Raindance

I am checking into a 3 week facility on Saturday. I have emailed them this question, but have not yet received a response.

On their list of items, it says that I cannot bring any Inappropriate Recreational Reading Material.

Is that any general fiction books?

suki44883

I doubt general fiction books would be a problem. I'm thinking they mean things like Playboy/Playgirl, Hustler, etc. You know...inappropriate stuff.

Raindance

Oh ok, so a few Stephen King books should be ok?

I wasn't even thinking of those kinds of books. lol

RV GTO

I think suki summed it up. They don't want you to bring things like "how to survive a knife fight", pornography, the latest issue of "High Times" etc.

I'm sure you're fine with Stephen King.

Raindance

Ok thanks. I just wasn't sure if the only reading I would be allowed was the Big Book. I was overanalyzing it I guess.

Mark75

Uh... My experience in treatment was different than what suki has indicated. Reading material was limited to the Big Book, 12 and 12, AA pamphlets and Hazelden readings... period... well, the let me keep my Bible... No novels, newspapers, magazines... we could watch TV from 10:30-11:00 EST and no news... which amounted to Seinfeld reruns... LOL... for 60 days... LOL... that's OK, they kept us busy!!

But, the way they worded it for you, it seems that suki's interpretation is accurate.

Mark

suki44883

You could always call them and ask.

Raindance

I mentioned in my first post that I emailed them and hadn't gotten a response yet. I can't phone them right now, i'm at work at it is long distance.

suki44883

Yes, I saw where you said you emailed them. Perhaps you can call them when you get home from work.

Mark75

Well...

At first it seemed rather intense and I resented the restrictions... but, honestly, I was going for one reason... to get started on my recovery... frankly, if there had been other reading material, non recovery related, I might not have read the big book twice and the 12 and 12 cover to cover... some of the hazelden stuff was good (although, overall, I am not a fan...) and my days were FULL.... 6:30 - 10:30 every single day... so you could say I ate, drank and slept recovery... which, is.... appropriate for a treatment center...

Weekends we got long recreation times scheduled and visits and all...

No matter the rules, leave your Steven King at home, let them suggest some reading for you!! It's your time and money!!

Raindance

I will try to contact them before I go to see if I can bring a book of my own or not. Didn't see any harm in asking here too.

Mark75

No harm at all. Thanx for bring it up! Hope your stay there helps get you started on this wonderful journey!!

LexieCat

You can always bring the book--if they deem it "inappropriate" because they want you to focus on recovery literature, then they will hold it for you until you leave.

BTW, Stephen King is one of my favorite famous recovered alcoholics! Try reading his book, "On Writing" someday. It is all about his writing career, and about writing in general, but the last part of the book has some great stuff about his recovery from alcohol and drugs and his survival from his near-fatal car/pedestrian accident.

suki44883

No harm at all in asking. It's just that we can't really answer the question because not every rehab facility has the same rules.

TheEnd

I'm currently in rehab now and you are not allowed any outside reading material, they only want you to read the books they provide here, because they want total focus on you recovery, but you're place may be different.

CarolD

I've never been to rehab ..except when I took AA meetings there.
Sooo...I just don't know..

I'm glad you are heading into a sober future....

wicked

They let you use the internet in rehab?!?!?!?!

:rotfxko

When we were'nt doing some kind of counseling or recovery work, we were writing in journals or going to meetings.
We were too busy to read.
I used to use reading as a way to distract and distance myself too.

Beth

Raindance

Thanks. I apologize if my comments came off as defensive, I can be a bit dry and matter of fact, and I guess it came off wrong.

I appreciate hearing everyone's different takes and experiences. I may wait to call them in case I come up with any other questions, like how much $$ is enough for coffee and snacks and meetings etc. that they say to bring cash for.

I have not done this before can you tell?

Zencat

I went through a 30 day intensive in-patient rehab with 60 additional days of less intensive in-patient therapy. Yea no girlie books were allowed, but we could bring other books if we liked. Like Mark already wrote, I too was very busy with the scheduled tasks assigned to me.

Rehab was a good time for me to learn recovery skills, spend time in introspection and begin practicing a new way of living addiction free. That there keep me quite busy.

sailorjohn

Pretty bizarre that they allow you to access reading material on the internet but not 'outside' reading material.