was described in the Big Book over 60 years before I experienced it:

" We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality—safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition."
(page 85)

Oh my! I went to rehab so many times ... first time I was 14-15 years old. Three rehabs by the time I finished high school. In my 20's I ended up in detoxes more than rehab. I would black out, get sent to the hospital, wake up in detox. One time I woke up on a psych ward. One time I woke up and heard a nurse in the hall saying, "I just drew her blood and she didn't even move."

I didn't go to rehab or detox when I finally got sober for good. I walked into AA fully convinced I was powerless and that I would die if I kept drinking. I lost the power of choice over alcohol and I was really scared. I was willing to do anything.

However, I think rehabs can be a great experience and really help people if they are willing to go to any lengths. The detoxes were like little vacations for me. They gave me some nice drugs to make the withdrawals easy. I had a safe, protective environment to get better again. There was always a part of me that wanted to stay sober. I would even go to a few meetings after I got out. Sometimes I'd even get a sponsor. But I wasn't that scared or that hopeless. I certainly wasn't willing to go to any lengths.

This pretty much sums it up:

"Many less desperate alcoholics tried A.A., but did not succeed because they could not make the admission of hopelessness."

The key word there for me is "admission." The acknowledgement of powerlessness to oneself. I think any alcoholic, once they reach that stage of utter hopelessness, where they become willing to go to any lengths, has a strong and fighting chance. But if you just toss an alkie in rehab, their chances are slim if they're not willing to go to any lengths. They might get a good education on their illness, and some resources that will help them later when they are hopeless, but rehabs not a cure.

I went to rehab. It was a well regarded one in Boca Raton. I loved the structure and the sharing while I was there. But after two or three months, I was released and was alone.

Getting out was terrifying. But being broke and alone in a strange town meant that I could not drink or use.

A lot of stuff on brain chemistry, portions of the brain responsible for addiction and logical thought, PAWS, rebuilding neuro pathways, plus a bunch of generic recovery information

A good book is healing the addicted brain which was recommended

A bucket of fears, shame, mistrust and a dismal view of humanity were some of my mental, emotional and spiritual issues as well as a genetically inherited physical addiction to alcohol. Spa rehabs were in their infancy when I got sober and only for the wealthy which wasn't me. All I knew was to call AA Central. Learning there, to completely turn my will and life over to my HP (God) my desire for alcohol left and has, thus far, not returned.

My sponsor's daughter, being anti-mommy and her's being AA, opted for expensive rehabs. She not only did not recover but, in my view, became an even more tortured soul.... sad story that includes total alienation, both created and supported by the rehab, from a mother who loved her deeply. The mental and emotional abuse my sponsor endured when the rehab required family attendance was horrific in my view supporting an addict/alcoholic's deflection rather than personal responsibility.

I don't get how any rehab that excludes the spiritual aspects of alcoholism can be successful over the long haul. Of course, I see love as spiritual so its probably just me.

2012, 5 or 6 months AA-- off the wagon, 5 weeks rehab that used AA, yoga, group therapy, more AA, breathing techniques, motivational speeches, more AA, chiropractor, acupuncture, more AA, hypnotist (quack, quack), A little CBT, more AA. Then 1300 miles back home and 7 or so months of AA. Never wanted to drink more.
Then decided that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results so I left the program. Decided that drinking was not an option if I wanted to survive. Read a lot and took what I needed from lots of resources. Made life changes to get out of the anxiety and stress that were big causes of my dilemma. Just takes some major changes in your routine, some self respect and the willingness to let go of the past.
Just my experience and it was all a life saving learning experience. What ever works for you.

I think you end up seeing a lot of bad stuff in rehab. I was in groups with incest survivors, incest perpetrators, expensive lawyers in denial, kids throwing their lives away, victims of violence, etc.

I learned a lot about what is out there...and a lot I could have done without knowing. I think it took away a lot of hope. I know I left with a more realistic view of things...but also more tortured.

I do wish they had explained more about the pathology of addiction. I would have liked to learn more about 12-step recovery. We were required to attend meetings daily and to have a sponsor to be released....but given that people at meetings stay away from the folks who are in rehab, I really did not get what it was about till after I left. But given that so much was against the tenants of therapy, that may have been a good thing.

[QUOTE=miamifella.but given that people at meetings stay away from the folks who are in rehab, I really did not get what it was about till after I left. But given that so much was against the tenants of therapy, that may have been a good thing.[/QUOTE]

We usually offer temporary sponsorship to the residents of our local rehab. My sponsor is the director there. I've never asked him just assumed they were required to get a temporary sponsor.

I went to rehab first. I didn't know much about AA before rehab. I tried a detox before rehab but it didn't work. I was physically addicted to opiates so I needed to be in treatment. I wouldn't have been able to detox at home.

I was A.A all the way, I did 90/90's for 5 years straight because that's what it took.

17 years later I still do 3 to 4 meetings a week.

No. I expect my insurance would have paid for it but it would have been a huge cost to my professional reputation. More, it never occurred to me. I didn't realize how bad my problem was until I was shaking & sweating out withdrawals in AA meetings and home in bed.

I learnt how much alcohol the liver can process in an hour and from that extrapolated a method whereby I could use antabuse as a control mechanism for social drinking.

The result would have made quite good reality TV :)

Went to rehab in 1990 for 21 days, then 3 months in half way house. Went to AA for first 8 years, then moved on with my life for the following 15 years.

This time, just 6 day outpatient detox. I attend meetings 3-4 times a week for the social aspect.