Drug Rehab Options Blog

I have been through a few detoxes in last year. I can stay sober for about a month at a time but then usually relapse.

I have now been accepted to enter a rehab centre in less than 2 weeks time. Luckily I've been sober now for a week but know without help I could easily relapse again.

Does anyone have experiences of rehab they can share with me? I'm in th Uk and it is a community funded centre with a very good reputation.:c009:

I wanted to start this thread to share my experience of this medication and experiences of other people i know that have taken it as it is easy to just say 'i'm not taking meds' and in my case wasted 7 years of my life sticking to this principle.

I was drinking everyday and was starting to plan how to end my life when i decided to try one very last time to get some help. After finding an English speaking Counseller in Spain I booked an appointment. She referred me to the psychiatrict and he prescribed me 3 drugs:

1. Seroxat (Paxil) as i had taken a text and was chronic on most areas, anxiety, depression etc.
2. Antabuse to provide a barrier to having that first drink
3. A med used to detox and for anxiety (highly addictive, I did not take this one)

Back to antabuse. I have been sober for just over 10 weeks now from drinking everyday. I still have my job and it has been commented on how much my work has changed and it is quite obvious that i was nearing the point where they were losing all patience with me and still live in a wonderful house in Spain.

Without the antabuse i would have found this time more difficult as it provides a reason, a good one, for me not to drink at that given time. The drug lasts up to 48 hours in your system so as soon as you have a craving there is a thought process which would be that I want a drink but i can't have a drink right now otherwise the effects of the drug would make me ill. It is possible to stop taking the drug and then go out and get drunk in 48 hours but the craving is for the moment and not something that i think about logically, so it works.

I take one tablet every morning which is easy for me as i was always an afternoon drinker. Maybe if you are used to having your first drink at 9am this would be more difficult, but that was never my pattern of drinking.

There are no known side effects to the drug and it is completely non-addictive, you can stop taking the drug at anytime and have no withdrawl syptoms whatsoever. These are all facts!

I am still taking my anti-depressents and have another appointment with my psychiatrist on the 15th to discuss how long to take them etc. I am also seeing my counseller once a week.

Now I can't say which part of the recovery is working, but i sure as hell am not going to start experimenting to find out. There is no way i would have been able to stop for 10 weeks+ by myself, i wasted a lot of years trying!

Antabuse is a useful tool in the battle against alcoholism and one which should be given some thought. You should go to a counseller, IMO, rather than a doctor who will refer you to a psychiatrist who will then make sure, as much as he/she can, that you are not going to take the drug and then try and down a half bottle of scotch which could potentially kill you!

I have posted this before but my friend was on antabuse, he downed a can of large beer and we found him on the floor sweating, covered in red blotches and he had pood himself. We called the ambulance and the paramedics, after finding out what he had done and the meds he was on, told him to drink lots of water and not to drink whilst on antabuse (they obviously did the usual tests whilst they were there too!). The point is that if you take a swig of alcohol it will cause a very unpleasant side effect which is the whole point of the deterrant, it will not kill you unless you are trying to do yourself harm and down a half bottle of spirits before the effects of the meds make you ill.

I was given anti-depressants 7 years ago which i did not take, and have talked about antabuse for the last few years. Now it was my time to waste and i don't regret it, all i am doing is pointing out to anyone that stumbles across this post on a search for antabuse is that it does work, it won't kill you and it could mean the difference between getting sober now or coming back, even worse off, and getting sober in a couple/several years.

Obviously the drug helps you stay sober and does not tackle the disease of alcoholism which you will need to address as well through AA, counselling, SR...whatever you find works for you. But as my psychiatrist told me...we can help you but only if you do not drink anymore, if you keep drinking we can't help you...quite clear i thought!

Point...I am taking antabuse and it does work!

Please see Disulfiram - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for more information

Good luck on your journey:-)

i've been sober 5 years, but wednesday morning i took my husband to the e.r.
when he started hallucinating from trying to quit on his own. today is saturday and he is still in ICU. i was not physically addicted to alcohol like he is so i don't understand really what is happening. my biggest fear is that he hates me for leaving him at the hospital, he has to be restrained and he is diorientated. i found this site and thought someone could tell me their experiences with severe withdrawl. or anything that could be of comfort.

I have had extensive problems with drugs and alcohol. My alcoholic drinking began as a substitute for drugs. I then went back to drugs and combined daily drug use and drinking for years. Then for the last year or so, I only drank alcohol, but I had constant blackouts, and my life was pure hell. This is why I eventually came to 12 step meetings. I have gone just about solely to AA for the last 3.5 years, but have gone to NA on the rare occasion. I went tonight, and I noticed while listening to one guy share that I really identified with his story. I sometimes find that some of my AA friends don't identify with my experiences in the past, that have shaped the sober reality I am in now. Most AA people I know came into meetings at age 40+, but many NA people I have met came in much earlier because the devastation to their lives happened faster (I am 25). The thing is I have never really felt like using drugs in the entire time I have been sober, it's been the obsession to drink that I've struggled with for years in sobriety. Anyone else face these questions themselves?

I would like to know from others about their experiences with infidelity.

My ex drank everyday in our 30+ marriage. (a 6 pack or two in the beginning of our marriage and the last 15 years at least a bottle of wine a night and then also a glass of schnaps or cognac)

He held, and still holds, a very good job and could put on the front of an outgoing, happy man (to the outsdie world). He was different at home. Always complaining about something. I knew he was moody, but never suspected that he had a "buddy", as he called his girlfriend.

I could deal with his behavior until I found out about the "buddy" of +20 years. I never knew about her He was such a chronic liar. He was a great actor. (My ex needed to be "on the road" often bec. of his job.)

Is infidelity something that is OK with alcoholics? I think it is a combination of bad character and alcohol.

I go to Alanon and it has helped me, but I still wonder.. did I simply marry a person without character or did the alcohol change his values?????

Thank you!

Hello! I am new to the this forum but have searched it for advice in the past and have been lurking for the past month. I am off of Oxycontin for a month now, started cold turkey and then have been on Suboxone for about two weeks

I am also on:

Adderall
Klonopin
Zoloft

and have just started

Lunesta and Sonata

Just wondering what other people's experiences are with these drugs and recovery. Just a quick note to get started is what this is, really! Trouble with insomnia and depression (look at the meds). Things have been rocky so far, especially with the holidays, but I have not relapsed and the Sub is managing things very well! I have a great doctor and other people I am working with, but I decided not to go the inpatient route for a number of reasons, chief among them are privacy and not wanting my life disrupted any more than it has to be.

So I guess I am looking for some support here, support that would be kind of akin to what "group" meetings are about, in that I would hear from people who have had similar experiences. I am eager to get involved and offer what experience and help I can. Hope you guys are as welcoming as the board seems!

My first question is about the drugs I am currently on, I can post dosages in a later thread if it would help, and I know it may seem unusual but they are all scripted from one doc...I know some won't prescribe benzo's or adderall or others to someone who is coming off an addiction but I'm only taking whats scripted for me.

posternutbag

I grew up in a small town in Nebraska. On Maple Street.

Today, there are times when I pray and I feel that no one hears me. At times I think and feel that I wasted tons of money and time going to school. Still more times that I wonder what will become of all the experiences; both positive and negative in life. Then come the moments that define everything, those revelatory moments in life that you can look back on and say; "This changes everything!" and from those life changing moments, real change is delivered, wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed lovingly by God in my heart.
Mary looked at her situation in the same way. When it was revealed to her that she would deliver a child, as a virgin and the child would be God incarnate, Mary said; "May it be to me as you have spoken it." To the angel that visited her with her life changing message. Not all (I would venture to say Mary's revelation was once in a million lifetimes) life's defining moments are so huge. Sometimes they are very subtle and the only way you know they have arrived is in those quiet moments alone with God. Some are moving, but gentle and tender moments, such as I had with my only son on Christmas eve.
My son tries so very hard, but seems to feel that he fails me. So long have I allowed him to feel this way that he has no confidence within himself. No confidence that a loving and gentle God watches over him and does hear his cries, and so do I. This revelation came to me on the eve of the birth of the King of Kings, God incarnate. A God that humbled Himself to such a degree that He staged His birth into flesh in a hay trough, in a barn. After 18 years I told my son that I loved him without exception, I told him I am always proud of him. Yes, he has disappointed me, but disappointment doesn't preclude my love for him, nor does success in anything bring him any more or any less love for him. He is my son.
It was truly a Christmas to remember.

... about how damaging it was for me when I was part of a yoga sect and addicted to spiritual practices. I used the practices many many times a day, in an attempt to 'purify' myself and be acceptable to the group.
Anger was frowned upon. I had to suppress my anger.
I was told I wasn't grounded, yet I was desperate to escape myself.
And the practices didn't purify me at all, in fact they stirred up the shadows all the more. Which made me practice all the more.
The sect leaders were way out of their depth with the degree of emotional damage I had. Yet they clung to me, lured me in deeper and deeper, getting me to train as a teacher of their method.
One of the practices is clearly written in the book not to be used by people with 'emotional difficulties'. Despite my, and other members, being clearly emotionally vulnerable noone ever discouraged me or warned me. In fact the most emotionally vulnerable seemed to be the ones drawn into teaching.

I did get some good things from my time with the organisation, don't get me wrong.
But.
It still has the power to make me angry.
And the first ever counsellor I saw, through work for 6 sessions, said she didn't think I needed to be referred onto anyone because I had the yoga group.
Well, 12 years later I can clearly say how very wrong she was. Unless of course she thought I wasn't ready for further help.
But I went from her to having to resign my job [long story, if anyone doesn't mind hearing?] and supply teach. In inner London. Which added further damage, re-traumatisation.

I did eventually get into therapy, and onto medication, and get a healthy job and a safer place to live. And the courage to leave the group and the practices far behind.

And now, with the help of a very good therapist, I am re-framing my relationship with my own spirituality and living closer to the ideals of my heart, growing in compassion and self acceptance.

Anyone else with similar experiences, empathy or understanding?

Okay, so you're in a custody battle. Or you're thinking about one.

I've been there. Still am there in some ways.

I have some advice and some experiences I want to pass along to you so you can survive. Not so you can win, because I don't know how to do that. I just know you have to get through it without losing too much of yourself along the way and I wish I'd had someone tell me a few things before I started.


1. First, this is going to hurt. No kidding, this is really going to hurt. Be prepared for that. It's not going to be like you get to go to court and kick some ass and teach that Idiot a thing or two. That might happen if you're lucky, but even if it does, the process is going to cost you a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of sleep, and a lot of stress. It's going to hurt.


2. Keep a journal of events. Seriously, write down everything and keep your records current, providing dates and times for every note you make. You might not need all these notes later but you will almost definitely need some of them. Keeping accurate and specific records of what's going on gives you credibility in court. It also makes it easier for you to determine what's important to note and what isn't. It may also help you detect patterns of behaviour or other important things you might otherwise miss.


3. Get legal representation. If you can't afford an independent lawyer, seek free legal aid. Don't get advice from your friends or family. Get it from someone who's qualified and experienced. Do not go into court without getting legal advice.


4. Be completely honest with your lawyer. Even when you've totally screwed up, tell them the truth. They may or may not share what you've told them with a judge in a courtroom, but they need to know what's really going on, the good-the bad- and the ugly, in order to properly create your case. Never never never lie to your lawyer to make yourself look better. No screw up looks as bad as lying. Remember, if you tell the truth you don't have to have a good memory. :)


5. Keep in mind, when you're talking to your lawyer, you are on their clock. It doesn't matter if the lawyer is answering your email, taking your phone call, or chatting about what you're doing for the holidays. You are on the clock! You are paying for their time, likely $300/hour. Keeping that in mind, don't spend time talking to your lawyer about your feelings - unless they ask. Otherwise, save that for your therapist; cheaper and more effective! Likewise, don't pay your lawyer to do your research for you or do work you can do yourself. You are just as capable of cutting and pasting information about drug addictions from websites, and you can do it on your lunch break. Also, do your own photocopying whenever you can. They're going to charge you a LOT for those sheets of paper and for their time.


6. Careful about what you say to/ around the kids. Your relationship with the Idiot isn't the same as Idiot's relationship to the child. Idiot might be a horrible spouse, partner, sister, parent, etc., but that doesn't necessarily mean Idiot is a horrible parent. Granted, he/she might be. Even if that's the case, don't say so in front of the kids. Kids need to come to their own conclusions about their parents and you cannot rush them into seeing the truth faster than they're ready to. How do you know when they're ready to? They'll ask you for information when they are ready to hear it. Even then, give them basic facts without opinions or value judgements. Let them get there on their own, and don't say anything you wouldn't want them to repeat - because eventually, at some point in time, they will.


7. Don't get ugly. Sometimes it's really tempting to tell the Idiot that you've talked to your lawyer and you're going to CRUSH him. But don't say that. It'll be really embarrassing later if you're wrong. Be really careful about who you get ugly in front of. You can vent and rant to one trusted friend... but don't rant to the Idiot and don't rant to just anyone who will listen. You never know who the Idiot's friends are, and you never know when things you've said in anger can come back to haunt you. The things you say will come back later. Likewise, don't think the kids won't tell the Idiot what you've said about him/her. They will. It's not about loyalty or love. It's about being a kid.


8. Don't reward the kids for talking about the Idiot. Kids figure things out really fast. In no time flat they learn that if they want to bring the household to a screeching halt, have everyone's undivided attention, get a back rub and get a free pass to be late for bedtime, all they have to do is talk badly against the Idiot. Don't kid yourself, they'll do the same thing at the Idiot's house too. Encourage the kids to be honest with you and to communicate openly and freely, but be careful about the perception of rewards.


9. Take time away from it. When kids are out with the Idiot, don't use that time to worry, talk about the Idiot, or prepare for court. Instead, use that time to do something for yourself or your important relationships. Take a break. You're going to get tired even if you do.


10. Be pepared... justice is rough. Even in Supreme Court, justice is meted out pretty roughly. The judge isn't going to comb through your twenty years of backstory and feel your moral outrage. He/she is going to give you an hour or two and try to mete out something that respects everyone's rights as much as possible. It's unlikely, even in the most black and white cases, that a judge is going to give you everything you want. Justice isn't always fair.


11. You're not going to feel good when it's over. Surprise. Even if you win, you're not likely going to feel the fabulous sense of vindication you were looking for. You're probably going to feel a real lack of closure because the justice system doesn't do anything for your emotional needs in a custody battle. It only settles the practical issues. Your anger, your disappointment, your frustration, your sadness, will all still be there.


12. When it's over, it's still not over. Custody is not a permanent thing the way I once believed. It's granted in "interims"... until the next time. Until you get to go through it all again. So keep that journal up to date, even when you think it's "over".







My experience:
Sister is a drug addict, both prescription painkillers and street drugs. Went into rehab June '08. Niece came to live with us at my sister's request at the end of June. Sister was kicked out of four rehabs before giving up and demanding her daughter back from us.

mid-September - court granted us an ex parte interim custody order

late October - sister attempted to file an ex parte order against us and was denied

end October - court granted us another interim order, open ended - granted us our request that visits be supervised (12 hours per week) but demanded we pay the cost of that visitation (approx. $2000/month)

mid-December - attended Judicial Case Conference - sister didn't turn up but was permitted to participate via telephone - judge convinced parties to agree that visitation hours be changed to "as agreed upon by both parties", and that costs no longer fall to anyone named

late December - Sister threatens to return to court to have visits increased again




TO BE CONTINUED....

I had been drinking for about 20 years, then a couple of weeks ago I faced losing my family because of my addiction. I quit drinking and haven't had any real cravings or wants except one night when we went to Hooter's, then bowling for my son's 15th birthday, I missed "knocking off the edge". My problem is that I'm sure like others, I get extremely bored and am easily agitated almost all the time. Will this agitation subside as I continue to get used to sobriety, or is it something I will have to constantly work on? Since quitting, it is sometimes very difficult to just "put on a happy face". Some things just **** me off and since I don't have a way to numb these feelings anymore, I tend to get frustrated very often. I appreciate anyone else's input especially if they have had similar experiences.