maggies

They didn't want him on any medication. Not even the anti-psychotic meds. The odd thing was that they were just therapists not doctors. My husband wanted to stay off the meds as they told him and it ended up in serious disaster which I am not going to get into because it serves no purpose.

shil2587

Just wanted to answer this before I read the rest of the thread. The pill itself does not stop the drinking. The fear of the consequences does. People can and do drink whilst on it. My ex was on a proper dose etc. Regardless, the treatment is psychological and I think you're blocking that aspect.

Mango blast

(((hugs)))

Wow. Yes, I can relate to this. The rehab my husband went to would have been fine with meds, but they weren't okay with the natural supplements his doctor had him on. The doctor at rehab knew nothing about them and yet was negative about it.

I would notice a difference when he was taking them or not and his recent relapse was a week after he stopped taking them again. He's seeing the difference now and is talking with his doctor about how they make him feel -- both the good and the bad -- and she's been adjusting his program. He was just going along with this at first. Now I've been able to step back and he's stepped up. When his doctor looks to me or wants me to oversee something, I step back now and hand that straight to my husband. It's up to him. That's not where we started at all! We did learn that from rehab. It was tough for both of us to do.

All programs are different and you can never tell what might finally get through to an addict.

allforcnm

I have to say I don’t think it is a control issue to disperse his medication; not unless it is causing trouble for you, or him. If this is the case then I would recommend a deeper examination into behaviors. My husband and I both used Non 12 step therapy for recovery. I think I mentioned this before… but he was on an opiate blocker med called Naltrexone when he first started recovery. He said it helped with cravings, and made him feel better also. Even though the medicine did come in daily doses… his doctor said why? The act of taking the dose isn’t part of recovery… instead he used a monthly injection…. And they even offered 3 month implants… I share this because the process of taking the pill…I don’t think too much should be made of it IMO. Whats important is that he takes it… If one day he decides to stop then I doubt you could physically force it on him…. So he is doing it of free will. I know others in recovery who have their spouse hand out subs (for opiates) and that works for them. Really what works for You is all that matters…

My husband worked with therapy to learn CBT approaches and such while he was taking this drug. So that would be my only concern for your husband.. multiple layers of support/tools would be great IF he would pursue it. Being in so many rehabs he may have already learned some CBT? Was he ever in an evidence based therapeutic rehab?

Even without another rehab, there are a lot of options out there; private therapy, SMART recovery which utilizes concepts based on Cognitive therapy (Ive studied this also and find it helpful for me), Rational Recovery concepts, participation in church including bible studies, and one of my friends was telling me recently of some specialized Christian studies for addiction; one is called New Wine …. You would have to google that.. but it might be something he would enjoy & might not even know it exists.

We were taught people recover from a combination of negative consequences & positive results….motivation… a happier, more fulfilling life (however they define it). My only suggestion for you is to stop periodically, reevaluate your own feelings, make adjustments as necessary.