Do all alcoholics have to go to rehab?
 

Just curious. Went to my first appointment with a counselor this evening and she told me I needed to go a detox/inpatient program some of which are 30-60 days. Completely stressed out now. I don't want to be away from my family that long. And even if I can do Fmla what will that do to my work life. I am going to get a second opinion as well.

It depends on the person, but no, not all alcoholics go to rehab.

I quit alcohol on a Saturday and went to work the next Monday morning, I checked in with a doctor at the start of that week to make sure I'd be safe in doing so, which is very important and the advice I was given was yes, the next few weeks at work were a struggle with withdrawals and tiredness but I thankfully made it through.

I would take some medical advice on the situation, something your counselor may be lacking in, the important thing is getting Sober and doing it safely, whatever method that takes it's just a different means to the same important Sober end!! :)

Hi olometal :)

If you feel that's not the solution for you, getting a second opinion is probably wise :)
See your Dr if you haven't, I think.

I didn't go to rehab either.

But...if not rehab...what? :)

any ideas?
D

Not all alcoholics have to go to rehab, there are plenty here who quit on their own.

I understand your feelings. I was absolutely shocked when my counselor suggested that I go to a rehab program. I remember he even wrote "patient has little to no coping skills" on my file.

In the end though, I put the rest of my life on hold. I went. Going to rehab on the suggestion of a professional turned out to be the best decision I've ever made so far in my life.

Maybe you should start to think about doing this? Alcoholism is a serious problem that WILL kill you, if you don't get out of this mess. Nobody wants to be away from their family for 30 days...but perhaps your family might think it's a good idea? Have you ran it by anyone?

An alternative option to an inpatient 30 day rehab might be IOP. It's outpatient, and intensive. Mine was 4 hours per day Monday through Thursday for 20 days.

Rehab might not be such a bad idea. I think when we are in active addiction we can seriously underestimate the severity of our problem and situation.

The counselor told you that at your first visit? I'd want her to know me a bit better before suggesting such an approach.

By the way, I went to rehab but it didn't keep me sober. I got sober when I wanted it badly enough. :)

Been an alcoholic for 26 years and quit dozens of times. Never once been to rehab. And going to rehab is certainly not a guarantee of lasting sobriety either. One of the complaints about the "treatment industry" is that rehab is like a revolving door. I don't have stats but I'd wager as many end up back there as those who quit on their own or with the help of their doctors.

For me, I just had to want to be sober more then I wanted a drink. I would talk to my dr and detox safely, but the choice is yours. No one can get sober for you or get you sober. You have to do the work. Big hugs and I will be keeping you in my prayers.

I'm going to look up another counselor. Hoping I get one with a few more options. Crazy how it was stressing me to a point that I wanted to crack a beer open.

. Not yet but I just can't see me doing it. I think if I have a good counselor and this board I can be successful.

I just hit all the meetings I could. I can't tell you if you need to detox or rehab.
Only reason I didn't consider rehab I was listening to several members after a meeting talking about all the rehabs they had been to.

I'll give you some useful info. Should you go to rehab, go to meetings after you complete your treatment. The failure rate is rather high for those that don't .

i couldn't afford a rehab, so i gave up and went through all the withdrawals like the violent shakes etc after 4 days i went to an aa room and went to all the meetings i could get to and it worked for me

however i would advise anyone who was drinking daily like i was to see there dr first before just cutting it out
i never realized it had serious risks for people like me i should of seen a dr but i just did it

I went to something called daytox. You can take this program while you work or even if you aren't working you can go everyday, or just on the weekends. I found it really helpful, however there was a waiting list to get in so I didn't get in right away when I quit drinking.

I always thought I could just quit drinking and everything would be good. With me not the case. To quit drinking is one thing, to stay sober is another.

I did not go to rehab. I did not realize it was an option. I believed that only alcoholics who were living under bridges, drank wine from paper bags, jobless, penniless, with no family or friends left type drunk before one could get into a rehab. As I still had a job, family, friends, etc... I instead went to AA and it worked for me. I liked AA as the price was right, free other than me putting in the work to follow the program guidelines. Since that time I have met many people who were like me that started sobriety in rehab then wound up in AA. There are many recovery methods and programs and not all require an inpatient treatment or money. Here is a pretty comprehensive list: http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...formation.html

I did not go to rehab.

I went to rehab for 5 months. Can't say as it fixed me, but it did convince me that rehab was not my answer.

Experiencing rehab did help me with one thing. Step 1B "—that our lives had become unmanageable. "

It was the last rock I had to look under.
:abcj:

Well checking yourself into an inpatient detox might be a good option for you. I didn't want to go to an inpatient detox, but it was the only way I could stop drinking. I stayed a week the first time and 6 days the time and it wasn't a bad experience. I needed to be in a sober, safe, and comfortable environment and detox was all of those things for me. A week detox is just a very, very small step though in the process of getting/staying sober, but not everyone needs a long rehab. I just needed to get through the withdrawal and the 1st week.

No

I did outpatient rehab and doctor supervised home detox. Different fits for different needs.

I agree with Boston sf. , I've been to rehab myself & it definitely helped me get a good footing before starting out on sober living. The safe supportive environment along with the interaction with others struggling to get clean really helped me focus. The temptation to drink was taken out of the equation along with pressures & stresses in the outside world. Shop around though as centres seem to vary in their approach to recovery & one may fit better than another for you.
Taking time out from work & family may well prove really beneficial to you in the long run,, for myself I took many days out from work & family in active addiction so rehab seemed like a good choice to put an end to this.
Good luck with whatever decision you make.