recoveryrob's blog

When the phone rings in the middle of the night it's usually bad news. So, when the phone rang at 2:30 a.m. I was braced for the news as I struggled to find my phone before it woke everyone in the house. This pre-dawn phone call was no exception to the norm. The man on the phone was immediately apologetic for calling at such an early hour, my stomach flopped. I knew the news was coming, I just didn't know when or how, or even exactly what it would be.

When I hit my 18th anniversary last week, I can honestly say I felt a bit different than I had in the previous years since I'd gone to an alcohol and drug treatment facility. I was the same person, still a bit shy about my anniversary, but I felt a bit more confident in my abilities to stay sober. Yes, I often think about the fact I might pick up one day, but I don't obsess about alcohol and drugs as much -- not nearly as much.

As I worked through my three month stay in rehab treatment, I found I was connecting with others, but still holding back some. I had major trust issues with opening up to a group of strangers. I could do it on an individual basis, but on a group level, well, that would take some time. This behavior, this lack of trust was nothing new to the counselor though and she understood, calling me out on it whenever she got the chance.

When I finally entered the alcohol and drug rehab treatment program it was on an outpatient basis, which means I had to go to group therapy three times a week after work for three months. Treatment was voluntary and I could stop going anytime I wanted. I also made a promise to myself to attend twelve step meetings. Although I used drugs, I felt my main problem was alcohol and I 'identified' in that category, so I went to Alcoholics Anonymous. Of course that doesn't mean that I don't consider myself addicted to drugs as well.

In the first part of this three part drug abuse treatment series, we talked about being a 'high bottom' addict. This group generally maintains their existence and can seem to operate and function in their relationships, work, and their health tends to be okay as well. They find help on their own and either get treatment through inpatient or outpatient basis. The second group mentioned in last week's post (8/10/10) is getting help through an intervention.

It's a great question. A medical detox is a managed detox from alcohol and or other drugs, and they are for people who are addicted. They are pain-free, and in the case of opiate drugs like heroin, Vicodin, codeine, and other similar drugs, Suboxone is used to alleviate the physical withdrawal pains associated with removing the drug(s) from the person's system. This medication blocks the effects of illicit opiate use and decreases the cravings that will surely follow.

When I was first coming into sobriety, I didn't know what to expect. Coming from a family with recovering alcoholics, I had an idea though. Back then though, and at least in my family, none of them went to an alcohol rehab treatment facility, so it was all different when it came to working through my own demons and making the decision to get help through an alcohol and drug rehab treatment program.

How do you know when you need drug abuse treatment? For some it is a personal choice. They are able to see the life they are living is not working for them. For others, well, they are not so fortunate. Sometimes, the very lucky ones, still have family and friends who push them into treatment through an intervention. And yet others, have pushed even further, nearly drowning in their addiction and are forced into a treatment facility, the alternative being prison, or at least some sort of jail time.

I was watching television the other night and saw a commercial that made me stop and think. Although I've got some sober time under my belt, there are times when a commercial about drinking or drugging can cause me to stop and wonder. The commercial's tag line is "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving." As to what the drug of choice is, I don't really know. Buzzed is Buzzed, right?

Coming in at second of the 'most commonly abused' category drugs are prescription drugs. Marijuana tops the list. Not all prescription drugs are addictive. However, if they are used in a manner that is contradictory to the label, and of course not using them for what they are prescribed, a lot are. The most abused prescription drugs that often lead to a prescription drug detox include opioid or narcotic painkillers such as; OxyContin and Vicodin.