Am Trying to Decide if I Need to Go to Rehab. What Do You Think?

by Tom

I’ve been abusing a cocktail of prescription drugs, recreational drugs like ecstasy and cocaine, and a plenty of alcohol for a good few years now.

I work in an industry that is fast paced and which includes a lot of entertaining and socialising, and so my kind of lifestyle is pretty common. It’s used to be really exciting and I loved the buzz of it all, but I think it’s starting to catch up with me.

I’ve tried coming clean and detoxing a few times, but can never keep it up because I can’t handle the mood swings, depression and basically just feeling like shit. It also means then I don’t get my work done and in my line it doesn’t take much to find yourself being replaced by someone else.

I’m trying to figure out what my options are. Rehab almost seems to be the in thing at the moment when it seems like it’s almost compulsory that if you’re a celebrity you need have gone to one. Do they even really work – because the rate at which celebrities go through them it seems not?

I’d prefer not to go that route actually. I know I need to do something because I can’t carry on the way I am, but what exactly should I be doing?

Tom

Answer

Hi Tom

You’re right, you can’t carry on the way you are. Live the lifestyle you have been and it’s going to catch up with you.

You don’t mention the industry you work in, but it doesn’t exactly sound conducive to a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. So the first thing you may want to do is consider a career change. Of course no one forces these substances down your throat, but play with fire and you run the risk of getting burned – which you have.

That doesn’t answer your question, but thought it worth mentioning anyway. I wouldn’t place too much stock on what you read in the press about celebrities and how many seem to use rehabs as second homes at times.

Going through a drug alcohol rehab or treatment program is one of the best ways to treat substance abuse or addiction. Not only will they help you detox properly, but you’ll follow a very intensive program that includes things like counselling and preparing you for a life post treatment, i.e. recovery.

So I definitely think you should consider going to a rehab or treatment center if you can. The time away also allows you to ‘regroup’ and focus on your treatment without any outside distractions from day to day life.

An outpatient treatment program is also an option, but unless it’s just not possible, I always tend to favour the inpatient route because of the reasons I mention above. Check out these pieces on addiction treatment and addiction and alcoholism drug treatment to help you make an informed decision.

You also need to understand the difference between treatment and recovery. Treatment is basically what you do to get clean and sober, and recovery is what you do to stay that way.

Finding a support group, especially 12 step programs like AA and NA are also very effective, especially because they give you a path or blueprint to follow as part of your recovery process. Some people have managed years of sobriety without having undergone any kind of treatment - by exclusively following a 12 step program. But not everyone likes 12 step programs - so it's also about you finding what works for you.

Like I said to someone earlier, it’s probably worth sitting down with an Addictions Counsellor in your area and mapping out your options in terms of the area you live in, the kind of treatment programs available (factoring in quality, cost and length of program) and basically deciding on an option best for you.

So to sum up - I would say get yourself into rehab if you can. You seem serious about confronting your substance abuse problem - which is half the battle won.

Good Luck and Go for it

+1 Alcoholism-and-Drug-Addiction-Help.com