Seven basic guidelines that increase your chances for a successful recovery
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Seven basic guidelines that increase your chances for a successful recovery
For those of us who struggle with relapse, I'm going to post a helpful article from aol that I read this morning and found to be a good reminder of how to increase your odds in recovery. Read through to the end to the 7 guidelines to a successful recovery .
______
When Rehab is a Revolving Door
by Liz Neporent
Like many people who try rehab, Amy Winehouse did not ultimately succeed in breaking her addictions to drugs and alcohol. Requiring multiple attempts to beat an addiction is not just a star phenomenon — it happens to many ordinary addicts too.
Here, experts share why addictions can be so extremely hard to break — and offer seven tips essential to successful recovery.
Just How Common Is Addiction Relapse?
There are no reliable statistics on the average number of recovery attempts it takes to beat a drug or alcohol problem. Part of the problem with pinning down hard numbers on recovery is that many rehab programs don’t track their graduates after release, so they have no way of providing estimates. For example, Promises Treatment Centers in Malibu, Calif., which admits about 400 people a year at a cost of up to $55,000 a month out of pocket, says they have a recovery rate of nearly 70 percent. But the center has only recently begun following up with clients after they finish the program — and even then, only for about three months.
David Sack, MD, the chief executive officer of Promises, says that multiple trips to rehab are the norm. “About half of our patients have been through in-house treatment at least one or two times before, and many of our first timers have had a good deal of outpatient treatment before coming as well,” he says.
Joe Shrand, MD, medical director of the Castle Adolescent Rehabilitation Unit at the High Point Treatment Center in Brockton, Mass., estimates that at least 30 percent of his patients go through rehab more than once. Yet he’s quick to emphasize this doesn’t mean that rehab is a waste of time.
“The fact that relapse is more common than uncommon just shows how difficult it is to break addiction. Getting professional help is often your best hope of taking control despite the fact that it can take more than once to get it right,” Dr. Shrand says.
About 23.5 million Americans sought treatment for drug or alcohol abuse in 2009; of these, 11 percent (2.6 million) received it at special rehab facilities, according to a recent survey from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). According to SAMHSA, about 23 percent of those in publicly funded substance abuse programs sought treatment for alcohol abuse only; about 18 percent sought help for abuse of alcohol and other drugs; about 17 percent were trying to curtail pot smoking; about 40 percent wanted to kick another drug habit, including heroin, cocaine, and opiates, among others.
Why Is Addiction So Hard to Break?
Shrand points out that no one enters rehab intending to fail. “Everyone goes in hoping in their heart of hearts they can stop for good,” he says. “But addiction doesn’t happen in the heart. It happens in the brain.”
As Shrand describes it, a chemically dependent brain is like a deeply ingrained neurological super highway with few off ramps. Studies show that drugs and alcohol alter the brain’s normal chemistry, elevating activity in pleasure and reward centers, and reducing inhibition so that a person develops an overwhelming craving for their substance of choice. Drug use on a chronic, long-term basis can cause either permanent changes in the brain or alterations that may take hours, days, months, and even years, to reverse once a person stops using the drug.
And addicts face numerous other obstacles beyond brain chemistry. They often underestimate how challenging it is to stay clean, especially if it’s their first attempt to sober up. Many have alienated their friend and family support systems along the way and believe they have few places left to turn. Or, like Winehouse, they continue to expose themselves to an unhealthy environment and friends who may be enabling their old ways.
A new report from Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) crystallizes just how challenging it is to break the bonds of addiction. If someone begins their journey into drug or alcohol dependency after the age of 21, they have a one in 25 chance of remaining addicted for life. Those whose addictions start before the age of 18 fair even worse: They have a staggering one in four chance of developing a lifelong dependency.
What It Takes to Get Clean For Good
Though the odds seem stacked against long-term sobriety, professionals who treat addiction say that with commitment and the right circumstances, it’s possible that even someone who seems to be far gone can achieve it.
“There’s some evidence that rehab is progressive. Treatment is certainly not a quick fix but it can make a real difference. Even if someone backslides several times and isn’t able to quit using completely there’s a good chance things won’t be as bad as they were before they’ve gone through rehab,” Dr. Sack notes.
Shrand adds that his years of experience treating addiction have shown him that the following seven basic guidelines can increase the chances for a successful recovery:
1. Start safely. A period of detox is frequently the first step in many rehab approaches. Weaning off of substances like alcohol and opiates should be done in a medical setting because withdrawal symptoms can sometimes be life threatening.
2. Seek lots of support. It’s important for a recovering addict to cultivate as many healthy, caring relationships as possible. If a loved one is trying to break an addiction, being there for them to lean on can considerably increase their success. Encourage a recovering addict to join a support group locally or online so he has plenty of people to lean on when the going gets rough.
3. Choose right. Find a program that uses health professionals who are board certified to treat addiction. Psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, and social workers can all be certified to work specifically with substance abusers.
4. Address everything. According to Sack, up to 40 percent of addicts suffer from depression too. Also dealing with underlying mental health issues that can contribute to addiction — or that result from it — will go a long way toward preventing relapse.
5. Avoid triggers. This is especially important for people fresh out of rehab who may not yet have the coping skills to resist temptation.
6. Manage expectations. Shrand explains that recovery involves being humble and realistic about how much work is ahead of you. While it’s important to forgive yourself for all that has happened, it’s equally important to take responsibility for your actions.
7. Be vigilant. Addicts must understand that recovery is a lifelong battle. By all accounts, the first year is the hardest, but many people struggle with cravings and temptation for the rest of their lives. Far from proving that rehab is a failure, this constant struggle underscores the potent power of addiction — and the importance of working hard to get and stay clean.
Last Updated: 07/26/2011
______
When Rehab is a Revolving Door
by Liz Neporent
Like many people who try rehab, Amy Winehouse did not ultimately succeed in breaking her addictions to drugs and alcohol. Requiring multiple attempts to beat an addiction is not just a star phenomenon — it happens to many ordinary addicts too.
Here, experts share why addictions can be so extremely hard to break — and offer seven tips essential to successful recovery.
Just How Common Is Addiction Relapse?
There are no reliable statistics on the average number of recovery attempts it takes to beat a drug or alcohol problem. Part of the problem with pinning down hard numbers on recovery is that many rehab programs don’t track their graduates after release, so they have no way of providing estimates. For example, Promises Treatment Centers in Malibu, Calif., which admits about 400 people a year at a cost of up to $55,000 a month out of pocket, says they have a recovery rate of nearly 70 percent. But the center has only recently begun following up with clients after they finish the program — and even then, only for about three months.
David Sack, MD, the chief executive officer of Promises, says that multiple trips to rehab are the norm. “About half of our patients have been through in-house treatment at least one or two times before, and many of our first timers have had a good deal of outpatient treatment before coming as well,” he says.
Joe Shrand, MD, medical director of the Castle Adolescent Rehabilitation Unit at the High Point Treatment Center in Brockton, Mass., estimates that at least 30 percent of his patients go through rehab more than once. Yet he’s quick to emphasize this doesn’t mean that rehab is a waste of time.
“The fact that relapse is more common than uncommon just shows how difficult it is to break addiction. Getting professional help is often your best hope of taking control despite the fact that it can take more than once to get it right,” Dr. Shrand says.
About 23.5 million Americans sought treatment for drug or alcohol abuse in 2009; of these, 11 percent (2.6 million) received it at special rehab facilities, according to a recent survey from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). According to SAMHSA, about 23 percent of those in publicly funded substance abuse programs sought treatment for alcohol abuse only; about 18 percent sought help for abuse of alcohol and other drugs; about 17 percent were trying to curtail pot smoking; about 40 percent wanted to kick another drug habit, including heroin, cocaine, and opiates, among others.
Why Is Addiction So Hard to Break?
Shrand points out that no one enters rehab intending to fail. “Everyone goes in hoping in their heart of hearts they can stop for good,” he says. “But addiction doesn’t happen in the heart. It happens in the brain.”
As Shrand describes it, a chemically dependent brain is like a deeply ingrained neurological super highway with few off ramps. Studies show that drugs and alcohol alter the brain’s normal chemistry, elevating activity in pleasure and reward centers, and reducing inhibition so that a person develops an overwhelming craving for their substance of choice. Drug use on a chronic, long-term basis can cause either permanent changes in the brain or alterations that may take hours, days, months, and even years, to reverse once a person stops using the drug.
And addicts face numerous other obstacles beyond brain chemistry. They often underestimate how challenging it is to stay clean, especially if it’s their first attempt to sober up. Many have alienated their friend and family support systems along the way and believe they have few places left to turn. Or, like Winehouse, they continue to expose themselves to an unhealthy environment and friends who may be enabling their old ways.
A new report from Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) crystallizes just how challenging it is to break the bonds of addiction. If someone begins their journey into drug or alcohol dependency after the age of 21, they have a one in 25 chance of remaining addicted for life. Those whose addictions start before the age of 18 fair even worse: They have a staggering one in four chance of developing a lifelong dependency.
What It Takes to Get Clean For Good
Though the odds seem stacked against long-term sobriety, professionals who treat addiction say that with commitment and the right circumstances, it’s possible that even someone who seems to be far gone can achieve it.
“There’s some evidence that rehab is progressive. Treatment is certainly not a quick fix but it can make a real difference. Even if someone backslides several times and isn’t able to quit using completely there’s a good chance things won’t be as bad as they were before they’ve gone through rehab,” Dr. Sack notes.
Shrand adds that his years of experience treating addiction have shown him that the following seven basic guidelines can increase the chances for a successful recovery:
1. Start safely. A period of detox is frequently the first step in many rehab approaches. Weaning off of substances like alcohol and opiates should be done in a medical setting because withdrawal symptoms can sometimes be life threatening.
2. Seek lots of support. It’s important for a recovering addict to cultivate as many healthy, caring relationships as possible. If a loved one is trying to break an addiction, being there for them to lean on can considerably increase their success. Encourage a recovering addict to join a support group locally or online so he has plenty of people to lean on when the going gets rough.
3. Choose right. Find a program that uses health professionals who are board certified to treat addiction. Psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, and social workers can all be certified to work specifically with substance abusers.
4. Address everything. According to Sack, up to 40 percent of addicts suffer from depression too. Also dealing with underlying mental health issues that can contribute to addiction — or that result from it — will go a long way toward preventing relapse.
5. Avoid triggers. This is especially important for people fresh out of rehab who may not yet have the coping skills to resist temptation.
6. Manage expectations. Shrand explains that recovery involves being humble and realistic about how much work is ahead of you. While it’s important to forgive yourself for all that has happened, it’s equally important to take responsibility for your actions.
7. Be vigilant. Addicts must understand that recovery is a lifelong battle. By all accounts, the first year is the hardest, but many people struggle with cravings and temptation for the rest of their lives. Far from proving that rehab is a failure, this constant struggle underscores the potent power of addiction — and the importance of working hard to get and stay clean.
Last Updated: 07/26/2011
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There is a company called "Sober Escorts" that will escort you to and from rehab so that you don't relapse on your way home. You can Google it, but the fact that there is actually a market for babysitting people after rehab so that they make it home without stopping by the liquor store or corner dealer first should tell you something about its effectiveness.
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If only they had Sober Escorts to get me home from 12-step meetings, I might have avoided many a relapse!
The drive home after spending an hour thinking about drug use was always the hardest time for me. I imagine it is the same for out-patient rehab.
The drive home after spending an hour thinking about drug use was always the hardest time for me. I imagine it is the same for out-patient rehab.
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I've always had an eerie suspicion that putting drunks and junkies with lots of other drunks and junkies in one place was not the best idea. Addicted people love congregating with one another, for obvious reasons, but it is simply impossible for those who have not quit their own addiction to help others to do so. Trying to learn how to quit your addiction from other addicted people is like trying to learn how to start and create a career for yourself by hanging out with uneducated, untrained, unemployed, homeless people.
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Albany NY
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My experience was different. I went to county rehab were the roaches in the mashed potatoes were free, and was fortunate enough to be grouped with a wide variety of people suffering from addiction. It was staffed by many therapists who have gone through the ringer themselves; found sobriety, returned to schools, got their degrees (or not) and learned through the school of hard knocks. They passed their knowledge on to me and the other residents there. I was in there with a lot of sick people; many with no resources, no hope, and some sincerely bad upbringings to contend with. Did they all get sober? No; but there were a considerable number of them that did.
I hold that treatment center and their employees in high regard; who else would step into the social work scene; with low pay and probably crap benefits, to help make a difference in the lives of others.
It was the perfect setting for a person as isolated as I was at the time.
I am eternally grateful to that treatment center, the outpatient treatment center, the "crusty" treatment counselors and AA for my continuing sobriety. They were "real" people.
To each his own.
I hold that treatment center and their employees in high regard; who else would step into the social work scene; with low pay and probably crap benefits, to help make a difference in the lives of others.
It was the perfect setting for a person as isolated as I was at the time.
I am eternally grateful to that treatment center, the outpatient treatment center, the "crusty" treatment counselors and AA for my continuing sobriety. They were "real" people.
To each his own.
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Join Date: Jul 2011
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Originally Posted by miamifella 
If only they had Sober Escorts to get me home from 12-step meetings, I might have avoided many a relapse!
The drive home after spending an hour thinking about drug use was always the hardest time for me. I imagine it is the same for out-patient rehab.
The drive home after spending an hour thinking about drug use was always the hardest time for me. I imagine it is the same for out-patient rehab.
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Funny you should mention county rehab, wellwisher. I know someone whose family spent obscene amounts of money on rehab stints for him, none of which worked. When they finally ran out of money, they sent him to the free city rehab. It seemed that did the trick. I think the cockroaches, and "real" people, which are often lacking from the posh, upscale rehabs, serve a good function.
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Texas
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In some cases I've seen, relapsing CAN actually be harder on you than 24/7 drinking. Shocking the body regularly with ups and downs can be a difficult road! I supposed it depends on how long your benders are, etc.
I guess in the end, it's best to just not drink at all! (did I just state the obvious? I hate it when people do that!)
I guess in the end, it's best to just not drink at all! (did I just state the obvious? I hate it when people do that!)
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Boston,Ma
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I believe you can get help and should get help wherever you can find it. I've found it extremely beneficial to be with and work with other "drunks and junkies", many of which I know and can relate to better after 5 months than I could with my drinking buddies of 10 + years.
I tried to do it my way too many times to count. I felt I was different and better than these poor AA folks, but when I finally realized I needed the help of others, I was thankful to find them. They may be 1 day sober or 30 years, but they all help me.
AA has worked for millions, why can't it work for me, and perhaps I can help someone else.
I tried to do it my way too many times to count. I felt I was different and better than these poor AA folks, but when I finally realized I needed the help of others, I was thankful to find them. They may be 1 day sober or 30 years, but they all help me.
AA has worked for millions, why can't it work for me, and perhaps I can help someone else.
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I agree that is the obvious, but if it were that "simple", there would be no AA, rehabs, books, recovery forums, SMART, AVRT.
Simple, but not easy - given the broad experience of those posting on these boards and in recovery programs, and very clearly not a cake walk for those who love the addict - as evidenced in the Friends and Family Forum, or the adult children of alcoholics who grew up with parents living in addiction. What about them? They don't drink, but man, they sure feel the effects of it, don't they.
If everyone on the planet were to stop drinking TODAY, the effects would still be there.
Simple, but not easy - given the broad experience of those posting on these boards and in recovery programs, and very clearly not a cake walk for those who love the addict - as evidenced in the Friends and Family Forum, or the adult children of alcoholics who grew up with parents living in addiction. What about them? They don't drink, but man, they sure feel the effects of it, don't they.
If everyone on the planet were to stop drinking TODAY, the effects would still be there.
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In-patient rehab did a lot to help me. I was safe for the time I was there and during the transition to outpatient treatment.
But after I got out I could not afford to move back home. I could not afford a phone even. So I was alone. More alone than I had ever been in my life.
The list of "guidelines" is right. Without friends and support, there was little that 12-step programs could do. I need to be able to let my hair down and tell the truth about my difficulties in recovery. But I had no one.
You need your friends to help you get through this.
But after I got out I could not afford to move back home. I could not afford a phone even. So I was alone. More alone than I had ever been in my life.
The list of "guidelines" is right. Without friends and support, there was little that 12-step programs could do. I need to be able to let my hair down and tell the truth about my difficulties in recovery. But I had no one.
You need your friends to help you get through this.
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Originally Posted by wellwisher
I agree that is the obvious, but if it were that "simple", there would be no AA, rehabs, books, recovery forums, SMART, AVRT.
It is the nature of addiction to confine your thoughts and options to fit the addictive mandate - use! drink! - forcing you into a tiny bubble, on the inside looking out, where not drinking/using seems like a punishment. It induces a feeling of powerlessness, hopelessness, and despair, which grips tighter the more you struggle against it. So much so that most addicted people often have a rescue fantasy, whereby they hope that someone or something else will save them from themselves. Ultimately, though, it is the realization that the addictive mandate is wrong, inverted, an illusion, and that no one will swoop in and save you, but that you can indeed break out of the bubble, that is the antidote.
For some, seeing others that have broken out of the bubble of addiction is enough. Others need something else to do, such as service work, etc, in order to see that life outside the bubble is not as bad as it seems. Some simply need to be called on their own rationalizations, or simply be told how to quit. In all cases, though, I think the persistent inertia - that feeling of "I can't quit, it's too hard, I can't do it, how will I ever live?" - needs to be broken.
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I absolutely agree with that. My experience at the time was that my head was so messed up, that I could trust NOTHING my mind told me, and that is when I went running to detox, rehab, AA et al. I couldn't take that sick mind and talk myself into being sober - that's the truth. I tried it for years and at a great cost to me and others.
Having grown up in an alcoholic home and a long lineage of active alcoholics in the form of parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and their alcoholic friends that surrounded them, I had a pretty skewed perception of life and a very, very detrimental opinion of myself. I was conditioned that way, spent years ignoring the pink elephant in the room and was fiercely protective of the family "secret". I had a seething anger that wouldn't go away, and it blocked me in ways I won't even get into here. My belief systems sucked; were skewed and basically, I was stuck there. I needed outside intervention for those reasons. I became the youthful alcoholic that I was running away from. I didn't trust a single thing my mind told me. I watched my younger brother go to a "fancy", union-paid rehabilitation center, get sober, and followed him about a year and a half later, but I didn't have the option of the fancy rehab. Those rehabs, combined with AA treatment, got both of us sober.
No one, and I mean absolutely no one, in my family had ever achieved sobriety before, so we didn't know how to do it. Most of them died active alcoholics. At the time, there weren't many sobriety options - no SR, no AVRT or SMART or any other options. I am glad there are other ways today; I really am. I really don't care what method people use to get sober; as a matter of fact, I'm researching them to learn about them today, in the hopes that I can offer an alternative to a dear childhood friend, who is so sick from alcoholism that she pulled a knife on her 75 year old parents in an alcoholic haze and spent jail time for it. She's been in and out of psych wards and cannot "get" the AA program. It's not a life to be living, and damn, she was so smart, so beautiful and today she is an emaciated, sick human being. But, where there is breath, there is hope.
What I take exception to is the sneering at traditional recovery options. I acknowledge they don't work for everyone, but I really don't take kindly to the condescending attitudes toward them if they don't work for people. Many of us are in the battle of our lives, and instead of unending threads about the pitfalls and program bashing of any particular program, I am of the opinion that whatever works for you; works. If one way doesn't work, try another. There's too much at stake.
It ALWAYS comes down to individual choice to stop drinking, and if there is a struggle in obtaining first abstinence, then sobriety, it is far better to offer a pallette of bright options instead of bashing one program in favor of another. It muddies the waters.
This "game" is for keeps - the "disease", or the "beast" - whatever one names it, causes misery, shame, and ultimately death, if left unchecked.
My program worked for me - and worked well. It was the lifeboat I needed to get to shore so I could walk and work and live amongst others - alcoholic or not alcoholic. Just as I respect "your" method of achieving sobriety, I would hope you do the same for mine; regardless of whether you agree with it or not.
Having grown up in an alcoholic home and a long lineage of active alcoholics in the form of parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and their alcoholic friends that surrounded them, I had a pretty skewed perception of life and a very, very detrimental opinion of myself. I was conditioned that way, spent years ignoring the pink elephant in the room and was fiercely protective of the family "secret". I had a seething anger that wouldn't go away, and it blocked me in ways I won't even get into here. My belief systems sucked; were skewed and basically, I was stuck there. I needed outside intervention for those reasons. I became the youthful alcoholic that I was running away from. I didn't trust a single thing my mind told me. I watched my younger brother go to a "fancy", union-paid rehabilitation center, get sober, and followed him about a year and a half later, but I didn't have the option of the fancy rehab. Those rehabs, combined with AA treatment, got both of us sober.
No one, and I mean absolutely no one, in my family had ever achieved sobriety before, so we didn't know how to do it. Most of them died active alcoholics. At the time, there weren't many sobriety options - no SR, no AVRT or SMART or any other options. I am glad there are other ways today; I really am. I really don't care what method people use to get sober; as a matter of fact, I'm researching them to learn about them today, in the hopes that I can offer an alternative to a dear childhood friend, who is so sick from alcoholism that she pulled a knife on her 75 year old parents in an alcoholic haze and spent jail time for it. She's been in and out of psych wards and cannot "get" the AA program. It's not a life to be living, and damn, she was so smart, so beautiful and today she is an emaciated, sick human being. But, where there is breath, there is hope.
What I take exception to is the sneering at traditional recovery options. I acknowledge they don't work for everyone, but I really don't take kindly to the condescending attitudes toward them if they don't work for people. Many of us are in the battle of our lives, and instead of unending threads about the pitfalls and program bashing of any particular program, I am of the opinion that whatever works for you; works. If one way doesn't work, try another. There's too much at stake.
It ALWAYS comes down to individual choice to stop drinking, and if there is a struggle in obtaining first abstinence, then sobriety, it is far better to offer a pallette of bright options instead of bashing one program in favor of another. It muddies the waters.
This "game" is for keeps - the "disease", or the "beast" - whatever one names it, causes misery, shame, and ultimately death, if left unchecked.
My program worked for me - and worked well. It was the lifeboat I needed to get to shore so I could walk and work and live amongst others - alcoholic or not alcoholic. Just as I respect "your" method of achieving sobriety, I would hope you do the same for mine; regardless of whether you agree with it or not.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: road to recovery
Posts: 1,689
Thanks everyone, just to clarify, my intention in posting this was to share the guidelines for a successful recovery.
I’ve never gone to rehab, have not relapsed in over 5 years, and am not espousing any particular program, but yesterday when I read this article with the “7 guidelines,” I got a much needed reminder of tactics that helped me to get sober. At this point, I sometimes forget that I need “be vigilant” by “seeking support” and “choosing right” which is why I came back to soberrecovery.com after a long absence. These forums offer many viewpoints and many stories. It’s what makes them great. I simply thought that these guidelines—regardless of program or length of sobriety—were helpful.
Again, in condensed form, the tips:
1. Start safely. (You can die or get seriously ill if you are a maintenance drinker and suddenly stop.)
2. Seek lots of support. (That simply means to go to various sources—not just one. Read books, go online, speak to trusted members of family, friends, church, medical people.)
3. Choose right. (Look for support from people who have been through addiction and recovery—doesn’t matter what they did to get there—if they are in a successful recovery, they know the road you’re on.)
4. Address everything. (If you have any underlying problems, seek help for them as well)
5. Avoid triggers.
6. Manage expectations.
7. Be vigilant.
Doing these things helped me in the beginning. Today, they still help to keep me sober.
I’ve never gone to rehab, have not relapsed in over 5 years, and am not espousing any particular program, but yesterday when I read this article with the “7 guidelines,” I got a much needed reminder of tactics that helped me to get sober. At this point, I sometimes forget that I need “be vigilant” by “seeking support” and “choosing right” which is why I came back to soberrecovery.com after a long absence. These forums offer many viewpoints and many stories. It’s what makes them great. I simply thought that these guidelines—regardless of program or length of sobriety—were helpful.
Again, in condensed form, the tips:
1. Start safely. (You can die or get seriously ill if you are a maintenance drinker and suddenly stop.)
2. Seek lots of support. (That simply means to go to various sources—not just one. Read books, go online, speak to trusted members of family, friends, church, medical people.)
3. Choose right. (Look for support from people who have been through addiction and recovery—doesn’t matter what they did to get there—if they are in a successful recovery, they know the road you’re on.)
4. Address everything. (If you have any underlying problems, seek help for them as well)
5. Avoid triggers.
6. Manage expectations.
7. Be vigilant.
Doing these things helped me in the beginning. Today, they still help to keep me sober.
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Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 214
Good article. I agree whole heartedly with the points about finding the right treatment for the person. I recovered with help of my doctor, use of medications, therapy, support of my husband and family, and some Non AA online support.
Rehab rates havent been good but rehabs havent been following the evidence based practices and offering individual treatment options for patients in most facilities. From what I read its changing slowly.
Ive been looking at treatment options for my husband and some of it looks good, others make me shudder the thought.
Rehab rates havent been good but rehabs havent been following the evidence based practices and offering individual treatment options for patients in most facilities. From what I read its changing slowly.
Ive been looking at treatment options for my husband and some of it looks good, others make me shudder the thought.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,427
I think we all have to find the kind of recovery plan that suits us. SR is great in that all kinds of recovery methods exist side by side, all of which have been successful for someone 
I'm a big advocate of us doing the work for ourselves.
Is your husband involved in looking at what treatment options are available to him AnonWife?
D
I'm a big advocate of us doing the work for ourselves.
Is your husband involved in looking at what treatment options are available to him AnonWife?
D
Trudgin
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,348
Good list certainly. I am curious about #7 - managing expectations. I am in no way attempting to start any sort of debate, but wonder how you have applied this in your recovery?
At first I have learned to basically eliminate expectations - they are inversely proportionate to my peace of mind, if you will.
Maybe it's sort of the same thing - eating small bites, keeping things very basic and simple etc. Is that your experience?? I think it might be the word manage - I was not good at managing, that was part of my problem in hindsight.
Thanks for the bump scoot - guess you're at 9 + years, is my math correct = awesome!
At first I have learned to basically eliminate expectations - they are inversely proportionate to my peace of mind, if you will.
Maybe it's sort of the same thing - eating small bites, keeping things very basic and simple etc. Is that your experience?? I think it might be the word manage - I was not good at managing, that was part of my problem in hindsight.
Thanks for the bump scoot - guess you're at 9 + years, is my math correct = awesome!
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