BrokenHeartWife

Can you tell me what your rehab experiences were like on a daily basis?

I'm interested in the type of rehab where you go Mon - Friday all day, but go home at night and on weekends.

What were your days like? Did you meet daily with a therapist? Did you meet weekly with a psychiatrist? Did you spend most of your time in group therapy?

Also, if you were also being treated for depression, how was that included in therapy?

And, if you were also diagnosed with another mental issue (bi-polar, personality disorder, etc) how was that handled.

Lastly, for how long did you have daily (M-F) treatment, and then at what point did your attendance get reduced (for instance, to 3 days a week, or whatever).

I'm trying to understand what rehab is like. I realize that each place may do things differently, so I'm just wanting to get an idea.

MycoolFitz

I was inpatient twice for 28 days each. it was pretty good except art therapy and dinner. I attended everything but took on too much. I kept ending up running the patient groups but kept me sober and met friends. I really liked the support group stuff where we just talked and shared and I liked helping serve meals and just listening to people. Now I can do AA at the center and it is just good to see my friends. Except when they come back in from the locked inner door, that is hard. But I have done it. Eventually it can work. I did not like having to check out shower heads.

sothisisit

You said it, there is a wide variety of approaches taken by rehabs. I would suggest you phone and speak with someone at ones you are interested in. There are rehabs that are totally A.A. focused, there are cognitive/behavioural approaches, purely medical, and all manner of mixed approaches.

The question I would suggest you ask yourself is why you would prefer the day program approach as to the residential one. Again, explore a bunch of them and get a feeling from the people you speak to on the phone. They are very supportive and will answer your questions happily. That would be my advice.

Michele01

When the graph of career was going south with problems shooting north, I made up my mind to contact a rehab and joined their Intensive outpatient program which was for 3 hrs a day for 3 days a week. They counselled me. They also performed group family meeting. They set me on neuronutritional diet which helped me manage to get back my sobriety. The only thing which makes us feel that we cant give up drugs is the lack of self confidence and my center helped me back to normal.
It took me 3 months of the sessions but was absolutely good to go. Worth it!

Mark75

Yeaaaa.... Art Therapy sucked, LOLOLOL... Though Rec Therapy had it's low points too...

Like Fitz, I was inpatient, had to go, it was a career thing... But it wasn't like you were asking about... Part of it though, is, in rehab, you are not calling the shots.....

friday13

I'm in rehab at the moment. It's residential so we sleep here every night but from month 3 we start getting overnight leave. It's a therepeutic community that uses lots of cbt and counselling. We are encouraged to go to AA but it's not compulsory. Groups are from 9.30-4.30 monday to friday and include things like relapse prevention, stress and anger management and yoga. We have assignments to complete like life story and consequences of drinking. I see my counsellor once a week for an individual session. I have bipolar but this place accepts dual diagnosis. I see my own psychiatrist as there isn't one here. I haven't been unwell since being here so can't really know how they would have coped. They have been unxerstanding of my health problems and medication side effects though.

I'd suggest giving the places you're considering a ring and asking them these questions.

Boleo

I went to a long-term rehab farm in Colorado. They had 24 guys to a dorm and gave us all menial jobs on the farm. We had to pass a urine test at least once a week and go to church on Sunday. We had classes on Bible history, addiction, financial management and healthy living.

For the most part it was a pretty good experience with one exception. It did nothing to relieve the ISM part of my alcohol-ISM. I spent 99% of my time dreaming of my next drink.

tehmazzyland

This sounds a lot like the place I went to - which was residential and geared around finding your individual path to recovery, as well as the supportive/therapeutic community aspect of shared experience.

It was probably the only way I would have found sobriety - the utter differentness of the situation gave me the chance to make the break with my old habits.

The advice people have given already is good stuff. All the best.

LadyinBC

I went to daytox and the program was 4 - 6 weeks. I really liked it, it gave me something constructive to do during the day. I had a counsellor there and I met with her once every week. They are also open 365 days of the year. Always opened everyday.

I was able to learn about triggers and how to cope when I had a craving. I found alot of the classes pretty enlightening.

They also offered acupuncture and yoga. I found the acupuncture very relaxing and it did help in calming me down.

The only issue they didn't want to deal with was sexual abuse. They feel they don't have the time and that you need to see someone who specializes in that.

sharwey

I recently went inpatient for 30 days. It was one of the most positive experiences of my life. The rehab I went to was based on the 12 step program of recovery. Their approach was pretty much that addiction is a disease and like any disease, there is a treatment plan that you need to follow in order to recover. And not only is addiction a disease but a lifelong illness that you must continue to treat in order to stay healthy.

The facility itself was very short on any luxuries and we attended groups and individual counseling daily from 8am till 8pm. This approach worked for me because I needed to be somewhere that didn't allow me any time to figure out a way to bullsh*t myself and somewhere that forced me to be somewhat uncomfortable.

But I do think rehab of any kind is beneficial; it's not going to work against you. We can only do that to ourselves.

Midlifecrisis

I went to a residential one for a few months before I was kicked out.

The first few days were in the detox centre then you were moved into the group houses.

If anyone was on benefits their money went straight to the rehab and you were given an allowance to spend of cigarettes or whatever.

There were group sessions daily and one on one less regularly. Daily NA meetings and church services plus chores like helping in the kitchen, helping out in the Salvation Army second hand clothing place etc.

There was a fair bit of free time to sit around and smoke. People on anti depressants or other meds went down to the detox daily to get heir medicine.