They tried to make go to rehab and I said yes, yes, yes.
July 23, 2017 9:46 PM Subscribe
I'm starting outpatient detox this week in preparation for an partial hospital rehab program for alcohol. What do I need to know? What will help make this easier? (Not every night, but most nights, I'll drink two bottles of wine, so you know where I'm coming from.)
The people I know, who say that rehab was a very beneficial part of recovery for them, say that they approached it as an opportunity to be on a sort of retreat where they could focus on nothing but working on themselves. They mentioned really trying hard to be open-minded and to consider that anything they were hearing might be valuable and might be helpful, even if it seemed not to be, on the surface.
posted by thelonius at 4:48 AM on July 24, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 4:48 AM on July 24, 2017 [7 favorites]
What's your plan for the outpatient detox? Are you doing this on your own or under medical supervision?
posted by shiny blue object at 5:53 AM on July 24, 2017
posted by shiny blue object at 5:53 AM on July 24, 2017
There's stopdrinking in Reddit.
....which is also a great place to ask this question. There are definitely rehab veterans there. I don't know what your opinion of Reddit is, but /stopdrinking is a wonderful and supportive community, that helped me immensely.
posted by thelonius at 6:47 AM on July 24, 2017 [4 favorites]
....which is also a great place to ask this question. There are definitely rehab veterans there. I don't know what your opinion of Reddit is, but /stopdrinking is a wonderful and supportive community, that helped me immensely.
posted by thelonius at 6:47 AM on July 24, 2017 [4 favorites]
I approached (in house) rehab the way thelonius describes and it was very helpful for me (7.5 years sober - goodness!). It was a 12 step program and I went through the inevitable "argh, this is gonna suck, what am I gonna do" phase and decided that since I was there, I might as well stick with it and get the most out of it.
Ultimately I don't know if recovery rates at a specific facility are a particularly useful metric. They tend to be pretty bad all over. Out of the 12ish people I met there, only 2 are still clean/sober (and the others all relapsed within a year). Recovery is mostly down to you.
Rehab gives you a safe space to test out life without the crutch alcohol. At first you'll feel like "sure I can do this here, for now, but oh God, real life awaits". Towards the end, you'll feel ready to face real life without alcohol, too (at least I did. If you don't, stay on if you can!). Don't think about 3 or 6 months hence, it'll seem insurmountable. But that's fine; you can think about that later. (Or in AA speak "one day at a time". They use it cuz it's true!)
Good luck! I hope you get something out of it!
posted by ClarissaWAM at 1:32 PM on July 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
Ultimately I don't know if recovery rates at a specific facility are a particularly useful metric. They tend to be pretty bad all over. Out of the 12ish people I met there, only 2 are still clean/sober (and the others all relapsed within a year). Recovery is mostly down to you.
Rehab gives you a safe space to test out life without the crutch alcohol. At first you'll feel like "sure I can do this here, for now, but oh God, real life awaits". Towards the end, you'll feel ready to face real life without alcohol, too (at least I did. If you don't, stay on if you can!). Don't think about 3 or 6 months hence, it'll seem insurmountable. But that's fine; you can think about that later. (Or in AA speak "one day at a time". They use it cuz it's true!)
Good luck! I hope you get something out of it!
posted by ClarissaWAM at 1:32 PM on July 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: The hospital where I was going to do the partial hospital program used to have an outpatient detox where you'd go in once a day for meds. Key words being used to. Found that out last Monday. So I started the PHP last Thursday and was immediately admitted to inpatient detox. I did go to an AA meeting while there, did the whole "I'm Ruki and I'm an alcoholic" thing and told my story, but I doubt AA will be my recovery group of choice after finishing the PHP program, which I start again this Thursday.
posted by Ruki at 11:05 AM on July 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Ruki at 11:05 AM on July 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: As it was recently pointed out to me that my question is still open, I just wanted to give a quick update and mention that I recently had my six month soberversary. Many thanks to everyone who responded!
posted by Ruki at 7:28 PM on February 15, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Ruki at 7:28 PM on February 15, 2018 [6 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Were it me, I'd try the Sinclair Method before I ever went to an American rehab. I've read the research behind Sinclair, and it has a heck of a lot of science behind it, it also dominates in several countries. For the key medication behind it to work —naltrexone — keep in mind, you've got to continue to drink while you take it; this had led those few rehabs who use it to misprescribe it — maybe because of liability, maybe for other reasons, I'll let you be the judge. You can find out more at the Three C Foundation, or at the Sinclair Method site.
And, no, I don't have any personal investment in Sinclair, but I do find the dominance of AA to be infuriating. It works for some, for sure, and I'm glad it exists. But it should not be the default approach to treating alcoholism. That it is, is due to a peculiarly American mix of history, culture, and capitalism that has invested precious few research dollars into addictions of any kind.
Whatever you choose, good luck.
posted by Puppetry for Privacy at 1:18 AM on July 24, 2017 [6 favorites]