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SadMum asks…..
Is it possible to get dry without going to rehab? It’s not that I don’t want to go but I just can’t. I work part-time helping pay bills and mother three children (2, 6, 9). Even my 9 year old told me that he wished I boozed up less so I fancied his company more. When I try to stop I drink again in a few days. I don’t know what to do.
Dear SadMum,
First let me say, Congrats, you acknowledged that you have a problem and have the willingness to do something about it! It sounds like you have your hands full, how do you have time to be an alcoholic?! Kidding. One of my biggest tokens of gratitude today is that I don’t owe my daughter any drunk apologies. I did recently tell a friend that I totally get why some moms are alchis though. I had years of sobriety before my kin so my opinion may sound apathetic but I have met countless parents along the path. I speak only with love and hope in my heart.
The brutal response: If you are dead in a ditch, rotting behind bars for killing someone or hospitalized for organ failure, who will be taking care of your children then? Forever is a lot longer than 28 days. All children deserve healthy models. If rehab is an option, go.
Each time I went, I was spared the good-byes (I did lose my feline bestfriend during my last trip to get a grip, but that’s its’ own story). As a disabled veteran the financial burden of my hospitalizations were paid for by taxpayers and I wasn’t concerned about losing my job because I already did. But if I ask myself, honestly, right now if I had a relapse would I go to rehab or make 100 excuses out of fear? Fear of feeling the pain needed to feel better. Like breaking a nose back into position or popping a shoulder back in, why is this so much more complicated? “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice” – Bob Marley
Some addictions specialists would argue that rehabs are just a breeding ground for criminals. American Addiction Centers cites that incarcerated addicts who complete treatment and follow up upon their release have as much as a 70% reduction of drug use. (AAC – Rehab Success Rate) In other words, removing an addict from their using environment doesn’t cure addiction but it significantly reduces recidivation severity. For me, this was true. I didn’t stay sober after my first intervention, only my last one. The more recovery resources shoved into my brain, the less time it took for me to get back to sobriety each time.
From the same article, it says,
“Successful treatment for drug and alcohol addiction requires customization, continual evaluations, and modifications when necessary—all delivered by medical professionals using evidence-based therapies and medications. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to treatment, but it’s most successful when individuals complete the entire course of their treatment and continue with the aftercare programs.”
Rehab is not a requirement for a successful recovery. The first reading at most AA meetings, called the Preamble, says: The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. The only requirement for recovery is to improve your current situation. Rehab, AA, SMART, quit-lit, Reiki, church, journaling, life coach, adopting cats, magic wishing well, whatever works for you to poison yourself less. Don’t let the rigidity of what recovery “should” look like prevent you from taking the first step. Easy does it, but do it.
Do you have a question?
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