Post-rehab treatment strategies?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
Post-rehab treatment strategies?
Hi everyone,
I am currently doing an inpatient rehab stint for alcoholism primarily (in response to a ~ one month relapse with binge drinking after 2 years sober) but we also address some of my other, general mental health issues. Almost a week into it so far and I am planning to stay for 3 weeks (originally only wanted 2 but I think I'll benefit from the extra and they have room for me to stay longer).
I already know that I will want to follow this up with some form of intensive treatment once I am out, and thought to check with members here for ideas, personal experiences, advice etc. Of course I discuss all this with the pros at my rehab as well. I know about a few stories here but open to suggestions. So right now I envision two possibilities for the next few weeks after my inpatient treatment: some more weeks of intensive outpatient (IOP), or daily self/peer help recovery meetings with intense involvement (AA, SMART, Refuge Recovery, perhaps a combo of these). I can't afford to do all these simultaneously as I have a demanding job and even taking three weeks off requires significant arrangements, but definitely want something daily for a while that I can do a couple hours a day. Of course one possibility is a few weeks of IOP and once that is finished, the other meetings. I don't want to juggle a lot of things superficially and prefer at this point getting into an approach in depth and still maintain other parts of my life.
So please share ideas and experiences! I like to make plans in advance so
I am currently doing an inpatient rehab stint for alcoholism primarily (in response to a ~ one month relapse with binge drinking after 2 years sober) but we also address some of my other, general mental health issues. Almost a week into it so far and I am planning to stay for 3 weeks (originally only wanted 2 but I think I'll benefit from the extra and they have room for me to stay longer).
I already know that I will want to follow this up with some form of intensive treatment once I am out, and thought to check with members here for ideas, personal experiences, advice etc. Of course I discuss all this with the pros at my rehab as well. I know about a few stories here but open to suggestions. So right now I envision two possibilities for the next few weeks after my inpatient treatment: some more weeks of intensive outpatient (IOP), or daily self/peer help recovery meetings with intense involvement (AA, SMART, Refuge Recovery, perhaps a combo of these). I can't afford to do all these simultaneously as I have a demanding job and even taking three weeks off requires significant arrangements, but definitely want something daily for a while that I can do a couple hours a day. Of course one possibility is a few weeks of IOP and once that is finished, the other meetings. I don't want to juggle a lot of things superficially and prefer at this point getting into an approach in depth and still maintain other parts of my life.
So please share ideas and experiences! I like to make plans in advance so
now's the time
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,181
When I first got out of rehab I found an early morning AA meeting that met every day. For the first couple of months I went almost daily. It was nice because it was the same group (more or less) so I felt accountability, plus I got to know people's stories over time and learn from their ups and downs. Plus I was in a new city so everything about my transition from rehab to real life was very surreal... starting my day off with AA was a way to ease myself through the transition.
One thing I like about AA is that it's so available. Even though I don't go as often anymore, I always have it to return to, whether it's that meeting or another one.
One thing I like about AA is that it's so available. Even though I don't go as often anymore, I always have it to return to, whether it's that meeting or another one.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
It's good to be thinking about this in advance, and with an open mind. There is an institutional meeting I sometimes attend, really the last chance saloon. They are very anti AA, and the hold onto that defiance right up until the week before they have to leave, then they get real frightened. I did the same thing, and it was frightening to leave rehab having rejected all long term support, and not taken full advantage of the program. I was drunk a few weeks later.
That was rehab with no AA.
A year later I was almost at the end and I tried AA without rehab. That seems to have worked for the long term. And there are plenty of great recoveries whose journey started with rehab and continued in AA.
The comment that AA is free is often made. In one sense it is, no dues or fees are charged, but we do have expenses, and there is work and expense involved in setting up and cleaning up, coffee, facilities , literature etc. The there is the business of helping others, which I have found is vital to permanent recovery.
So it is not really true to say AA is free. AA is not really a place I go to get something, it's a place I go to give back, to pay me debt to the people who helped me. Those that treat AA as a convenience and never contribute, seem to have a lot more trouble staying sober.
That was rehab with no AA.
A year later I was almost at the end and I tried AA without rehab. That seems to have worked for the long term. And there are plenty of great recoveries whose journey started with rehab and continued in AA.
The comment that AA is free is often made. In one sense it is, no dues or fees are charged, but we do have expenses, and there is work and expense involved in setting up and cleaning up, coffee, facilities , literature etc. The there is the business of helping others, which I have found is vital to permanent recovery.
So it is not really true to say AA is free. AA is not really a place I go to get something, it's a place I go to give back, to pay me debt to the people who helped me. Those that treat AA as a convenience and never contribute, seem to have a lot more trouble staying sober.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 801
A life changing moment for me was a 28 day in patient program modeled after SMART, basically the same as Rational Recovery, an amazing program for me as I learned to dig and see if there was a root cause to my addiction, learned Yoga, meditation, making a solid plan, how to stay sober, mindfulness just to name a few off the top of my head.
For myself I use a host of things I call my toolbox which includes this forum, AA in person once a week and online a few times a week.
Wishing you the very best
Andrew
For myself I use a host of things I call my toolbox which includes this forum, AA in person once a week and online a few times a week.
Wishing you the very best
Andrew
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
Thanks for sharing your personal stories about this. By default, I am definitely the kind of person who is open to learning about anything, I love to get informed, experiment, then decide what I am keeping in my "tool box". Make my own programming, so to say. That's how I got and stayed sober first time and it lasted over 2 years. However, my own ways have failed recently during this relapse, at least staying home going to meetings (just going and interacting without really getting involved and doing my part) or to therapy sessions -- I would ruthlessly hit the liquor store on my way home. So will definitely need to do more when I am done with inpatient. I do find the rehab useful and actually enjoy the experience, but don't believe it will magically transform me into something I am not. I view it as a great start to a different era. Thinking about it more today though... I think it's best if I wait till towards the end of my stay here to decide on the next move, it's only the end of my first week after all so I am really just settling into the experience.
I do take cost (financial and time) into consideration, but it's not the biggest factor for me right now. More important is to do things where the cost actually results in benefit, of course given that I also invest the necessary effort (again, not the "effort" I had been doing this year right before/during my relapse).
Generally, I like the "scientific" approaches like the kind of rehab I am in and the idea of IOP, SMART, etc but that's what comes most easily to me and how I have been in most of my life. But there is more to it as I have also been a seeker since my early teens really, interested in the unknown and even unknowable, different kinds of spiritual systems, at times esoteric things. My curiosity and interests are really broad, which can be a great asset I believe in many ways, but also at times what holds me back from choosing from the myriad of possibilities and what makes me avoid commitments. This novelty seeking and often risk taking temperament. So I am trying to envision how I could best turn the same temperament to my advantage in this phase of recovery -- why I also posted this thread.
Another feature that I think I can take advantage of is a general stubborn wanting to find what works and when I find things like that in rare occasions (e.g. from current life, my work/professional area of interest, place of residence, a few of my personal interests and hobbies), I tend to get very attached to these things and won't give up trying to optimize. Of course this does not only sound like a form of obsessiveness -- it is a form of obsessiveness. But I believe that obsessions (or call them strong and lasting interests?) can be good if it's not a destructive interest and/or overly excessive, and especially if I can also use the same to make an impact on the world around me and contribute in a constructive way.
The latter relates to Gottalife's comment, and also the fact that focusing on how I can give (back, or just give) to others, how to transcend self absorption and self interest, how to integrate into communities and generally into a larger picture that may surpass my limited understanding... these things are definitely components of my more middle-aged evolution (especially those two sober years). I was never interested in the so-called "helping professions" or aspects of my profession that could be used that way, until ~mid 30's. I chose to do grad school work on cancer, not because I felt like I wanted to cure cancer, but because I was fascinated with the way it can take over a live being. I have also had a life-long interest in psychology, but for a long time not because I wanted to help anyone -- I was interested in the dark and disturbing mental states and pathologies. I was very selfish as a young person and had little to zero interest in helping others for the sake of it, and the way that had changed was by discovering that I would actually benefit personally from doing those things... so still not a truly selfless act but a better way to live than just focusing on myself and following whatever I want no matter what. So I am very interested in potentially taking this further now in my recovery, including the challenges I know it entails!
I do take cost (financial and time) into consideration, but it's not the biggest factor for me right now. More important is to do things where the cost actually results in benefit, of course given that I also invest the necessary effort (again, not the "effort" I had been doing this year right before/during my relapse).
Generally, I like the "scientific" approaches like the kind of rehab I am in and the idea of IOP, SMART, etc but that's what comes most easily to me and how I have been in most of my life. But there is more to it as I have also been a seeker since my early teens really, interested in the unknown and even unknowable, different kinds of spiritual systems, at times esoteric things. My curiosity and interests are really broad, which can be a great asset I believe in many ways, but also at times what holds me back from choosing from the myriad of possibilities and what makes me avoid commitments. This novelty seeking and often risk taking temperament. So I am trying to envision how I could best turn the same temperament to my advantage in this phase of recovery -- why I also posted this thread.
Another feature that I think I can take advantage of is a general stubborn wanting to find what works and when I find things like that in rare occasions (e.g. from current life, my work/professional area of interest, place of residence, a few of my personal interests and hobbies), I tend to get very attached to these things and won't give up trying to optimize. Of course this does not only sound like a form of obsessiveness -- it is a form of obsessiveness. But I believe that obsessions (or call them strong and lasting interests?) can be good if it's not a destructive interest and/or overly excessive, and especially if I can also use the same to make an impact on the world around me and contribute in a constructive way.
The latter relates to Gottalife's comment, and also the fact that focusing on how I can give (back, or just give) to others, how to transcend self absorption and self interest, how to integrate into communities and generally into a larger picture that may surpass my limited understanding... these things are definitely components of my more middle-aged evolution (especially those two sober years). I was never interested in the so-called "helping professions" or aspects of my profession that could be used that way, until ~mid 30's. I chose to do grad school work on cancer, not because I felt like I wanted to cure cancer, but because I was fascinated with the way it can take over a live being. I have also had a life-long interest in psychology, but for a long time not because I wanted to help anyone -- I was interested in the dark and disturbing mental states and pathologies. I was very selfish as a young person and had little to zero interest in helping others for the sake of it, and the way that had changed was by discovering that I would actually benefit personally from doing those things... so still not a truly selfless act but a better way to live than just focusing on myself and following whatever I want no matter what. So I am very interested in potentially taking this further now in my recovery, including the challenges I know it entails!
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