BrontesGirl

Hey all,

I'm sorry if starting a whole new thread isn't the done thing around here (please someone let me know if it isn't), but I've just been informed that I'm going to rehab on Monday.
That's 5 days of 'outside', 'normal' things to do. I'm freaking out a bit, to say the least. I'm going in for alcohol & prescription drug abuse (with a bit of cocaine and self-harm thrown in there).
I assure you, if you met me in person, you'd totally think I was a normal, well rounded, confident person. I'm not crazy, and I'm not going to let any Doctor tell me I am.
Sorry for ranting, it's just, I've got a matter of days, and I was wondering, firstly, what I should be doing with these last few days (I'm currently thinking drinking & using double the amount is an idea as it's not going to hapen once I'm 'In'),
and secondly, if anyone knows, what should I expect when I'm there..?
I'm a mess without xanax at the best of times & I'm worried they're going to throw me into situations where I'd most need it.
(For the record I do understand why I'm going, and accept that I may need some help in certain areas, I'm just really anxious about what to expect.)
Any advice would be very much appreciated...

Thank you in advance....

CarolD

Hi and Welcome to SR!


I did not go to rehab so I have no personal experiences
to share
I can tell you that I use AA to keep me sober.

Works great for me!

I do hope re hab will show you how to be healthy
and enjoy your future...

GlassPrisoner

BG, re-hab is easy. They cater to you, let you sleep, eat & make you go to lots of meetings. For an alkie like me, thay also prescribed benzos to alleviate the withdraw symptoms. Dunno that they'll do for you, maybe taper you off.

The thing you should be worried about is what you're gonna do when you get out. I highly recomend some sort of support program. I tried it by myself & made it maybe 7 weeks. Then I had a really bad relapse.

Finally, I walked into AA, and things have never been better.

lostangel28

Get a sponsor and go to allot of meeting get all the support you can get that is what i did and it works, Hang in there

lostangel28

That is so true AA has really changed my life

Tess37

I suppose it would depend on the rehab facility... I went to a 30 day in-patient one here in NC.... The first couple of days were pretty relaxed... let me know what kind of facility you are goin to and I'll be happy to share my experience with you.

Tazman53

Rehabs usually do 2 things, 1 they detox you if you have not been detoxed when you get there and they start you on the road to recovery.

Once you get out of rehab is when your recovery is in your hands, you can do one of several things:

1. You can just forget everything you got out of rehab and go right back to using.

2. You can do nothing at all for your continued recovery and stand close to a 100% chance of relapse.

3. You can get into a long term recovery program and work at it and stand a chance of staying clean and sober. I as with the majority of recovering alcoholic and drug addicts use AA/NA as a long term recovery program.

A very important question, do you want to quit or are you being forced into rehab?

Peter

Getting off alcohol and xanax aint' 'xactly a piece o' cake so prepare yourself mentally and know that it will be difficult. Many others have done it and you are as normal as the rest of us. Be honest with your therapists, they are not trying to make you think you are crazy.You can do it but you have to help them to help you.

BrontesGirl

Thanks so much for everyone's responses. In answer to your question, the facility I'm going to is an in-patient one, in the middle of knowhere in Surrey in England, it's basically a 17th century Manor which has been converted, the maximum capacity is 19 people, and rooms are shared with either two or three people (which I'm worried about, as I'm a real fan of a lot of 'me time'), it specialises in all sorts of addictions and says that the "treatment philosophy of Farm Place owes much to the experience and beliefs of Alcoholics Anonymous."
I'm trying not to think about it as hard I can but I've just got visions of me climbung up the walls and being restrained and stuff, I'm sure that's over the top but you know how your imagination can run wild....
Any kind of guidance would be very muc appreciated...
Hope you're well...and thank you..!

BrontesGirl

It wasn't my idea originally, but over the last few months I've come to realise that I do need a bit of sorting out. I don't like being reliant on pills, and I hate how anxious I've become when I've misplaced a packet or somethin like that. I definately drink a hell of alot, I know it's far too much and I know that I often drink for the wrong reasons. The silly thing is those, that I can't imagine 'getting out' and not being able to drink at all, ever. I'm 21 and have a pretty busy social life, a lot which involves drinking, and a fair amount recreational drug use. I know I need help, but I can't imagine a 'me' who doesn't drink, at least occasionally.
I appologise if this all sounds really jeuvenile, I'm having trouble explaining what I mean. Thank you for your helpful response. I hope you are well.

Tazman53

Brontesgirl I have to assume they have medical folks there, do not worry about the withdrawals, there are very few places that make folks go cold turkey!

When I went through detox they had my meds adjusted very well, I did not even start the shakes until the third day and all they did was up one of the meds I was taking back up a little.

If yours goes like mine it will probably be the 3rd day before the fog starts to lift, I have a feeling it was a combination of the meds they were giving me and the withdrawals, usually by the 5th day at the latest the worst of the physical part of withdrawals are over, then it is all mainly mental.

The best way to go through it is to follow directions, some of them may seem really stupid at the time, but the longer you are sober the more things will make sense.

When things are going on in a group do not listen for differences between your self and others, listen for the similarites you have with others. You will be amazed at how many traits we alcoholics have in common, no matter the age, sex, nationality, or religous back ground.

Tazman53

Brontesgirl I drank for 40 years, my life revolved around drinking, it reached a point for me where I only did 3 things, worked, drank, & slept.

I have been amazed now that I do not drink by how many people do not drink! When I was drinking I thought every one drank, once I sobered up I noticed that many people did not drink and a lot of the ones that did would have one or 2 drinks and stop!

I thought my life would end if I did not drink, I have found that things I used to do while drinking I can still do, the big differences are I do them better, I remember all of what I did, and I actually have a better time.

I drank for 40 years and kick myself in the bumm because I had no idea how great being straight and sober was. I do things now that I used to talk about doing when I was drinking but never did because I was either to busy drinking or to drunk to do it.

BrontesGirl

Thank you very much indeed Tazman53, I really mean that.
There are definately Doctors at the place I'm going to, I've heard that the first week is one of the hardest, so I'm try hard to prepare myself.
I am looking forward to being sober, it just seems like such a distant (and almost unobtainable) goal at the moment.
I feel more at ease knowing that they aren't going to force me to go 'cold turkey'.
I was wondering, in group therapy are you, as a patient made tos share? I understand that that's the point of the session, but I was just wondering if it'll be compulsory for me to say something...
I find it quite hard to talk to people about private things in one-on-one situations, let alone group ones. I'm sure I eventually could, btu was wondering if I have to straight away.
Thanks so much, again.

parentrecovers

nice to meet you, brontesgirl. keep it simple, just one day at a time! blessings, k

leeside

Xanax is a benzo. Check the "Substance Abuse" forum for info about benzos. You dont realize now just how much that stuff has been doing to you. Alcohol by itself can be really bad for you too but on top of benzos it is much worse.

Rehab should give you a better look at what alcohol and prescription drugs are doing to you. Get as much as you can out of it.

Tazman53

Hon I have no idea, they may start off one on one or they may mix group and one on one. They may or may not expect you to share. I wish I could tell you, but all rehabs are not the same.

GrouchoTheCat

Hi there,

When I went to treatment the detox phase was physically somewhat difficult, but that passes quickly.

They took good care of me and fed me lots of great food. Many of us are malnourshed as alcohol interferes with food and espicially vitamin absorption.

As far a groups and such go I think that you will be pleasntly suprized at how many people you can identify with.

I find that there is a deep connection between recovering alcoholics and drug users because there is so much common ground. I have discovered that I am not unique or alone.

I also need long term support which I find in AA.

Best,

Ted

BrontesGirl

Thanks you guys, sorry, I was silly to think there was spacific 'set of rules'..!
Out of curiosity, how often do you guys go to AA meetings..?
Sorry for all the questions, this whole 'thing' has happened pretty quickly so I've really no clue of what to expect, during and after.
Thanks for all you advice

Tazman53

Well when I got out of detox they told me that if I wanted a chance to stay sober to go to at least 90 AA meetings in 90 days and get a sponsor, my last day in detox I spoke to my counsilor and told him there was no way I could do that many meetings in that amount of time, I worked full time and was married with kids, he said just promise me you will spend as much time every day going to AA meetings as you did drinking!

Funny thing, I spent less time going to AA meetings and still exceeded 90 AA meetings in 90 days!

Obviously I went 7 days a week for the first 3 months, I will have 8 months on the 18th and I am doing great, I continue to work the steps with my sponsor, I work with my sponsee's and I go to 4 meetings a week, some times 5.

Tess37

Hiya Brontesgirl, I just got in and checked the post and I see that your questions got answered pretty much in the way that I would have answered them!! Taz and I have alot in common regarding the rehab experience it seems. Mine was very AA oriented, meetings every night, I loved that. The place I went to did the 3 day detox, basically left me alone and let me adjust, then after that, I had to follow the schedule, up early for breakfast, classes regarding addiciton, alcohol and other substances... alot of classes, groups, hour for exercise each day, therapy session with counselor... big book study classes, step work.... just alot of stuff, never a dull moment... then to bed early so that I could do it all again the next day.

I loved it. It saved my life, and to be perfectly honest, I really miss the food.