tomsteve

although i havent been to rehab as a patient, i have been to a few different rehab facilities attending aa meetings.
at all of them the patients were addicts and alcoholics from every walk of life and every level of alcoholism/addiction. all patients are treated like humans with alcoholism/addiction. the specialists/doctors/therapists,etc are there to help people learn how to live clean/sober and do that respectfully.
rehab or any form of recovery only works if the person uses the tools given.

you have the ability to go, so id say use it. what could be bad? other than not going and sinking deeper into alcoholism

picturebigger

thanks a lot everyone. i think i meant detox not rehab then. didn't know they were called different things. i'll look in to my local facilities a little closer and see if i can find reviews of them too. thanks again.

Ruby2

I did detox followed by inpatient rehab. I was a daily drinker and could not stop on my own. Every day and all day on the weekends.

Going to detox and inpatient were the best thing I ever did for myself to quit. If you can do it, I'd go for it. I felt safe. I was treated well. While we were in a locked unit, no one was in a padded room or handcuffed. Rehab was like a motel. I had my own room. Some people shared a room. We got to pick what we wanted to eat from a preset menu. Our health was monitored. The people there were a lot like me for the most. A lot of working people, some people retired, some unemployed by choice of chance.

I laughed more than I had in a very long time. It gave me confidence that I could string days together.

If you're tired of how you're feeling, I'd suggest just doing it.

Anna

I'm glad you're asking questions and seeking information. Taking action is always a good idea.

picturebigger

anyone find a clever way to pull it off with work? i really don't think it's a good idea to tell my boss i need to go to alcohol detox. but what on earth else could i say for why i need to go on a 5 day vacation immediately, and will be completely unavailable while i'm gone?

do they allow cell phones/laptops ? maybe i can just do a little work from there? lol

DefconOne

If you been drinking hard and heavy every day like I was, a detox center followed by a rehab is the way to go. You need to dry out safely and get a good recovery program working for you. Birds of a feather heal together. Go for it and good luck.

Coldfusion

Hi Picturebigger! It's good to see that you are on line with us today!

The fact that you were referred to hospitals and that you only want nine days of treatment indicates to me that you are considering detox more than rehab. Rehab is often a month or longer, and in fact some rehab facilities want you to be detoxed before they will admit you.

I went to a no-cost detox program and stayed a week. It was not plush, and the food came from the jail next door. I think the discomforts were a good distraction from my withdrawal. Being around other people trying to quit was very helpful.

Coldfusion

As far as work goes, I think the main consideration is that in your current state you are not at your prime. This detox is necessary for the good of your workplace.

Zeebs

I went to detox because I was at the point where I physically had to drink. It's not bad at all and is the only safe way to get through serious withdrawals in my opinion. I was allowed to use my phone and laptop. I was in the same boat with work and just kept it very vague. I said I was having medical issues that I needed to get checked out. I didn't technically lie about anything. Also, they gave me tons of helpful info/resources for recovery after the detox. I wish you the best!

Time2Rise

I think you may have to sit down with your boss and tell him/her that you have a serious drinking problem and you're going to address it. You won't be the first person who has had a drinking problem and you certainly won't be the last. And I believe there are laws in place that will protect your employment.

picturebigger

i agree. and he's cool, i'd love to tell him just to get it off my chest why i haven't been myself. but the other side of me thinks it's risky because what if it plants a seed, where he always wonders if i relapsed, always wonders if i'm drinking again, etc. etc. etc. it's good to know laws will protect me, and even better that i work for a huge company that goes above and beyond for employees and would embrace me if i just let them in on the secret.. but i'm just nervous whether it's necessary. if i can fix it quietly, they never have to know. i really liked Zeeb's suggestion. i'm looking at my insurance coverage and facilities right now actually, once i have the schedule i think i'll just tell my boss i need to leave for a medical "procedure". if he asks what for, i'll just tell him i'd rather not say. he'll respect that. i'll tell him in 10 years when it's something i can laugh about.

Zeebs

I'd caution telling your boss that you're going to detox or rehab. Many people gave me that advice and the stigma behind alcoholism is true. It's not their business.

Also, my description of detox was what I experienced at a hospital. If you have that option, it's treated as a medical condition, which insurance should cover (in the US anyway).

Dee74

If you're going to detox and not rehab it's really important you work out how you will stay sober cos detox won't help you with that.

when faced with a brain that says tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow all you can do is force yourself to take action today.

Make a different decision - different decisions mean different outcomes which means change.

I hope you get to a meeting, if not today soon

D.

Time2Rise

OK, that's good. Personally, I always believe it's better to keep these issues private--if possible, so if you can attend detox without giving your boss the details, that's great.

However, if you continue to drink because you won't seek help because of privacy issues, you probably won't be doing yourself any favors.

Time2Rise

I strongly agree with Dee. Detox will only free you from the physical addiction to alcohol. After that, you need a good plan in place to deal with the psychological aspects of staying sober.

I'm sure the spiritual programs of AA and NA are available where you live, and secular programs like SMART Recovery, SOS and LifeRing. In addition, you may want to try an outpatient rehab. You could still work and attend the outpatient program during the evenings and weekends.

picturebigger

agree. thanks. yeah my insurance definitely covers this. i'm trying to navigate their site now to see the list of possible options they'll refer me to before i make the call to them.

and i also agree Time2Rise and Dee.. i'm already planning to detox at a facility and then come home to continue therapy in AA. a 30 day full blown rehab detox/therapy trip is impossible for my work. my last quit for 37 days was great, and easier than i expected. i got cocky and tested the waters, now this time i know for fact day 37, 67, 507, 20 years, are all way too soon to ever try that again. it's picking a day 1, and getting that day 1 over with, that is my biggest struggle. after day 1 i officially have too much to lose. but i'll still go to AA. last time i did have a few moments i needed to talk to someone who understood. i survived (til day 37).. this time i'll have those friends-- right after i detox and gain some momentum.

thank you all very very much again. i felt helpless yesterday. today i find there's still hope. a new and promising plan is forming. fast. excited.

Time2Rise

Just to be clear, AA isn't therapy in the clinical sense. Are you aware of how AA and it's spiritual program works? I only mention this because some of your comments suggest you may not understand how AA and it's spiritual 12-Step program works, and I don't want your expectations for AA to be unclear. That wouldn't be helpful.

If you're not sure what AA is all about this may help:

What Is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Ruby2

OK. I'm catching up on what you wrote. Telling the boss. Hmm. Don't do what I did. I called my supervisor on a Sunday afternoon, while I was drunk, told her that I was an alcoholic and needed time off to detox and to go to treatment.

In the long run, it worked out for me. My supervisor called back and gave me the time off. When I returned to work I was afraid that people would be staring at me but it wasn't actually that bad. But that was my workplace. Each is different. I think that I was under the microscope for a while but I guess that my supervisor forgot because last year she gave me a birthday card with a martini glass on the front. My mother had purchased the exact same card for me for the message but glued her own hand drawn card over the martini glass. Too much effort, mom, but she was conscious of the message.

Anyway, maybe just sit down with your supervisor and tell them that you need time off to take care of personal business. You may need to tell them it's for treatment. IF you trust your supervisor's discretion, telling them may not be a bad idea.

Good luck.

Tamerua

Call your EAP line, they will help with this. You don't need to tell your boss why, only that it's medically necessary.'

Dave42001

dont tell your boss or HR anything, it's none of their business!! I've seen people get black balled for this and they disappear in the next round of layoffs!!

Give AA a shot, you can go to work like a normal person, get a couple meeting in a day and a lot of meetings during the weekend and it's $2 a session, rehab is $1000 bucks a day.. There's no magic pill you can take to get sober, you have to want it more than anything you've ever wanted in your life! And it might just save your life!! Go for it!!