rehab
 

what is the difference between doing a rehab program and going to a support group like aa or whatever? whenever im on this site everyone tells me i need to go to a support group, but i just dont think thats enough for me

Hi Sara,

I think Rehab generally refers to inpatient or outpatient treatment that lasts for a fixed period of time.

A support group like AA would be something that could help. There are also Smart support groups in some cities.

Have you talked to your dr about your problem with alcohol and gotten his/her advice on what might help you?

AA is NOT a support group. It is a course of ACTION that can bring about recovery from alcoholism.

Rehab never worked for me. AA did.

Well let me rephrase that, nothing worked for me until I was willing. When I finally became willing, aa worked.

no, i dont like doctors, and i didnt think there was anything they could do about this anyway

and ive been to one aa meeting before... when it was over i went home and got drunk, it didnt do anything for me

Sara,

I think you should follow your instincts and do what feels right for you.

And, there is always lots of support here at SR.

Can we not derail this thread with dogma please?

I feel justified in referring to AA as a support group, but I don't want to get into semantics.

Lets focus on the OP .

Sara there are many other alternatives to AA
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...resources.html

I think it's very hard to judge anything on the basis on one experience tho.

D

the way *I* hear - the difference is around ten thousand dollars.

But please understand what basiam said -
Alcoholics Anonymous isn't a support group.

there's a thread down in the alcoholism forum you ought to post this:
beautiful. wonderfully written.

my instincts tell me to get completely wasted

why wont anyone just give me a clear answer instead of telling me about support groups and telephone hotlines and all of these stupid things that i know wont work for me.. that is NOT what i asked about... im really not trying to be rude here, im just so frustrated, its like nothing can help me...

Sara,

We can only tell you about things that worked for us. There is no clear, definitive, one size fits all answer.

No one can tell you what will work for you.

The bottom line is that you have to do the work necessary to get sober.

I think it is important to understand that these are not mutually exclusive--you can go to treatment and AA meetings. I wouldn't worry about whether or not AA is a 'support group.' Its kind of a semantic argument either way, I would just go to at least see if you can get anything out of it.

hi sara -

that's not your 'instinct' telling you to get wasted.

that's your addiction talking.

Just for the sake of clarity.

Try AA again, Sara.

i think i need to go to "formal rehab"

Sara, the best place to start is with your family dr who can give you information on the resources available. Or you can do a search on your own to try to find out what options there are for you.

The main thing is that you are taking action.

yeah i guess... sometimes im not sure why i even care, i hate my ******* life anyway

sara,

Rehab is complete immersion in (hopefully) a recovery program. I went to rehab 15 years ago for drugs and you know what? It was one of the best things I have ever done for myself. In fact, while I did go out and drink after being sober a couple of years, I still had the tools and I knew where to go when I was "done".

I also am very active in AA today and I have to tell you that AA is not going to do anything for you unless you work for it. There is not a magic cure that happens when you sit in a meeting. It is up to you to want this thing and to be willing to do whatever it takes to get and stay sober.

Guess what? I hated my life before I got sober too. I think most of us did. In fact, I hated myself. I do not today. i have an amazing life today and it is all thanks to the recovery work I have done in the last year and a half.

I wish you the very best. You are worth it and you CAN do it!

that sounds like what i need...

Hi Sara. To try to answer your question...

AA is a program for alcoholics. You attend meetings, work with a sponsor (someone who kinda becomes your mentor through the program) to work through the 12 Steps of AA as outlined in the Big Book of AA. If you would like more information on the steps and how the program works more specifically, you may want to ask your question on the Alcholism board. One of the major principles of AA is that it is a "spiritual" program, and that is one of the things the steps help you with, discovering or even redefineing your spirituality. While it is not a "religious" program, the word god is frequently used to define the higher power that it is suggested you "turn your will and life" over to.

I have been to many AA meetings, but have never really "worked the program". (ie: got a sponsor, worked the steps, etc.) I'm sure there are many others who can go into the program in greater detail if you wish, but as nobody seemed to be doing that, I figured I'd give it a shot.

AA is not the only "program" available for alcoholics looking for help, however it is the most well known and most widely available for in person support. A few other programs you might want to look into are SMART, Lifering, SOS and Rational Recovery. A quick google search will turn up all kinds of information about those programs.

As far as rehab goes. As was mentioned, there are basically two types, inpatient (where you actually reside at the treatment center 24/7 for a period of time) or outpatient (where you have group support meetings, therapy sessions, the teaching of coping skills, etc. Usually you will meet between 3-5 days a week for between 1-3 hours, sometimes more depending on the program)

The information you learn in either kind of rehab is very similar. Often it is based on 12step recovery (ie:AA) but not always, and usually not exclusively. The biggest difference is obviously the amount of time involved in the program. Some people find outpatient better as it "takes them out of circulation", so to speak, for awhile and they can establish some sober time while at the rehab center. Inpatient is definately a more "intense" experience as your life becomes very structured, whether you want it to be or not. Most people with substance abuse problems tend to lack structure in their lives and often have to "relearn" how to live. A typical day will consist of a number of "classes" where you learn about your alcoholism and how to cope with it, usually a group therpy session, sometimes some individual therpy sessions, and often an AA or NA meeting in the evening. You are kept busy, usually about 12 hours a day. Bordom is the enemy of the addict. Every rehab is different, but the same. Some are fancy, some are very bare bones, but you will basically learn the same things at all of them.

Often there are state funded substance abuse clinics you can receive help from. The offer counciling, group therpy, and recovery classes for little or no money. You can contact your local social services department for information about that.

As far as myself, I've been to inpatient rehab twice, outpatient twice, a lot of meetings, been here at SR for years, studied dozens or recovery methods and books, and after 20+ years of using only now have about 8 months of clean time. I guess my point with that is that no program, rehab, doctor or anyone else can stop you from drinking. They can all give you tools to help you, but you are the one who has to make the decision to actually put the work into stopping, and it is work!!

I hope this answers some of your questions. I know the desperate place you are right now. Nobody is telling you what you want to hear, that being "how do I stop drinking". The reason is that there are as many ways as there are people with drinking issues. All anyone can do is give you suggestions, you are the one who has to follow them, and decide what works best for you. I understand how you ******* hate your life right now. I thought I was a hopeless addict for the longest time, but I now know better. It hasn't been easy by any means, and I'm still new at the whole "clean and sober" thing. It does get better, but you have to make the decision to take back control of you life. You can do it. Take care.

thanks for actually answering my question..

the inpatient rehab thing sounds like what i need... ive never had any real structure in my life and i know that i cant do this if im just left on my own, and one hour aa meetings wont be enough... how do i get into one of these programs? and does it cost a lot?