Pressmetilihurt

I told my counselor today that if I don't follow thru on my recovery plan this time I will go to in patient. Ugh. I can't do that. No way.

hpdw

Can you elaborate why you cant do in-patient . I,m not familiar with how it would work where you are .

aasharon90

Place yourself into the hands of those
who can teach you about addiction and
how it affects your mind, body and those
around you along with an affective program
of recovery to incorporate in all areas
of your life as you move forward away
from your addiction.

Listening, Learning, absorbing, applying
all this knowledge to help you achieve
healthy, happiness and so much more.

You don't have to go thru this alone.

Whether you go to a meeting or rehab,
which is what I did 27 yrs ago to place
me on the road of recovery, you will
be taking that first step in admitting
your addiction and accepting help for
it.

If it takes 28 days out of your life today
to receive the gift of recovery to incorperate
in your life for yrs to come, to help maintain
a healthy, honest way of life and a strong,
solid recovery foundation to live your life
upon for yrs to come, then take this gift and
make this positive change one day at a time.

hpdw

Aasharon thanks for that . I can see this as a very positive thing to do then .

2muchpain

If you have the opportunity to go in-patient, I think you should do it. You have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain by doing it. John

doggonecarl

Can't? Or won't? Because there is a difference.

Zebra1275

Usually after inpatient treatment, the aftercare recommendation is to attend AA on a frequent and regular basis.

You could skip ahead to the aftercare recommendation and just immerse yourself in AA. In patient would also help you medically detox, you could see a Dr. outside of inpatient to help you safely detox.

shortstop81

In patient can be valuable in that it will be a safe, immersive place to 'kick start' recovery. But regular after care afterwards is absolutely crucial, whether it's AA or some other support group.

Are there practical reasons why you don't want to go inpatient i.e. costs?

MindfulMan

A combination of 12 Step based inpatient, (5 weeks), psych meds, Cognitive based Intensive Outpatient Program (8 weeks) saved my life. I'm getting serious about 12 Step now, speaking to a potential sponsor tonight. ALL of this has put me in a very good place right now.

If you have time and money and you can do inpatient, please consider doing so. Its a fantastic jump start and gives valuable tools for continued recovery.

least

It seems like what you should do is different from what you want to do.

2muchpain

I was also in a program that involved two months of cognitive therapy, then after that, was transferred to a treatment center. All of this was in house. But after that, was involved in out patient CBT, individual therapy and AA. Saved my life and probably others. A DUI created all of this and I thank god every day for it. It wasn't fun and really ticked me off at times, but it was worth it. I wouldn't be here today without it. Anybody that has a chance at taking advantage at these services and doesn't is missing a great and possibly life saving opportunity. John

MindfulMan

I "couldn't" do inpatient rehab. I "couldnt" start psych meds again. I "couldn't" admit being an addict/alcoholic. I "couldn't" do AA. I "couldnt" work the steps.

thankfully I could, and did, all of those things.

I only have 5 months, so what do I know?

2muchpain

PS. I also take meds for anxiety and depression. Along with quitting drinking and making life changes, even though I hate taking meds for anything, I have to be realistic and accept the fact that there are both medical and emotional issues that also need to be addressed. I believe being and staying sober requires a holistic approach. For me, exercising , socializing as much as I can, staying busy and connecting with my higher power (not religious), and just helping others when I can makes a big difference. John

MindfulMan

Outpatient CBT-based group therapy was life changing.

I didn't have a DUI, but I did have the mother of all benders that got me into inpatient as I had serious health risks. I was just thinking how grateful I am that this happened, as I like sobriety so much more than drinking and drugging

If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be grateful for rehab I would have told them that they be trippin'.

thomas11

Yes you can, and it could save your life.

Algorithm

Alcohol is legal and widely available, so I don't consider in-patient a good solution, personally, if it can be avoided. When you get out, alcohol will still be legal and widely available. You cannot hide from it, and doing so is not a viable long-term solution.

Yes, I do have the much-vaunted 'experience' here that people often speak of, but unlike many others, I don't particularly care to qualify with further details. I will simply say that I was pressured into it.

If you do decide to go to a facility, pay no mind to the price; it is not indicative of quality. Do your homework, look at reviews from former clients, and do not go off only what the admissions staff tells you. Their job is to sell -- little different than a car salesman.

MindfulMan

I was very sick and entered the first rehab I found through a referral. I was in no condition to do research. It worked wonders, even though the facility had seen better days, the staff was great.

I disagree that inpatient rehab can't be helpful, you get out of it what you put into it. If you leave really wanting to stay sober AND have a continuing treatment plan, you've got a chance of staying sober. If it's paid for, consider staying longer than 30 days, it's a place to be away from your DOC and start working on yourself with no distractions. But like any other course of treatment, if you don't really want to get sober it's just doing time until you get out and have a drink or drug. It probably also won't work if you're doing inpatient for someone other than yourself or are court ordered and are just marking time until you can leave.

I've managed it for 5 months, and counting, and I threw every weapon I had at my addiction. Inpatient was only the start, but it really got me on the path. I have issues with 12 Step, but I'm doing it because I've met great people through the fellowships, and I like having a sober network and someone to call if a craving feels overwhelming. I've read the AVRT literature and am starting SmartRecovery meetings as well as AA/CA/All Fellowship meetings, and followed up rehab with CBT-based Intensive Outpatient Therapy.

It can't hurt.

babyedwards

I opted out of inpatient. They sent me home with a handful of Valium and said, good luck! Hardest god dam time of my life. If you have the opportunity for inpatient, I would take it. I regret not doing it.

Gottalife

I was compelled by the court to a psychiatric hospital with a kind of program. I was not resentful, I was pleased to get the break. I quickly worked out what to say and do to keep the medical staff from getting too close. Was the blue eyed boy, left there full of fear. They taught me a lot of useless information about alcoholism, made a suggestion that I follow up by going to aa. Which I ignored, I was far too young to be like them, so I drank again for another year or so.

The one good thing that came of it was planting the seed of aa, which, when I got miserable enough, I grabbed with both hands. I became a very rare beast for those days, an AA baby. Nearly every other newcomer went to a national rehab that was near to my home town. They had a kind of fellowship all their own. They went through a lot together in that rehab. It was a powerful experience for them, so powerful that they thought everyone should go, including me.

Luckily my sponsor was also an AA baby. When I approached him about the pressure, and explained that I really felt, based on my last experience, that I needed to stay out in the world and face my issues, he was nothing but supportive. He knew people had been getting well in aa long before this rehab opened up. He gave me the same advice that I now pass on to you.

If you feel the need to go, go. If you don’t feel the need to go, don’t go. Simple as that. I didn’t go. I did what someone else suggested earlier, immersed my self in aa and recovered. Seeing as I stayed sober, trusting my feeling on this was a good decision.

2muchpain

Of course treatment centers exist to make a profit. It's a business like any other and I don't fault them for that. But that's not the point. I really don't care what their profit is. I only care about what I get out of it. I've been to several treatment centers. Some are better than others but all provide an opportunity to get and stay sober. It's like anything in life. Your get out of it what you put into it. John