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What to expect at rehab?

Actually the success rate of AA and NA is not very good. Abstinence based treatment or therapy is not especially helpful. In all honesty and fairness the best rehab I went to was abstinence based, but they actually worked one on one with each patient in order to make a decent recovery plan. Each recovery plan was unique to the individual and they made sure to focus on co-occurring mental disorders. They also offered mindful meditation, and taught people how to make resumes, get federally bonded, had a program for parents that once a week their family (spouse/significant other and their kids) would come to the rehab. There also was family group on thursday nights which included a class you take with your family in which they teach your family about addiction (actually very helpful because a lot of family members do not know how best to help you, or what you are going through) In the program with the young children the patients are taught parenting skills, proper nutrition, bonding etc.

One problem I had with all rehabs I went to was that there are a bunch of people sent there from jail. There were some that worked really hard to get sober, but there were also those that were detrimental to others recovery. In fact my one roomate and I would stay up at night on saturdays listening to classic country and talking about how we got to this point, and what we need to change. It was excellent therapy actually because we both realized that we were nearly exactly the same in how we act when we use, and what our triggers are.

I think it is important to use every resource available at your rehab. The best advice I can give is if the shoe fits, wear it...if not kick it off and try another.
 
Exellent post manboychef. I agree totally!! I wish my rehab would have had personalized care. The jail dudes totally fucked up my last stay. Most of them as you said were totally determental to recovery. Theyvneed their own places. Treating rehab like its jail andvtrying ro sell cigs and shit. Anyway, great post!!
 
I couldn't agree with you more on your last point Manboychef, I think for people to get the best out of rehab they should make full use of the available help, but focus on what works best for helping your personal recovery. And if the centre does not seem to be helping you, then leave and find a more appropriate one.

My psychiatrist in rehab advised me that some therapies, treatments and exercises were more relevent to my particular circumstances than others, and to take what helped the most. After all addicts are not all the same and there is no one-size-fits-all set of treatments. This was helpful advice as I had a lot of issues with the 12 step program I was enrolled in - I ended up brushing aside the parts I could not find helpful (like God, or being constantly shamed, or accepting powerlessness) and embracing the parts that worked for me, like the support from other addicts and workshops on self -esteem. It was a good strategy, I came out of there a much happier, healthier person with a new focus on sobriety.

If I ever return to rehab though, it would not be to a 12 step program but something more modern.
 
Ive often thought about starting rehab. It would be a lot like manboychef described. I would have a good phyciatrist on site to access mental illness in patiens which addicts normally do and a physical therapist for exersise and a regular Dr to access withdrawl and any other medical needs clients have. Absolutley no 12 step rhetoric. Modern. I bet it would be successful in giving people a chance with the recovery plan thats made while in there. Basically the oppisite of the place i went. Nice drem to have
 
Yup, 12 Step groups have one of the lowest success rates when it comes to treatment, inpatient, outpatient, or otherwise. Methadone and Suboxone outpatient programs have much higj success rates than the 12 Step abstinence only approach when it comes to opioid addiction.
 
I think harm reduction is a much more attainable outcome than total abstinence for some addicts.

Of course total abstinence is an absolute life-saving necessity for other addicts.

There are as many different addicts out there as there are addictions.
 
Exactly, and trying to explain yourself to them is like bashing your head against a wall over and over. So sad, because that fellowship has so much positive stuff to offer, it is just so sad how small minded 12 Step groups tend to be. It seems like the vast majority of 12 Steppers are incredibly pig headed and narrow minded, like their recovery somehow depends on their closed mindedness. So sad, because they end up missing out on so much wonderful non-12 Step stuff.
 
toothpastedog said:
Exactly, and trying to explain yourself to them is like bashing your head against a wall over and over. So sad, because that fellowship has so much positive stuff to offer, it is just so sad how small minded 12 Step groups tend to be. It seems like the vast majority of 12 Steppers are incredibly pig headed and narrow minded, like their recovery somehow depends on their closed mindedness. So sad, because they end up missing out on so much wonderful non-12 Step stuff.
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"Then they tell you that your thinking is broken." "Accuse you of not surrendering." "Your thoughts will keep you sick" ect. The true thing that permanently turned me away from the 12 steps is the celebration of anti-intellectualism. That and the silly game the "old timers' play "Boy I spilled more drugs then you ever done" like it is a badge of honor or something.

I can see why it works for alcoholics as it gives them somewhere to go socialize without alcohol. The meetings become there new bar. It doesn't work quite as well for opiate addicts because we often use alone so we don't crave the company we miss since getting sober. We crave the effect of the drug. I really believe there should be separate rehabs for different classes of drugs. Opiates, stimulants, then random downers like benzos and alcohol should be separated at least initially for treatment.
 
Yeah, I just cannot stand the incredibly confrontational nature of their ideology. I am at Refuge Recovery right now, and I am going to get an equivalent of a 12 Step sponsor, what they call a mentor, from Against the Stream. This is so awesome, I couldn't be more pleased with my situation right now. On the one hand, I have my MBSR mentor who I work with on mindfulness and vipassana, and on the other hand I will have a mentor from Against the Stream to work on more substance misuse related issues which will help hold me accountable in my journey to near complete abstinence (TBH I still plan to trip off DXM or LSD or MDMA or Ketamine or DMT once in a while; my goal is total abstinence from alcohol, cannabis, benzos and downers generally, stimulant, with the exception of coffee and tea, and of course all opioids).
 
toothpastedog said:
Yeah, I just cannot stand the incredibly confrontational nature of their ideology. I am at Refuge Recovery right now, and I am going to get an equivalent of a 12 Step sponsor, what they call a mentor, from Against the Stream. This is so awesome, I couldn't be more pleased with my situation right now. On the one hand, I have my MBSR mentor who I work with on mindfulness and vipassana, and on the other hand I will have a mentor from Against the Stream to work on more substance misuse related issues which will help hold me accountable in my journey to near complete abstinence (TBH I still plan to trip off DXM or LSD or MDMA or Ketamine or DMT once in a while; my goal is total abstinence from alcohol, cannabis, benzos and downers generally, stimulant, with the exception of coffee and tea, and of course all opioids).
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That sounds like a nice rehab. Get as much 1to1 attention as they will give you. My biggest issue with the rehabs I have been to are the size of the therapy groups. 25 people in a circle is not group therapy. The last place I went offered 1 hour of individual counseling a week. Total joke. I often thought about opening a money printing business otherwise known as a rehab.
 
Yeah, I have zero interest in group therapy, for very good reason. I am now at a point ehere I just would not benefit from it much if at all. Plus, I have no interest in going to their outpatient or inpatient programs. I do not want to put myself in a situation where I am surrounded by people in crisis mode, because I am well past that point in my recovery.

Refuge and more so Against the Stream have a lot of great oppertunities for 1 on 1 mentorship though, so that is why I am checking them out and seeking to get involved. I am gonna go to a young peoples meeting at Against the Stream in Santa Monica after a daylong silent vipassana retreat I am doing Sunday. It is gonna be an awesome introduction to the Against the Stream community.

I just hope the fact I am almost 30 does not bother all the "young'ins" there ;)
 
You gonna do good dog. I would be so excited if i were you. Embrace it for sure. Ive agrees with everything you and manboychef have been saying and if i wasnt on this site id be sitting here still braiwashed from that shit. I think Bill Wilson and Dr Bob had good intentions but their plan doesnt cover 2016. Actully it does. The core of thr program is sound and the sreps can bring much relief for snd sddict. Its the dam prople that fuck up s good thing. Egocentric pisded off caude they cant drink assholes. My spelling is off, i know. Its a shame but i told my first councler in tehab im not s group guy and he said your about to brand that pissed me off. Theyd put ud in these vans and drive us into My Erie NC which is actually Mayberry nc. Andy Griffith is from there snd the town was tring to get the name changed but we would go to the mayberry group and i got out of the van my first meeting cold as shit and above the door said mayberry group. I looked at my roomate and said how thr fuck we get here? He said idk but i aint drinking nomore and we laughed. We had to go there twice s week and sit on our own side of room. Olyimers doesnt even cover it. I hated that shit man. Its all over now and in on a forum with friends who think alike and thats pretty awesome to me. Thanks toothpastedog and manboychef. Yall take the words out of my mouth. Peace
 
Mayberry that's too funny. You do bring up a good point about rehabs shuffling clients to outside meetings. I always felt a vague resentment from the normal crowd which I totally understood. We where young rambunctious and somewhat in withdrawal. Bad recipe. One kid stole the group box of oreo cookies. That shit was so funny when we got back on the van and shared a whole box if oreo
 
I means, rehab centers like Hazelton or howevee you spell it is pretty up to date in terms of offering modern treatments and standards of medical care that are up to date while still being basically 12 Step based on a more fundamental, ideological basis. There is so much good in 12 Step programs, after all.

It is other more traditional or old school rehabs like The Gooden Center and CRI-HELP near where I live that are simple living in the stone age when it comes to even the most basic modern standards of care. All those kinds of place offer is essentially what should be totally free, a.k.a. 12 Step groups, and apart from that all they try and do to treat addicts and alcoholics is to brainwash them into not using. It is so sad. . .
 
Yeah. I went to a rehab in pittsburgh. It was expensive, and they didn't really do anything for you. I remember I just smoked cigarettes and played horseshoes.
 
Yeah, for me it was smoking and ping pong. We had a couple work out dudes and its like you watch what you eat and lift like crazy but shove coke up your nose. Hmmm. I became good at ping pong too. We had a tourney and i took 2nd. So much down time. I dont know what was worse the down time or the silly lectures wed have to endure 3 times a day. Basically counsler reading out of outlined book in monotone. My councler was better. He would talk not just read out of the book. Haha, smoking and horeshoes. That made mevlaught. Thanks manboychef
 
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