Dim

Does anyone have any experience with overseas rehabs. I feel like the only way i'll get better is if i get away from the world until i overcome my addiction. Can anyone lend any perspective? From experience.

Dee74

I have no experience with rehabs Dim. Why not an Aussie rehab tho?

D

Dim

I feel like i need to get away completely. It has an appeal because i'll have more incentive to stay there due to my passion for the orient. I feel like it will have a positive impact on my psychological wellbeing.

JK130

I haven't been to rehab but understand that it's really hard work. Maybe others will chime in to share if there's even time or energy to explore anything outside of the rehab facility. It might not make any difference what country you are in while you're first recovering. On the other hand, the urge to get away from it all is most appealing, and may give you strength. Good luck in whatever you choose, and don't forget to share back here!

Dee74

Rehabs not a KonTiki tour tho Dim - you'll be inside a hospital or compound wherever you go.

You won't have time to indulge your passion for the Orient until you get out, and then I'm not sure being a tourist in SE Asia is the best place for a person early in recovery to be.

Still, it's your call...whatever you decide to do, check out places as thoroughly as you can first.

D

Dim

Can someone please shed some light on what its like to lose everything and rebuild because i'm on the verge of that. My partner has pretty much bailed, my family are two shakes of a lambs tail from leaving me on the street to fend for myself and although i've been drinking today and still feel half decent i know the darkness is coming. How do i get through this? Wheres the light? I just want to feel normal again but cant see it in the immediate future.

Dee74

There's no easy or quick way out once you hit that point Dim.

I lost careers and loved ones, I lost possessions and I lost my health. I also lost a couple of years here and there.

I was so far down it took me a year to put things right.

Don't panic. You're not there yet - I reckon if you quit now you can turn things around

Thinking about doing stuff isn't going to cut it though.

You need to take some action - I dunno whether it's AA or some other group, or counselling, or inpatient/outpatient rehab, or a mix of a few things... but you need to actually put some effort in now into being sober and staying that way if you want to turn your ship around.

D

JK130

Right now, a wise choice is to focus on your sobriety. Your partnership can be repaired, or not. Your family is hanging on, for now. You are seeing the catastrophic results of drinking, and you can make things better without alcohol. Forget traveling, find the best place/way/plan to get sober now. Put down your drink, seek medical attention, and live. You deserve a good life! Your family loves you and wants you whole and healthy.

You CAN do this! Stay tuned here. I think it's Saturday in Australia? Are you alone? If you need medical care, can you get to ER? If you decide to stop drinking, very soon, you'll be glad you did!

Dim

I'm in australia and its 1.38pm. Around 2 hours since my last drink. My doctor has given me a valium tapering regimen to take when the shakes start. I'm done drinking. I dont think the alcohol has worn off yet becauase although i'm feeling a little bad it hasnt come full circle yet. I want reach out to my girlfriend but she isnt responding to my calls or texts. God i wish i could reach out to her because i miss her so much. I just want things to be well between us.

JK130

Of course you miss her, but respect if she's taking a break while you focus on yourself. You don't have to be drunk ever again. Have you made sure to drink a lot of water? Maybe take a long shower and try to nap? Or try to stay busy, take a walk, mow the yard, shop for groceries...then take a nap. Rest and hydrate. I ate a lot of ice cream while getting sober. I'm glad you're under a doctor's care. Do you have family nearby?

Dee74

If she's not answering your calls I think you should respect that and lay off for a while?

Things are not going to be better if she feels pestered.

D

Dim

Yeh parents are here and watching over me using my discretion as to when to start adminitering the valium to keep the withdrawals at bay. In the meantime i have to nut out the irritability and restlessness and try my best to stay awake to hopefully get a refreshing sleep tonight and wake up just a little better tomorrow. Plan is to smash AA meetings the whole week next week to try and get some insight and motivation.

Dim

I have received a msg from her saying that there is hope if i get myself well. Thats enough for me at the moment. I've always counted on someone else to make me feel better when i'm at my worst but maybe for the first time i meed to depend on myself to do that. Maybe thats the biggest life lesson right now that i need to undertake.

Babescake

Going 1/2 around the world won't solve the problem. Believe me. Your location is one of my dream locations. I'm in the Midwest, USA. Same problem, each environment still ends up being the same. It can't be the focus. Enjoy your beautiful, beach-filled country. Also, utilize all the recovery resources available. I'm trying to do that in the States, and, I am spending a lot of money doing so.

Meraviglioso

Dim, it is not where you are that will bring out these changes. Trust me, your time in rehab will not be a vacation and you will not have time explore anything other than your recovery really. I recently got out of an inpatient detox/rehab and went in kicking and screaming. I was terrified to go. The centre was located nestled in the glorious Tuscan hills over looking Florence. (I happen to live iN italy and that was the closest) The location changed absolutely nothing about my experience.
While in rehab you WILL take a large break from your current life and focus on getting yourself better.

Don't take the little crumb your girlfriend has given you and think "ok, there's a chance, just hang on and don't mess this up" in order to keep her. This is about YOU. YOU getting better from your addiction to alcohol.

Not to pick on you here, because it comes up all the time, but I just cannot believe doctors leave these heavy drugs in the hands of laypeople. Mine was the same. Just yesterday I was cleaning out my medicine drawer and thew out at least 4 full bottles of valium drops that they filled each month with my other meds but I never used as the instructions were only for the first few weeks. I cannot even believe they trusted me to handle such a dangerous mix. Why not go to an in patient rehab where they handle the detox professionally and the weight of responsibility isn't on your parents shoulders?

Here is a link to my thread about my experiences in rehab if you care to read it:http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ab-report.html

Gottalife

Dim, I have seen some of the best recoveries begin in these circumstances. It sounds like you are making the right moves.

I have been living in Malaysia for the last six months, and been up to Thailand for a few weeks. I doubt you will find any rehab in these countries as alcoholism is not an officially recognised problem. AA comprises mostly expats, with only a few locals.

I found some pretty strong AA in KL, Penang and Bangkok, but this is not rehab.

If you want to go out of the country, you could look up the Retreat in Auckland NZ.

JK130

How are you doing, Dim? I'm glad your parents are nearby. The first few days are rough, I know, but hang in there. It gets lots better!

Dim

Hi Jk, still here and self detoxing.. cant say its been extreme but the body aches, anxiety, fog and dizziness are all there. Hoping they fade soon so i dont go mad... its safe to say i'm semo functional to the point where i can eat, work out, drive and hold some pretty decent conversations with people. My biggest problem is wanting things to improve immediately rather than gradually. I should be grateful of what i can do, not what i can't do. Words of wisdom on day 2

Meraviglioso

Good to hear from you Dim, take it easy and be careful!

Zufrieden

[QUOTE=Dim;5933927 My biggest problem is wanting things to improve immediately rather than gradually. I should be grateful of what i can do, not what i can't do. Words of wisdom on day 2 [/QUOTE]

Hi Dim
I'm glad you are doing better. We live in a quick fix society and we all understand why you want to "undo" all the bad and just be a normal citizen.
It's going to take some time though.
I will say that the relief i felt began almost immediately in various ways. First you're glad to wake up not hungover.... Next it might be the recognition that you are not fighting with family over your drinking... Then you remember going to bed sober while reading a good book rather than blacking out on the couch etc.... These things are huge at first and these miracles stay with you as you build on other issues.
I'm several months in and am up at 4:00 am this morning reading about anger and resentment. Thus is what I'm currently getting a grasp on and then there will be some other long held belief or trait to uncover. It's a process that can be rewarding but it's not all going to arrive in a quick and complete package. That's ok because you will benefit the whole ride. One day at a time is a phrase that makes more sense to me with each passing day of sobriety.
Best wishes
Jonathan