Rainbowgirl128

Does anyone have an opinion on outpatient rehab programs?

CarolD

I've never been to one....so can't give you my experiences.

Good to see you here with us again...

navysteve

I went to one but I wasn't ready, so it didn't work

mistycshore

That's too vague a description. What exactly does it entail?

Rainbowgirl128

Thanks Carol. I have been around, lurking I suppose, just havent had much to say. Nobody in any face to face recovery facilities seem very interested in helping me because im "not that bad." So, I guess in order to get help for alcoholism your life has to be in shambles? Or else nobody pays any attention to you. I am frustrated because even though I am not physically addicted to alcohol and am perfectly capable of staying away (for a period of time), i still feel i need help if i am going to live the rest of my life without using alcohol as a crutch.

MycoolFitz

I've done both outpatient and inpatient. To tell you the truth I'm not sure it matters, what counts is your willingness and committment and I mean to be as committed to sobriety as you were to your alcohol. I think you have to want and fight for recovery like you do for air vwhen you're sufficating. In-patient, out-patient just not impatient, you got to give it your all for the long haul. Keep working it, it works.

Zencat

I went through IOP/OP and I learned how to develop a personalized addiction treatment plan (PATP). I still use my PATP to guide all my addiction treatment efforts. Its a blessing to know that with the proper tools for addiction treatment that I can enjoy the better well being that I have today. What can I say...it works when you do the work to make positive changes possible .

tommyk

One option would be going to 90 AA meetings in 90 days.

That's an 'outpatient rehab' you can start tomorrow.

FightingIrish

My first sponsor got sober by attending an outpatient rehab plus A.A.

I did an inpatient rehab - mandated by work. They recommended IOP once I got out of inpatient...I was also attending A.A. meetings simultaneously with IOP.

The contrast between IOP and A.A. was stark. In A.A. I heard hope and was among people who were either happily sober or wanted to be. In IOP I was among a lot of people with various problems (crack, meth, weed, pills) who didn't want to be there but had to be. There was not a lot of focus in the sessions. I remember one session we spent the entire time reasoning with this one fella who didn't seem to understand why he shouldn't hit his girlfriend.

I was desperate to be at my home group when I was in these sessions. Eventually I just stopped IOP because I was not mandated to be there and was getting absolutely nothing out of it.

joedris

I went through outpatient rehab a long time ago and was also in AA. I found the combination to be pretty effective. Looking back on it, however, I think that AA alone would have worked just as well. So I suggest you try AA for a while and see what happens. If you think you might be uncomfortable in a crowd, try a women's meeting. The AA number in the phone book is manned 24/7 and will direct you to the nearest meeting.

sfgirl

I feel like there is a definite bias in the addiction treatment field towards the shamble people. If you are looking good, people are apt to look over you which I think is one of the most unfortunate and frustrating things. It happened to me about one hundred times. I have never done outpatient rehab but I think you should maybe flesh out the question a bit more. Are you opposed to AA? How much support do you want? Do you just have no idea where to start?

I might recommend to start with one-on-one therapy with someone who specializes in addiction counseling. I think that way you could use the same amount of money that you would spend on 30-60 days of rehab on 1-2 years of counseling and then you could supplement it yourself with meetings in the city. If you aren't into AA there are really good Buddhism recovery meetings and then of course all the other options. I think longer term therapy is better but again I have nothing to compare it to.

crispringles

My PHP and IOP provided me with some great tools for stress management that I still put into action most days. The facility I went to designated an hour each day for processing, which was an opportunity to have group discussions outside of the 12-step format, which I found extremely beneficial early on in my sobriety.

But, as FightingIrish said, many, if not most people in my rehab were mandated by court, so there were obviously quite a few bottlenecks in the operation.

Most of the progress I've seen has been through working the steps in AA, but, I have definitely held on to many of the skills I picked up in my IOP.

rhnorment

I've been to inpatient, outpatient, and AA. IMO, AA is more effective than inpatient + outpatient combined.

Rainbowgirl128

and its free! i always hear that people go to AA as a maintenance program AFTER rehab. i just wasnt sure if AA in itself provided the education that is necessary about addiction.

Thanks for everyone's responses !!!! I am trying to decide if outpatient would be worth the money it would cost.

rhnorment

AA itself is not designed to educate someone on alcoholism. You will learn things in AA, but nothing like they teach you in a rehab facility.

I've been to 4 rehabs for alcohol. I am very well educated on the disease, the causes, and medications that can help.

But I relapsed after every rehab. AA has been the only program that's worked for me.

If you want an education on alcoholism, go to an IOP. If you want to stay sober, go to AA.

I don't mean to be so direct -- this is only one man's opinion. But I'd sure like to have back all the money I spent on rehabs.

sfgirl

There are a ton of great books about addiction if you are a reader. That is a lower cost option to IOP.

tyler

I'd suggest going the AA route first, if you haven't tried that yet. The price is definately right. Bottom line is any recovery program, AA, inpatient, outpatient, SMART, or a program of your own design, is what you make of it. All a "program" offers is "tools" and support. It is up to you to take this and use it to help yourself. Best of luck!! Take care.

Rainbowgirl128

Thanks everyone :-) I really appreciate any opinions, since I am just weighing my options here. I don't have the money to spend on an outpatient program - especially one that won't work. I am also terrified to go to AA. It is great for me to hear personal experiences, whether or not outpatient worked for you. As I said in a previous post, they pretty much laughed at me when I showed up for a consultation at one outpatient facility. I was disturbed by that reaction...since I really think as a society we need to take addiction seriously and look at preventative solutions instead of reactive solutions. If someone recognizes the symptoms early and wants to quit before their life falls apart, such facilities should take their concerns seriously. Ok enough of my rant. Sorry.

tyler

Let me preface this by saying, I am not an "AA person", but I have been to many meetings over the years and have seen how the program can help many, many people.

I have been to 2 inpatient treatment programs and several outpatient programs over the years. What they provide you is education about your condition (presumably alchoholism) and give you some "tools" for dealing with it. To be bluntlly honest, there is nothing you will get in an outpatient treatment program that you can not get in AA, online research and possibly one-on-one therapy. The end of the day, bottom line is, you have to do the work. They just provide an orgainzed group of "tools" for you.

IMHO, outpatient treatment, on it's own, is really not worth the money. Inpatient, at least, takes you out of your "environment" for a period of time and allows you to concentrate on "working on yourself". My advice is to "suck it up" go to some AA meetings, perhaps try to find a good theripist with a speciality in substance abuse and go from there. Trust me, everyone in that AA room felt exactly the same way you do when they first walked in, EVERYONE!! The peer support you can get from the group is unmatched.

I see you are in San Fran. You are lucky. If the AA thing is not for you there are a number of more cognative based groups in the area as well. Check out Lifering, SMART or SOS. I believe all have active chapters in the Bay area. For more information on these programs, check out the Secular Connections forum here on SR.

You said you don't have the money for outpatient treatment anyway, so take advantage of the large ammount of free help available to you. Good luck and take care.

TheSunAlsoRises

Hey RBgirl... I have no experience either with IP OP treatment. An AA guy myself. But its a shame you felt slighted by the establishment. If your not to the point of physical addiction and you recognize the problem... wow your way ahead of the curve...