JIreland

Hey,

I am going into a 5 day detox for alcohol.

I know part of it is to talk to someone, I really hate to talk. Really.

I never tell anyone my problems, I don't like to complain.

I have no idea what I will be asked, but I'm sure the general will be why do I drink, am I unhappy, what makes me unhappy.

I have thought of these questions a lot myself, I know the reasons why I started to drink, but no reasons at all as to why I continue.
The reasons I had to start are very simple and easy to understand, but no reason at all as to why I keep drinking and have a problem stopping.

Can anyone share experiences of talking please?

I have been to AA and this is 1 big thing that stopped me, I really don't think I have any reason (I think it is an excuse for myself) to drink.

My life hasn't turned out as I wanted and a few things happened along the way out of my control, but I don't see why I got out of control.

Dee74

I never been to detox **. I have no idea if you'll have to talk or not. Some detoxes are purely medical, others not.

I'm not a big talker either - in fact a lot of the time talking is difficult for me - I have a really bad stutter.

Sometimes tho I need to reach out, I need to let go of my fears, I need to unburden myself and bounce things off other people - and there's no better way to do that than talking.

Don;t shut yourself off - I'm pretty sure you won't need to give a presentation...

if there are folks who want to talk with you they'll be trained in listening and making you feel at ease.

If it happens, I reckon go with it

D

avocado

the people there are professionals. whatever you bring to the table, they will know how to respond appropriately. just be yourself. if you don't want to open up and talk, feel free to tell them exactly that. the important thing is to just be honest. don't tell them what you think they want to hear. it's also okay to answer 'i don't know' if that's the truth and to tell them you'd prefer not to talk about things. don't worry too much about it. you'll be okay.

Nattythreads

I've done detox a couple of times. On the medical side, they'll just want a normal low-down from you as you'd expect - just the substance abuse/ health facts, no "tell me about your childhood."

If it's anything like out here and you're in for 5 days, you'll probably get 12-stepped. You say you have AA experience, so you'll know it's up to you whether you open up at all.

So all round, no need to stress really. Nobody will be forcing you to answer anything you're not comfortable with. They'll just be trying to help.

HappyDestiny3

Like it was said.. You are going to detox not rehab.. Those are two different things..

Detox is to detoxify safely so you don't have any seizures, strokes, ect. You won't have to do anything or say anything if you don't want to, other than talk to the other patients..

Once you get out of that , and the fog starts to life, will be time to address your alcoholism..

You can think you drink cause your happy,sad, mad , whatever.. I drank just cause the sun rose, and the day ended with a Y...

But if your a alcoholic you simply have a disease which doesn't let you drink like a normal person..

LadyinBC

I think you have gotten some great advice here. Be honest. I knew I had found my counsellor when I actually started talking to him and couldn't stop!

He has asked me questions at times and I was honest in telling him that I didn't know how I felt or how to answer that. He doesn't want me to be PC or tell him what I think he wants to hear. He just wants me to be me. He says I have been hiding the real me for so long that it is important that I and people I know get to know the real me. He thinks the real me is pretty terrific and that in time I will think that way too!

Coldfusion

All detox programs are different--to some extent, you can pay for as much as you want. If this is a low-cost program, do not expect to spend a lot of time talking to someone about your problems. However you slice it, one-on-one therapy is expensive and is not widely available through government programs. My wife spent a month at an expensive rehab, and was disappointed by how little one-on-one therapy she got.

The detox program I went to was pretty basic, it was built as part of a new jail. There were communal bedrooms and the lights were on all night, but the beds were comfortable. A doctor prescribed me a medication to help with sleep. Food was from the jail next door, and it was sufficient. You might or might not be allowed tobacco, caffeine, or sugar.

The staff was friendly and caring, but as I said they did not spend a huge amount of time doing on-on-one therapy. There were few activities, bring books if you like reading. Volunteers from the community came in every night to do AA or NA meetings.

I learned so much from being with others who were at their wit's end dealing with their addictions. What I saw made me realize that I had a lot to lose, and was really close to losing it all.

Of course, followup is important. Since you are with us here at SR, you have a good start on making those plans.

Let us know how it works--we'll be here when you get back!