Do I REALLY need treatment?
Member
Join Date: May 2021
Location: Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania
Posts: 121
Thank you for the post and for your wonderful honesty. I can only speak for myself and that is to say that I personally need all the help I can get and then some !
I felt worried for you if I can say that considering I dont really know you, but I felt anxious reading your description of your condition.
I truly hope you will accept help at this point and perhaps that way you can take your first steps on the road to recovery and avoid what sounds like serious physical repercussions if you continue drinking.
I felt worried for you if I can say that considering I dont really know you, but I felt anxious reading your description of your condition.
I truly hope you will accept help at this point and perhaps that way you can take your first steps on the road to recovery and avoid what sounds like serious physical repercussions if you continue drinking.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
I would say re-read your original post and ask yourself what advice you would give someone else if you were reading it for the first time. A few of the important points I would pull out
1. You visited a rehab center, were given medical advice that you could benefit by attending their program, went through intake and then failed to show up. You then ignored follow up contacts from said facility
2. You have been a blackout drinker for 10 years.
3. You have mental health issues which are compounded because of your drinking
4. Despite all the above you feel you can stop on your own ( even though you are actively drinking now ) and because you are "still alive" feel you don't need to go.
Bottom line, only you can make the decision to go or not. And also know that if you aren't committed to staying quit for good, no rehab center is going to be able to change that fact - only you can. There is no magic potion or secret technique that they teach you at rehab - it is basically an focused/captive version of many of the same things you can do on your own ( meetings, counseling, etc ) - the difference of course that the ability to purchase alcohol is not there. Having said that, you can leave whenever you want and many people do. It's also not uncommon for one to successfully complete rehab and pick up some drinks on the way home, happens all the time. You said you were curious and you asked the question, so there's the answer. It may not be the one you wanted, but yes - the first step has to be made by you. You said that you quit for 30 days, that is indeed a good period of staying sober - what happened after the 30 days if I might ask?
1. You visited a rehab center, were given medical advice that you could benefit by attending their program, went through intake and then failed to show up. You then ignored follow up contacts from said facility
2. You have been a blackout drinker for 10 years.
3. You have mental health issues which are compounded because of your drinking
4. Despite all the above you feel you can stop on your own ( even though you are actively drinking now ) and because you are "still alive" feel you don't need to go.
Bottom line, only you can make the decision to go or not. And also know that if you aren't committed to staying quit for good, no rehab center is going to be able to change that fact - only you can. There is no magic potion or secret technique that they teach you at rehab - it is basically an focused/captive version of many of the same things you can do on your own ( meetings, counseling, etc ) - the difference of course that the ability to purchase alcohol is not there. Having said that, you can leave whenever you want and many people do. It's also not uncommon for one to successfully complete rehab and pick up some drinks on the way home, happens all the time. You said you were curious and you asked the question, so there's the answer. It may not be the one you wanted, but yes - the first step has to be made by you. You said that you quit for 30 days, that is indeed a good period of staying sober - what happened after the 30 days if I might ask?
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 1,598
You’re like a car with a flat tire. You know you should just replace it but instead you keep filling it with air. It usually runs out of air when you’re at home and filling it isn’t too bad. But sometimes it runs out of air at very bad times when you’re far from home and it creates a great inconvenience. But someday, it might actually blow and cause a serious crash if it hasn’t already.
You don’t want to replace it because it will be too expensive, too much of a sacrifice so instead you adapt to this new way of life. Every day is centered around that dumb tire.
You know you should replace the tire.
Well, you know you need some help. You signed up almost a decade ago here. You knew you had a problem then, and you know it’s worse now. It’s death by a thousand cuts. If you can quit on your own, then do it. But you’ve already tried haven’t you? I bet you’ve tried a lot. If you’re anything like me, you’ve sworn off alcohol perhaps a thousand times. I could not quit on my own. I tried every method known to man. Today I have a big community and a lot of tools to keep me sober and I still fail sometimes. But if I were still trying to do it alone, I would certainly be dead (not even remotely an exaggeration.)
Inpatient/outpatient/AA/therapy whatever, but man, you owe it to yourself to try something different. 10 years of binge drinking is a pretty damn wasteful way to spend your life. Trust me, I know.
ps: sorry for the poor tire analogy, but after I typed most of it I didn’t want to start over. Lol. Stick around, and try something new. Like my bunch says, “If nothing changes, nothing changes”
You don’t want to replace it because it will be too expensive, too much of a sacrifice so instead you adapt to this new way of life. Every day is centered around that dumb tire.
You know you should replace the tire.
Well, you know you need some help. You signed up almost a decade ago here. You knew you had a problem then, and you know it’s worse now. It’s death by a thousand cuts. If you can quit on your own, then do it. But you’ve already tried haven’t you? I bet you’ve tried a lot. If you’re anything like me, you’ve sworn off alcohol perhaps a thousand times. I could not quit on my own. I tried every method known to man. Today I have a big community and a lot of tools to keep me sober and I still fail sometimes. But if I were still trying to do it alone, I would certainly be dead (not even remotely an exaggeration.)
Inpatient/outpatient/AA/therapy whatever, but man, you owe it to yourself to try something different. 10 years of binge drinking is a pretty damn wasteful way to spend your life. Trust me, I know.
ps: sorry for the poor tire analogy, but after I typed most of it I didn’t want to start over. Lol. Stick around, and try something new. Like my bunch says, “If nothing changes, nothing changes”
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 36
Originally Posted by ScottFromWI 
You said that you quit for 30 days, that is indeed a good period of staying sober - what happened after the 30 days if I might ask?
That Saturday morning I went for a long drive, thought about some things, then went to the beer distributor and got drunk. No real reason why, I just did it.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 36
Originally Posted by BeABetterMan
ps: sorry for the poor tire analogy, but after I typed most of it I didn’t want to start over. Lol. Stick around, and try something new. Like my bunch says, “If nothing changes, nothing changes”
Thank you for the sound advice man.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 3,748
With all your research thus far ALL signs point to having to make a decision and following through on that decision.
Talking with a rehab facility shows that you want to get sober. Getting 30 days of sobriety shows that you can get sober.
Getting sober and staying sober are two different things.
For me, the first few months of not drinking alcohol were wild and I really didn't feel like I was in "recovery" or "recovering" from active alcoholism. It is only now 9+ months later that I can say that I am in recovery from alcoholism. I've recovered from active alcoholism physically but mentally and emotionally I will always be in a "recovery" zone.
Commitment. Determination. Tools. Faith. Belief in oneself. One day at a time. You can do it!
Talking with a rehab facility shows that you want to get sober. Getting 30 days of sobriety shows that you can get sober.
Getting sober and staying sober are two different things.
For me, the first few months of not drinking alcohol were wild and I really didn't feel like I was in "recovery" or "recovering" from active alcoholism. It is only now 9+ months later that I can say that I am in recovery from alcoholism. I've recovered from active alcoholism physically but mentally and emotionally I will always be in a "recovery" zone.
Commitment. Determination. Tools. Faith. Belief in oneself. One day at a time. You can do it!
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Originally Posted by ZeroNowhere570
That Saturday morning I went for a long drive, thought about some things, then went to the beer distributor and got drunk. No real reason why, I just did it.
The thing that rehab can give you ( or a recovery program ) is tools to help you make the right choices. Those tools are recovery programs with peer accountability, or things like CBT therapy, or AVRT where you define and separate from your AV, and there are many more. But as another poster very clearly stated, if you aren't fully committed to the task, whether you need those tools is irrelevant as you won't choose to use them.
voices ca**y
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Paul Minnesota
Posts: 4,359
"If you don't accept the truth you will be one of those people." That is spot on to what I saw the day my denial broke. It didn't occur to me to go to AA but I did promise myself that if I ever drank again I would go to treatment. I really didn't want to go to treatment but I was willing to do whatever I had to do to stop what was coming my way.
So, you tried it without. That didn't work. What's your next step?
So, you tried it without. That didn't work. What's your next step?
Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,909
Originally Posted by ZeroNowhere570
That Saturday morning I went for a long drive, thought about some things, then went to the beer distributor and got drunk. No real reason why, I just did it.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,195
Yes! You need treatment. Daily blackout drinker? Have you had any tests to check how your liver is doing?
I spent 5 weeks in rehab, I was amongst the worst drinkers in my group with 2 years of daily vodka drinking. I held down a job the whole time amazingly because I didn't get hangovers but that's a sign of a chronic alcoholic. I would start to go into withdrawal by lunch time and have to drink a couple pints at a pub so my hands stopped shaking. Then at 5pm I was off to the liquor store. I ended up in the ER for the first time in my life with abdominal pains. Alcohol induced hepatitis (swollen liver).
While in rehab, I did finally get a diagnosis of ADHD at age 35. The facility I was.in, had a whole team of professionals and counselors. Although, I was given a prescription for amphetamines which is standard for ADHD, but not a good idea for a 35 year old who had already abused everything.
The point is getting into treatment to be evaluated by the experts.
I spent 5 weeks in rehab, I was amongst the worst drinkers in my group with 2 years of daily vodka drinking. I held down a job the whole time amazingly because I didn't get hangovers but that's a sign of a chronic alcoholic. I would start to go into withdrawal by lunch time and have to drink a couple pints at a pub so my hands stopped shaking. Then at 5pm I was off to the liquor store. I ended up in the ER for the first time in my life with abdominal pains. Alcohol induced hepatitis (swollen liver).
While in rehab, I did finally get a diagnosis of ADHD at age 35. The facility I was.in, had a whole team of professionals and counselors. Although, I was given a prescription for amphetamines which is standard for ADHD, but not a good idea for a 35 year old who had already abused everything.
The point is getting into treatment to be evaluated by the experts.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,195
Yes! You need treatment. Daily blackout drinker? Have you had any tests to check how your liver is doing?
I spent 5 weeks in rehab, I was amongst the worst drinkers in my group with 2 years of daily vodka drinking. I held down a job the whole time amazingly because I didn't get hangovers but that's a sign of a chronic alcoholic. I would start to go into withdrawal by lunch time and have to drink a couple pints at a pub so my hands stopped shaking. Then at 5pm I was off to the liquor store. I ended up in the ER for the first time in my life with abdominal pains. Alcohol induced hepatitis (swollen liver).
While in rehab, I did finally get a diagnosis of ADHD at age 35. The facility I was.in, had a whole team of professionals and counselors. Although, I was given a prescription for amphetamines which is standard for ADHD, but not a good idea for a 35 year old who had already abused everything. Wasn't long before I was abusing the ADHD stimulants
The point is getting into treatment to be evaluated by the experts.
I spent 5 weeks in rehab, I was amongst the worst drinkers in my group with 2 years of daily vodka drinking. I held down a job the whole time amazingly because I didn't get hangovers but that's a sign of a chronic alcoholic. I would start to go into withdrawal by lunch time and have to drink a couple pints at a pub so my hands stopped shaking. Then at 5pm I was off to the liquor store. I ended up in the ER for the first time in my life with abdominal pains. Alcohol induced hepatitis (swollen liver).
While in rehab, I did finally get a diagnosis of ADHD at age 35. The facility I was.in, had a whole team of professionals and counselors. Although, I was given a prescription for amphetamines which is standard for ADHD, but not a good idea for a 35 year old who had already abused everything. Wasn't long before I was abusing the ADHD stimulants
The point is getting into treatment to be evaluated by the experts.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 80
Originally Posted by ScottFromWI
I would say re-read your original post and ask yourself what advice you would give someone else if you were reading it for the first time. A few of the important points I would pull out
1. You visited a rehab center, were given medical advice that you could benefit by attending their program, went through intake and then failed to show up. You then ignored follow up contacts from said facility
2. You have been a blackout drinker for 10 years.
3. You have mental health issues which are compounded because of your drinking
4. Despite all the above you feel you can stop on your own ( even though you are actively drinking now ) and because you are "still alive" feel you don't need to go.
Bottom line, only you can make the decision to go or not. And also know that if you aren't committed to staying quit for good, no rehab center is going to be able to change that fact - only you can. There is no magic potion or secret technique that they teach you at rehab - it is basically an focused/captive version of many of the same things you can do on your own ( meetings, counseling, etc ) - the difference of course that the ability to purchase alcohol is not there. Having said that, you can leave whenever you want and many people do. It's also not uncommon for one to successfully complete rehab and pick up some drinks on the way home, happens all the time. You said you were curious and you asked the question, so there's the answer. It may not be the one you wanted, but yes - the first step has to be made by you. You said that you quit for 30 days, that is indeed a good period of staying sober - what happened after the 30 days if I might ask?
1. You visited a rehab center, were given medical advice that you could benefit by attending their program, went through intake and then failed to show up. You then ignored follow up contacts from said facility
2. You have been a blackout drinker for 10 years.
3. You have mental health issues which are compounded because of your drinking
4. Despite all the above you feel you can stop on your own ( even though you are actively drinking now ) and because you are "still alive" feel you don't need to go.
Bottom line, only you can make the decision to go or not. And also know that if you aren't committed to staying quit for good, no rehab center is going to be able to change that fact - only you can. There is no magic potion or secret technique that they teach you at rehab - it is basically an focused/captive version of many of the same things you can do on your own ( meetings, counseling, etc ) - the difference of course that the ability to purchase alcohol is not there. Having said that, you can leave whenever you want and many people do. It's also not uncommon for one to successfully complete rehab and pick up some drinks on the way home, happens all the time. You said you were curious and you asked the question, so there's the answer. It may not be the one you wanted, but yes - the first step has to be made by you. You said that you quit for 30 days, that is indeed a good period of staying sober - what happened after the 30 days if I might ask?
Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: S.E. MI
Posts: 1,025
I would say if you can quit by yourself then do it. I did. But if you have tried a few times and cant then I would suggest that maybe you need help. A lot of people do use help to quit and a lot of people dont/cant quit by themselves. Alcoholism is a progressive thing. It keeps getting worse unless you quit. Its just a fact. How far do you want to take it?
Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 80
Originally Posted by Abraham
Alcoholism is a progressive thing. It keeps getting worse unless you quit. Its just a fact. How far do you want to take it?
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 1,598
Originally Posted by birddawg
I had to realize that and believe it before I could commit to quitting.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: S.E. MI
Posts: 1,025
Yep, it took me till sometime in my 30's to realize I was addicted and then I spent the next 15 or so years telling myself daily that I need to quit drinking. Untill one day I guess I just had enough. This website was a HUGE part of my quitting.
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