Treatment Rehab & Detox Clinics: Share your experiences

[cj]

MDS
Southfield, MI, USA
Expensive, cash or credit..no ins.
They have a relationship with discover, you may qualify for financing if needed.


This place saved my life. I was up to almost 200mgs of oxy per day. It's a three day detox under anesthesia. It's a private facility...only 4 patients at a time. They don't treat you like a criminal. This was the only way I knew would work for me, I couldn't go through withdrawal, I couldn't ween, and I tried suboxone, but I didn't want to trade one drug for another.

Your hotel is included in the price. You go in on Tuesday for paper work ekg and blood work. Wednesday you go in for treatment, by Thursday morning you're clean! The staff is amazing! Dr. George comes to your room to discharge by Friday. I highly recommend this process...and you don't have to be in withdrawal when you go in. I took my last dose at 3:30am and went in for treatment at 10:00am. Each patient is assigned 2 paramedics, a doctor and an anesthesiologist during treatment. Ben, my paramedic, even came to my hotel room to stay with me so my mom could run out for lunch. They were all kind and compassionate.

The process uses naltrexone to clean your MU receptors of opiads and replaces it with an opiad antagonist. There is no addiction factor or withdrawal from naltrexone. There was no intubation, no catheters, just oxygen and an IV. I'm five feet tall 95lbs soaking wet, and I did fine...Your body goes through the worst of withdrawal while you're under anesthesia. When I woke up, I'm not gonna say I felt great, but I damn sure didn't feel the need for a pill, and I didn't feel any withdrawal symptoms.

Like any other procedure with anesthesia, It takes a couple of days to get back to normal. It was more like the flu. I think that's more related to the pre-op instructions, you can't eat, and I hand to drink magnesium citrate two days before. So your body is drained of nutrients for four days....that'll make anyone feel like crap! They send you home with meds for discomfort, enough for a week or so. I felt much better when I started eating.

During the procedure, they implant a naltrexone pellet to stop cravings, it lasts for two months, I'm keeping the pellet for at least 8 months....it works, even if I tried to take a pill I wouldn't feel anything. It works if you want to be clean. I changed my phone number while I was on the way to Michigan...you have to change your environment and habits and it will work. It's $10k, however, I know I've spent way more than that over the past five years. It's worth it to save your life. If you can buy pills, you can afford the process.

That's interesting. I am glad it worked for you. Just curious have you stayed off opiates since the procedure? Also how sick where you the days following the anesthesia? The only other person I have known to write about doing this had a horrific kick in the hotel room the days following the procedure and felt cheated out there money. Like I said glad it worked out for you

 

[Slowlybut surely]

That's interesting. I am glad it worked for you. Just curious have you stayed off opiates since the procedure? Also how sick where you the days following the anesthesia? The only other person I have known to write about doing this had a horrific kick in the hotel room the days following the procedure and felt cheated out there money. Like I said glad it worked out for you

There are two clinics in the same area....I don't think it was the same place. The one I went to is run by dr. George, he has a video on YouTube. They put you up in a comfort inn, 2 mins away from the clinic. I was a little sick to my stomach the day after, but it was because I wouldn't eat. But it was nothing like withdrawal. They send you home with a bag full of meds like gabapentan, Valium, soma, Zantac, phenergan, zolfran, it all helps you through the first few days. I pretty much slept all day Thursday and I was good by Friday night, when I started eating again....I stayed one extra night because I drove myself. I checked out of the hotel early Saturday morning and hit the road. That was 40 days ago...and I haven't had a pill since my last dose before treatment. I go back next month for another implant.

The naltrexone really curbs cravings. Even if I was dumb enough to take a pill, I wouldn't feel a thing. I'm just happy I'm no longer a slave to that shit, worrying everyday if I'll have enough to make it....that vicious cycle is over, I never want to be like that again!
Now, some people may have other health issues that may interfere with this treatment, but I didn't. I think it only works if you're really ready to be clean.

 

[Specterchild]

I've been in several different types of rehab and detox including : Detox in jail, Detox in hospital, Cognitive therapy rehab, AA-based rehab, and Narconon which is totally different that the others in many ways. They all have their pros & cons, and only work for those who actually want it for themselves. Aftercare is also helpful if you find a good one. I'm not a big fan of sober living if its not necessary because it can cause a relapse domino effect. I'm willing to answer any questions on the subject.

 

[sxh]

Does anybody have been in La Meseta Aftercare?
I'm going to stay two weeks there in the next days, but I have curiosity in knowking if there's another people here who have went and really want to know how they are now and idk maybe can give me a description of the place, or their staying. Thx.

 

[cj]

Does anybody have been in La Meseta Aftercare?
I'm going to stay two weeks there in the next days, but I have curiosity in knowking if there's another people here who have went and really want to know how they are now and idk maybe can give me a description of the place, or their staying. Thx.

If you cant find any reviews on google then I would be wary.

 

[Lucidmonster22]

i just recently got out of a detox clinic in Portland Oregon (HOOPER) it was a very relaxed environment. the staff was great the whole clinic was ran by former addicts whom most of them actually went to the same detox center they now work at pretty cool people and it goes to show that places like that actually work if you stick to a good solid program. i have 23 days clean now from my DOC (heroin/fent) the clinic didn't shove sobriety down your throat like some other places do. The whole staff was super chill and made sure your detox was going as smoothly as possible. they gave every one options to get in to a recovery program (in patient or outpatient) before you left which was a great tool to have. You didn't have to do all the work you were assigned a counselor and he/she would set every thing up before you left with a solid recovery program. 23 days ago i would have never thought i would be doing as well as i am today. I am very great full to have has such a great detox facility in my city. before you just go to a detox i would recommend researching how they operate, if they use comfort meds or if they are a cold turkey detox. Also find out if they have any online ratings to see what other people have said about there experience. Going to a detox was the best decision i have made for my self in a long time i hope some one gets something positive out of this post.

 

[StayCleanHippy]

Solutions by the sea, daytona beach, sober living community.

Saved my life. I needed structure and accountability to go with my sobriety. You are thrown out into the world have to leave property until 9-4 until you find a job after that no restrictions, make your bed, have clean house, go to meetings, but you are free to come and go as you please once you get a job. I was very irresponsible before I came. Now I'm sober, I live clean, I go to meetings, and I'm happy. Community of 120 people. Helps you stop isolating after heavy drug use. I hated it at first, but changing is never easy. Love it now.

 

[cj]

Treasure Coast Recovery
Stuart Florida

Oh this is the rehab that keeps on giving not.... I wrote a review earlier in the thread laying out what a shithole this place was but now it has gotten even worse. I got a bill today from this place for 5 grand that they say I owe. This is despite the fact that I have a previous letter from them stating that I owed nothing. Not to mention I went there 2 years ago. So yes my advice to anyone reading this is too stay away from these scam artists.

 

[Not Dead Yet]

Place: EDON House, Newtown, CT
Date: Sept 1972-June 1974
Type: Therapeutic Community

I was sentenced to this place on Mars by the courts when I was 18. TC's are known for making people wear stupid signs, having their heads shaved, with verbal haircuts and shoot-downs called Spare Parts. Mostly everyone was mandated but crazily, there were a few volunteers. Sometimes, you scrubbed floors with a toothbrush for 18 hours a day.

The program had three phases. Guys sent there from prison were eager to go back. We had a "job function" where everyone worked jobs like the service crew, the kitchen, and wood shop. You have never seen a cleaner place. The wood shop people had a nice thing going. They made the same, beautiful tables over and over.

You were booked for things like Leaking Feelings or Lying. Another resident turned you in. There was Hostility Group once a week wherein you dropped a slip with a person's name on it and could yell at them until staff finally stopped you. Amazingly, there were no fights as no one wanted to go to jail.

We ate State Food made by the kitchens of Fairfield Hills State Hospital and everyone got fat. One earned the privilege to go home at about 8 months depending on your behavior.

Then the best part: Alcohol Privileges. We were all hard-core dopers being changed by behavioral modification and they allowed us to drink on the weekend as long as you returned somewhat coherent. There was absolutely no talk of a Higher Power although there was a 90-day alcohol program in another building.

We all smoked weed and I even smoked on the grounds of the hospital. No one stayed clean at all. The place was based on Synanon and was run by two crazy psychologists.

I only know of one person from EDON House who is still alive but he is serving life somewhere.

A few years later, when I got jammed by a crime, I had the option of returning. I went to jail instead.

 

[manboychef]

EDON house just sounds like they are warehousing addicts.

 

[cj]

EDON house just sounds like they are warehousing addicts.

Honestly speaking most rehabs are just warehousing addicts and collecting insurance money. The minimum a rehab should offer is an hour of 1 on 1 counseling at least 3 times a week. The daily group therapy sessions should be led by a licensed counselor with the groups not exceeding 10 people. From what I have seen that is almost never the case. You are lucky to get 1 hour a week of counseling and the groups are often led by people without degrees. On top of that the groups are usually far too large to be of any value. But the almighty dollar trumps all other consideration which is why the success rates of these places is abysmally low.

 

[aihfl]

Name: University Behavioral Center
Location: Orlando, Florida
Cost: $700 day/accepts insurance

I found my UBC experience to be be pleasant (as they can be, under the circumstances) and productive. They do offer a 28 day inpatient rehab, but I chose to be discharged after a week long detox. My experience was good, but it is still first and foremost a psychiatric hospital, therefore a locked facility, and I was going stircrazy after only a week. Those of us in the substance abuse wing were permitted some time outside, but it is always supervised and short-lived. While phone privileges are relatively generous, there is no internet access to conduct business or research long-term rehabs or sober living situations, etc. We couldn't even have our handout packets stapled.

It is as comfortable as one of these facilities can be, with two lounges (with TV and Netflix) where our group sessions took place. There is no restriction on reading material, within reason. It is co-ed, so you are free to appropriately interact with the other sex. There is a well-equipped gym where you can go for an hour a few days a week, and also a pool, but the tech who doubled as the lifeguard was off the week I was there, so I got no pool time. Food is passable; institutional food is institutional food. At least they accommodate vegetarians and other dietary needs, and then there's always the salad bar. Many techs are also pretty generous in turning a blind eye to people bringing food and drink back to the unit.

The biggest strength of UBC is the fact that you see a psychiatrist and therapist DAILY, which is atypical of most rehabs. Were it not a locked facility, I would have elected to stay the full 28 days there. I personally did not have an issue with the psychiatrist though some people did. I was placed on a librium taper, kept on my regular medication and Celexa was added. The therapy staff was outstanding as well, and even though I have been a frequent flyer in several Orlando detoxes and rehabs, I heard things I had never heard before and learned valuable coping strategies. Also, some evenings, an alumna of the rehab came in to lead an AA meeting. I look forward to having enough sober time to be able to do the same. Another strength is that it is SMALL. My second rehab had beds for up to 50 people and groups were huge. At most, during my stay, there were 15 of us in the detox/rehab wing, usually less.

I felt this is an outstanding facility, but it could me made dramatically more appealing if they are able to separate out the rehab from the acute detox so that there is a little more freedom of movement and access to staples, pens and regular pencils (I don't count the little golf pencils they give you).

 

[manboychef]

[MENTION=384939]aihfl[/MENTION]: The combining of detox, rehab, and crisis unit (the patients that are there specifically for psychiatric help) is incredibly common in florida. I remember that lakeside behavioral healthcare was actually separate and they worked individually with each addict. They also used clonazepam for helping to mitigate withdrawals. If I ever fall again, that is where I will detox.

 

[aihfl]

@manboychef: You went to the one down by Dr. Phillips/SeaWorld, I think you told me once. I've only been to the one at Princeton St. and Mercy Dr. That place should be torched and burned to the ground. It is a complete fucking joke. I was taken there under a Baker Act. I was completely messed up when I got there and starting experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms while in that heinous waiting room for about 16 hours. No medical attention whatsoever. After I got on the unit, I didn't see a psychiatrist until the following day and even then he didn't put me on a benzo taper for withdrawal, and the medication for sleep was completely inadequate (25mg Vistaril). In fact, I didn't get any of the meds I'm normally prescribed, and that includes my BP meds. As someone wrote about another facility earlier in this sticky, all they do at Lakeside is warehouse the mentally ill indigent.

 

[manboychef]

[MENTION=384939]aihfl[/MENTION]: Yeah it seems like vistaril is their go to for sleep, even though it is just benadryl with a fancier name. The same thing happened to me everytime I went to detox at lifestream in leesburg. I went in one time after taking 400mg of valium, and I ended up having a seizure because they would not give me benzos. I guess the induction nurse (which I was blacked out for) did not put in my chart that I took high dose benzos regularly. I have a scar on my forehead now where I hit my head on the desk. It seems like the places they bakeract you to are really not that good. They are guaranteed patients so there is no need for them to go above and beyond.

 

[Dodger Guy LA]

wow

[MENTION=384939]aihfl[/MENTION]: Yeah it seems like vistaril is their go to for sleep, even though it is just benadryl with a fancier name. The same thing happened to me everytime I went to detox at lifestream in leesburg. I went in one time after taking 400mg of valium, and I ended up having a seizure because they would not give me benzos. I guess the induction nurse (which I was blacked out for) did not put in my chart that I took high dose benzos regularly. I have a scar on my forehead now where I hit my head on the desk. It seems like the places they bakeract you to are really not that good. They are guaranteed patients so there is no need for them to go above and beyond.

I read through this thread. how can a recovery thread not taper someone off a Benzo? other than seizure, there are other health complications that can arise! I have heard Seizure, heart attack. wow, how do they justify this??? i take klonopin. 2mg twice daily . once in the A.M. once before bed. twelve hours apart which has worked since its life is 8 hrs.......

 

[Jabberwocky]

It is pretty suck huh? There are a lot of really shady, unprofessional and frankly unqualified outfits out there in the recovery business. I imagine they justify it with some old school nonesense, the same way that ignorant old school 12 stepper justify keeping their clients away from stuff lile Suboxone and methadone.

 

[cj]

It is pretty suck huh? There are a lot of really shady, unprofessional and frankly unqualified outfits out there in the recovery business. I imagine they justify it with some old school nonesense, the same way that ignorant old school 12 stepper justify keeping their clients away from stuff lile Suboxone and methadone.

Even the good places are slaves to the almighty bottom line. I truly believe the residential care model of drug treatment will die out in the long run. Its too expensive nd its clinically ineffective. Just my .02

 

[Jabberwocky]

I sure hope it does!

 

[Pill2Chill]

I read through this thread. how can a recovery thread not taper someone off a Benzo? other than seizure, there are other health complications that can arise! I have heard Seizure, heart attack. wow, how do they justify this??? i take klonopin. 2mg twice daily . once in the A.M. once before bed. twelve hours apart which has worked since its life is 8 hrs.......

You mean the half life of clonazepam? Nah, it's way longer than 8 hours.