Anyone gone to inpatient rehab?

[ATLThrash]

I am really curious about what rehab is like-- not really because I think I need to go but because of all those celebrity shows on rehab that to me would make me want to use alcohol in a second! If you go to rehab, what do you do all day? Talk, or have groups or --I really have no idea--not trying to be thick but I think so many people just say "Go to rehab" to people with addiciton issues and I realized I have no clue as to what exactly happens there. Anyone with experience or knowledge know why that would be suggested to a person as opposed to private treatment with a physician or reading, research and support in a AA group or on a site such as this? Is it because there is nore of a stress on treating physical issues with medication there? Thanks for any answers. I have learned alot from this site and I appreciate it!

[ExpatJock]

Anyone gone to inpatient rehab?

ATLThrash;1036183 wrote: I am really curious about what rehab is like-- not really because I think I need to go but because of all those celebrity shows on rehab that to me would make me want to use alcohol in a second! If you go to rehab, what do you do all day? Talk, or have groups or --I really have no idea--not trying to be thick but I think so many people just say "Go to rehab" to people with addiciton issues and I realized I have no clue as to what exactly happens there. Anyone with experience or knowledge know why that would be suggested to a person as opposed to private treatment with a physician or reading, research and support in a AA group or on a site such as this? Is it because there is nore of a stress on treating physical issues with medication there? Thanks for any answers. I have learned alot from this site and I appreciate it!

Been there, done that or more occasions than I'd care to admit - and I dare say it varies between the English speaking nations. But as a general rule of thumb (for private rehab/detox):

1) A 'heavy duty' front end loading of diazepam - still considered the 'Gold Standard' amongst the front line of alcohol addiction specialists. When i say "heavy duty" I'm talking up to 100mg per day for the first two or three days (though this varies greatly between individuals). Some titrate down rapidly, others more slowly. It depends on history and and regular clinical observations by nursing staff of the patient. In the first two or three days, the patient is very closely monitored for withdrawal symptoms.

2) People who have a history of withdrawal seizures (as I have) are titrated down much more slowly than those who don't. Diazepam is a powerful anti-convulsant. Seizures generally occur 3/4 days after cessation of drinking. Anti-epilectic drugs are generally not prescribed because the take >7 days to become effective, thus exceeding the 'window' in which generalised tonic/clonic seizures normally occur due to alcohol withdrawal.

3) After the first critical three day AF period has passed, patients can expect to avail themselves of a range of therapeutic activities; a bit of gym, creative pursuits such as painting/drawing and partcipating in cognitive activities such as relaxation therapy, 'coping' workshops and other programmes which the clinic presents. The best therapy of all is simply engaging with fellow patients. It can be hilarious and heart wrenching simultaneously. The pain and suffering of others really brings you back to earth.

4) Rehab/Detox generally takes 2 to 3 weeks before discharge. Along with your suitcase, you're handed a raft of leaflets for follow-up treatments. The rest, as they say, is up to you.

This brief overview is, by its nature, very condensed. If anyone can enhance it, be my guest!
BTW, be prepared for a nasty bout of diarrhoea after 3/4 days - as your intestines get accustomed to the shock of food instead of drink!

[Sona]

Anyone gone to inpatient rehab?

I did 17 days in a Michigan rehab in June 2009. It was the first time I began to battle the disease. It didn't solve every problem, but it started the road to put me on the right path. Introduced me to AA for the first time, and I've been going there since.

I don't remember any drugs except for a valium at night.

It is nothing like you've seen on TV, it wasn't even anything like a movie like A Girl Interrupted. You could never escape for a night out in a place like this, and you certainly couldn't ever get into someone else's records.

Typically we would get up in the morning, breakfast. Some wouldn't make it to breakfast. Oh, there was also an exercise program or yoga before breakfast for those who wanted it.

After that there would be a group meeting, and then group therapy where each person would discuss their emotional level and their goals with a counselor. These were always heartfelt meetings, sometimes very intense. I found the meetings with the counselors, even with all these "strangers" there with you, to be invaluable. there would typically be something like 8-12 people in a group therapy meeting with a counselor.

Sometimes before lunch there would be gym like volleyball or something. That was always fun because they'd take us for a walk to the building with a gym.

Smoke breaks were always interesting. They'd pack 15 or more of us into an elevator with one of the admins and we'd all go out for a smoke. I agree with Exp that getting to know the other patients was a huge help.

After lunch we might get a bit of free time before doing more classes, maybe an art time, a speaker meeting, an AA meeting. Then supper, then a class or two at night. If you signed up to clean the place you could stay up later than everyone else and get one more smoke break when everyone else was in bed. There was also a TV and you could get limited time with it, but I remember when cleaning and everyone else is in bed that me and a few other people were allowed to stay up and watch the NHL playoffs and Stanley Cup.

I stayed up reading every night, usually the Big Book, my first experience with it. Nurses check every hour or so to make sure everyone is OK in their beds. They never cared that I stayed up late reading.

Also at night before bed, and probably at other various points of the day everyone would stand in line for meds. You'd see the nurse individually. There was also a doctor on staff whom you would typically see during your first three days -- detox -- and before you're getting ready to go.

Two things in particular stand out to me. 1. There was a guy that came in that was just out of it, in a total fog. He was there for a little less than two days when we were all lined up in the hallway and he fell over in a seizure and split his head open, right at my feet. Blood everywhere while he seized. The attendants ran to him and eventually he had to get to a hospital. 2. Every Friday they would take us by van to a church which had a huge meeting for all kinds of addiction issues. Hundreds of people. It was actually a fun event. They had to stop doing that, at least while I was there, because one girl met her drug dealer at this church and scored... I think it may have been heroin, but can't remember for certain.

Insurance played a huge part into how long people would stay. Many could only stay for a few days. I was lucky to be able to stay as long as I did, but I was more than ready to go, and I left before my program was supposed to be done. (I think they originally had me scheduled for 30 days, I ended up doing 17.)

I got out and within a week and a half I rolled my car four times drunk. Sounds awful, I know, but all of this eventually got me on the right path. I look back on rehab that it was the beginning for me, the beginning for me recognizing my need to change. It has still taken a while, and there has still been huge trauma on the way. But overall life is improving since then, and I'm getting more and more sober time.

[ATLThrash]

Anyone gone to inpatient rehab?

Thanks alot-- this was very interesting-- I am glad to finally know what goes on!