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Just got out of rehab new here

Old 04-20-2010, 02:29 PM
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Just got out of rehab new here

Hello, and a few words to introduce myself

Yup, stayed one week, feels like I've been gone for a year!!!

I had an incredible experience!!!

When I first got there and got admitted paperwork etc,, and John (my husband) left, they took me to the area known as "section C" which is the side for addiction of any kind. Alcohol, drugs, prescription meds, street drugs or any other variety of addictions. The other side of the building was another "section" for psyche problems such as bi/polar, severe depression, suicide attempts etc... We shared the same building but different sides.

They took my luggage and told me to sit down and wait while they find a room for me and go through my stuff. I sat at the nurses station and was observing like a hawk everything around me. Some time passed, I don't remember exactly how long and started thinking that this was not for me and was not going to be worth the $760.00 co/pay that we already gave to them to stay here, what I thought was going to be only 5 days.

I told the nurse politely that I changed my mind and that I would like to call my husband to come back to pick me up. The nurse said since I was already admitted, that I cannot leave before seeing the doctor that was assigned to me. Ok, I accepted that but when I was told that they "don't" know where the doctor is and they have left him a message, I didn't know he was going to be available TWO days later and basically in one way or another telling me "lady! you AIN'T going anywhere till you see the doc!" I got really pissed and felt like a prisoner going through booking and started raising hell with the nurses. They still told me I had to wait.

Then one of the staff comes and tells me that my luggage is in a certain room and that it was going to be my room and I could wait there.

I really can't remember from that point what happened in my thoughts. Then someone came down the hall speaking loudly "meds time, line up, meds time!" I guess I went to that line and got my meds. After I got the meds, (and I didn't even ask what they were!) 10-15 min later, I felt chilled out and didn't care where I was. Yup, they had me, line, hook and sink her! I forgot about calling my husband, and next thing I knew there was a meeting and I needed to attend and which room it is etc...I was in my first meeting.

I don't remember the rest of that first night.

I woke up as someone was calling down the hall "vital signs! line up, vital signs! I go out in the hall and in the dining room was a line to get your blood pressure and temperature taken (about 10-15 people or so) before breakfast and then meds time again.

A staff member came and introduced himself, welcomed those that were new and told us the schedule for the day. I started talking with the people around me and found out that they were here for their addiction of choice as well. Anyway, I started thinking this just might be a very good experience for me and forgot about the fuss.

So, now is the second day, no word or sight of my doctor I just went along with the program. As I said, there are meetings to attend all day long on different topics and give people a chance to share about their situation or if anyone had any questions.

Soon I started realizing that I ...DID in fact have a problem and that it was not only alcohol, emotional pain, prescribed medication abuse, stress and depression (just to name a few)!!. As people shared more and more what they have been going through in their lives, I was seeing myself and I started sharing all the things that I have been going through as well, and other people related to my story in turn. I still didn't want to admit that I was an alcoholic and I would only introduce myself with my name and that the reason I was there like (hi my name is Anna and I'm here for alcohol abuse) and then whatever I was going to share.

I also realized that it did in fact come to the point in my life where I was abusing and overusing prescription drugs and booze and for some reason was not able to kick it back even though I tried on my own. I figured my physical body had been restored from all the cancer and that it was time to get back on track. But every time I said I was going ease up on booze, I found myself standing at the gas station at 7 am waiting for them to open the beer and wine cabinet. They don't sell it before that. So, I had my coffee, something sweet with it following up with a six pack of beer or bottle of wine, and if that didn't get me the mellowness I wanted, I took a couple of my stress pills as well. My stress pills (Adavan, or also known as Lorazepen) went from taking 1 to get the effect to 4. And even 4 did crap because my body had built up resistance to it, and I was wondering as to how many pills, downers a day I was going to have to take to chill out. I was hooked on these once before and quit cold turkey, but this time I just couldn't do it. Too much crap in my body. I just felt I knew I had to do something with all this confusion in my head and body but this time I couldn't figure out how. The last two years have been extremely overwhelming, not to even mention the 10 years before that.

After the first meeting is a SMOKE BREAK for 15 min. There are 5 smoke breaks throughout the day. They know that people come here with some heavy **** and that you can only deal with one problem at a time. Smokers would go ******* wild if they had to give up their ciggies while detoxing from all the other stuff. I was part of that smoke group and we all bonded and shared cigarettes and made jokes and fun of the staff and some of the REALLY wacky people there. We were not allowed matches or lighters so there is like a sort of cigarette lighter bolted in the post or one of the 3 staff members give you a light. Everyone is watched by staff members 24/7!!! Even when we are sleeping they come into your room with a flash light to make sure you are in your bed. They do this ALL night long every 15 freakn minutes.

There was this one girl, (looked about 19, 20 or so yrs) a smoker but not really part of our group, and she called herself "Mother Earth". I don't really know what she was there for cause she was on the other side on the psycho's side and not the addicts side. She had braids, I don't know how many, (a white girl) but most of the time wore her hood on her head and always looked down like she was trying to hide her face or something. We were watching her one day and she picked up this dead bumble bee and put it in her empty cigarette box and buried it in the ground and put a flower over it. Then she started picking up any cig butts that she could see on the ground and cleaned them up to the garbage, but one day I saw her pick up this big rock on the way in from the break and put it in her purse and I said to myself (I think I'll stay clear from her for a while!).

One of the smoker ladies was there for extreme depression going through divorce. She was really nice but was really having a rough time coping with her situation. We became good friends and joked around all the time. There were some people there for their second, third or fourth time.
It's really interesting how closely we all bonded in my group and when someone left we hugged and with tears said good by.

I started to open up and looked at this experience with a whole new perspective.

The first day or two nobody gets cafeteria privileges and you get no choice standard lunch such as sandwich with whatever, I can't even remember what it was. I wasn't hungry anyway, so I didn't care. I was in my room reading a great book and actually finished it in two days.

Looking forward to those smoke brakes, and chatting with everyone, I got to know more about this place and the feeling how it's run and the type of people that come here. At first I thought it was like for skid row drunks and weird mental cases but it turned out much different. There were people there from all walks of life, rich and poor sharing something in common. Their addiction or some kind of mental disorder or both.

Meetings and more meetings and MORE meetings!!!!! At first I thought, to hell with all these meetings, but it turned out each had a different theme regarding what brought us to this point in our life and I found myself raising my hand to say something almost in every meeting.
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Old 04-20-2010, 02:48 PM
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Sounds a lot like the medical detox facility I was in for 6 days. I really enjoyed my time there.

Welcome to SR! Glad to have you and hope you'll stick around. Lots of good experience, strength and hope here.
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Old 04-20-2010, 02:54 PM
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Thank you very much suki.
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Old 04-20-2010, 03:02 PM
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Welcome to SR!! Enjoyed reading your experience and am so glad you have joined us here. Look forward to reading your posts and sharing. I also at first didn't want to admit I was an alcoholic. I knew I had a problem but the stigma with the word itself kept me in denial. Finally, I admitted to my hubby that I had a problem and I am an alcoholic. It was a weight off my shoulders just to say it to another person.

All the best - Kim
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Old 04-20-2010, 03:04 PM
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Welcome to SR kiki5711
Thanks for sharing your story.

so what's next?
D
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Old 04-20-2010, 03:13 PM
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Great story of recovery & how people can change even when they really don't want to (at first). Glad to have you with us & I look forward to seeing more of you here on SR
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Old 04-20-2010, 03:28 PM
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Hi kiki5711

That is great, I am glad you received some professional help. Going to detox was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I was a total pain in the ass to the employees my first 3 days in detox, and that is an understatement. I slept for the first 2 days with no food and minimal fluids I was sick as hell throwing up every time I woke up. I tried to check out on day 3 but was talked back into staying by moving to a room with a tv, why i agreed to that I have no clue, I guess because I got my way. I looked foward med time as it took all the detox symptoms away. Heck I even met a patient who showed me how to get more meds out of the Dr's, I was high on something 24 hours a day. I look back at that now and cannot believe I found a way to stay "high" in detox, with detox drugs, how stupid is that. On day 5 the day of my release I soon realized the party was over and it was time to clean up for good, it has not been the easiest first 3 months of sobrity but I can say it is priceless.

Thanks for sharing your experience with detox that will help so many people.

Good luck to you, stay positive and many great things will come your way.

Mahi
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Old 04-20-2010, 03:30 PM
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Welcome, Kiki!

I know you will find lots of support here.
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Old 04-20-2010, 04:12 PM
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Welcome to SR!
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Old 04-20-2010, 04:35 PM
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Thank you everyone, I appreciate your welcoming me.

Someone asked what's next. Well, I just got home yesterday. I started looking for support groups online and found this one. Next step is to find AA meeting halls near my home and attend those as well.

I am a bit scared that triggers at home will try to trick me into depression again.

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Old 04-20-2010, 04:48 PM
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The Following User Says Thank You to MahiMahi For This Useful Post:

I don't know how to reply to these kind of posts, where do I go or what do I click on? Sorry, but I've never seen these before.
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Old 04-20-2010, 04:55 PM
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You're doing fine Kiki

D
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Old 04-20-2010, 05:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Dee74 View Post
You're doing fine Kiki

D



I meant the ones that don't have a reply button?
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Old 04-20-2010, 05:34 PM
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Do you mean the 'thanks' box under the posts? You can't reply to those, but you can add your thanks by clicking the 'thanks' button.
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Old 04-21-2010, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by kiki5711 View Post


I meant the ones that don't have a reply button?
The post reply button is always located at the last post at the bottom left hand corner of the page.

You can also hit the quote button also located at the bottom right of the screen if you are responding to that person.

Lastly, you can click on the "Thank You" button on the bottom right corner as Least mentioned.

Feel free to ask any other questions you have, we were all new here once
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Old 04-21-2010, 11:45 AM
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Hello and welcome,
Sounds like my first time at rehab, one of several attempts to get clean. I am glad that you got out with a good rehab experience and that you follow through with the meetings.
A lot of good people here.
Take care
Dean
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Old 04-21-2010, 12:11 PM
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Welcome here Kiki, and thanks for your interesting account of rehab. (:
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Old 04-21-2010, 12:26 PM
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Old 02-22-2011, 11:16 AM
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I just read my first post after rehab. that means 10 MONTHS!!!!!

I don't keep track of time, I just roll along with it, but I just noticed it today.

I've been through so many changes since then. I look back and laugh that I was so confused I coudn't figure out what the heck those "thank you" buttons are for, and how do I respond to them. he he he

THANK YOU SR!!!
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Old 02-22-2011, 12:39 PM
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Congratulations on your ten months Kiki

D
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