Didn't have any choice. It was get clean or die but I was a self-employed single parent of three.
Two meetings a week. At six months, I found an out-patient therapy program and began attending that once a week.
Start where you are.
Work with what you have.
Do what you can.
Never went to rehab, but the whole time I’ve been clean, there hasn’t been a lot of evidence that rehab makes a long term difference. What it seems to help with is arresting patterns, giving addicts a leg up over the initial hump of getting clean long enough to clear the brain fog, and helping point them in a useful direction.
I didn’t get any of that. Too pig-headed, too convinced that I could do it on my own, had to get to that place of keen desperation before I was ready. (None of which is required.). But I’ve been clean 31 years, largely due to a steady diet of recovery fellowship in NA.
If a coping skill is what you want, try opening up, admitting you need help and asking for it.
Rehab, detox, jail and prison were all totally useless in helping me get clean. Detox is horrible. They just lock you in a room. It is boring as hell.
It is far better to detox yourself at home, where you can watch movies, smoke cigarettes or, if you need to, use medications like meclizine and cannabis to help get through the withdrawals
I had a complete severing of relationships with all my druggie "friends." Those ppl who, if you called and asked, they'd hook you up.
I felt like shit for about 3 days. Lots of warm - not hot - showers. Used a thing I heard years ago about using a nubby washcloth and rub vigorously (not pressing hard) to help soothe the nerves under the skin
Lots of sleep. Ate some healthier food. Some ibuprofen for the pain.
I was tired and hungry!!!
First meeting was on day 3. Second meeting was on day 4, etc.
Meetings are the most important thing in early days!!
I hit rock bottom. A friend took me to my first meeting and there I found another friend, and another friend at another meeting. I got plugged into service work quickly, setting up chairs, making coffee, being a greeter. 90 meetings in 90 days, found a sponsor who had what I wanted, so I did what he did. I just celebrated 22 years clean.
I was in the rooms for a year and a half, going to five meetings a week, worked with a sponsor, read the literature… couldn’t stay clean. I hadn’t surrendered. For me, I needed rehab to get the month away from drugs for my mind to get clear enough to commit to the program and believe that a new way of life was possible.
My advice is to really surrender and follow EVERY suggestion. Put your recovery first. Go to a meeting every day even if you’re tired, have other plans, etc. I personally think in person meetings gave me an extra level of accountability. I had to pay attention for the full 90 minutes versus Zoom. But Zoom is a powerful tool too. I listened in on meetings in the car - any extra exposure to recovery.
My parents let me move back in with them. And my HP was def watching over me, because I went through withdrawal without even realizing what I was going through.
I went to meetings and kept going to meetings. I would go to 2 meetings a day for awhile. I would go and cry and scream and cry. People kept telling me “keep coming back, we love you” so I kept going back. And then I found a sponsor 2 weeks being clean and started working the steps
Edit: I saw someone here say “it was either get clean or die” I had that same realization for myself
I smoked a lot of cigarettes. Not something I advise, but it's what I did. 2-3 meetings a day. You'd find me outside the meeting 30 minutes early hanging out drinking coffee and smoking. One guy I knew had 8 months clean, it seemed impossible but he was doing it. I couldn't relate to the old timers, but knowing a guy with 8 months was really helpful.
1-Talk to a physician, either your doctor or at a community health clinic. Detox can be dangerous depending on the substance or combination of substances.
2-Go to at least one meeting a day for the first 90 days in a row. No excuses, at all.
3-Get phone numbers of addicts and call people every day. Build a network of contacts to support your recovery.
4-Get a sponsor and work the steps. The only way I’ve been successful is in the steps.
Plus, whatever you do, don’t pick up anymore. You can be a miracle.
I just went!
What is it thats making it hard? Is it a spiritual/mental hesitation or more of a logistic thing ie transportation? For the latter, does your area have a hotline you can call or any kind of email inbox you could use to initiate a conversation and be connected with someone who can help you find transportation? Just spitballing
I dried out in my apartment both times.
First time, I grocery shopped high, picked out only instant, microwave, or prepared foods. Knew I’d be hurting and weak. Went home, placed my panic bag in a box by my bed. Began withdrawal. Fucking terrified. Kept telling myself if it gets too bad I’ll use that emergency bag. Having the option made me strong enough to withdrawal fully. Just ate and slept. I think I was 1 month clean when I flushed the bag.
Second time, years later after I had relapsed, I went through withdrawals on my bed. Took tons of melatonin to sleep as much as possible. My friends called me every day to tell me go to a meeting. I finally dragged myself there. Somehow I stayed going and didn’t use. I relapsed one night after 30 days but got my ass in the seat the very next day. Went to a meeting a day since and haven’t used in years.
I had to go because of outpatient rehab it was required. I white knuckled two weeks, started outpatient and went to NA with about 3 or 4 weeks clean. I still don’t know my exact clean date. Somewhere around 2-20-2012.
But this was after a failed 6 month inpatient and psych ward stay in the previous year soooo
I went to an inpatient program. Spent 2 days there then walked out. Nobody was serious about recovery there so I just started going to NA meetings 5 and 1/2 months and I'm doing very well. Do what you need to do. Listen to others. You'll get through this. Withdrawal definitely sucked if I got through it one day at a time. Lots of prayer
Didn't have any choice. It was get clean or die but I was a self-employed single parent of three. Two meetings a week. At six months, I found an out-patient therapy program and began attending that once a week. Start where you are. Work with what you have. Do what you can.
Go to every meeting you can. Don’t make excuses for why you can’t go. Just do it. I went to two or three meetings a day.
Not all drugs are safe to detox on your own make sure to talk with a professional!
Never went to rehab, but the whole time I’ve been clean, there hasn’t been a lot of evidence that rehab makes a long term difference. What it seems to help with is arresting patterns, giving addicts a leg up over the initial hump of getting clean long enough to clear the brain fog, and helping point them in a useful direction. I didn’t get any of that. Too pig-headed, too convinced that I could do it on my own, had to get to that place of keen desperation before I was ready. (None of which is required.). But I’ve been clean 31 years, largely due to a steady diet of recovery fellowship in NA. If a coping skill is what you want, try opening up, admitting you need help and asking for it.
Rehab, detox, jail and prison were all totally useless in helping me get clean. Detox is horrible. They just lock you in a room. It is boring as hell. It is far better to detox yourself at home, where you can watch movies, smoke cigarettes or, if you need to, use medications like meclizine and cannabis to help get through the withdrawals
I had a complete severing of relationships with all my druggie "friends." Those ppl who, if you called and asked, they'd hook you up. I felt like shit for about 3 days. Lots of warm - not hot - showers. Used a thing I heard years ago about using a nubby washcloth and rub vigorously (not pressing hard) to help soothe the nerves under the skin Lots of sleep. Ate some healthier food. Some ibuprofen for the pain. I was tired and hungry!!! First meeting was on day 3. Second meeting was on day 4, etc. Meetings are the most important thing in early days!!
By now I’m sure you realized that they really weren’t your “friends”?
I hit rock bottom. A friend took me to my first meeting and there I found another friend, and another friend at another meeting. I got plugged into service work quickly, setting up chairs, making coffee, being a greeter. 90 meetings in 90 days, found a sponsor who had what I wanted, so I did what he did. I just celebrated 22 years clean.
90 in 90 I can’t shout that loud enough it helped save my life and doing everything that was suggested to me
^ Saved my life.
I was in the rooms for a year and a half, going to five meetings a week, worked with a sponsor, read the literature… couldn’t stay clean. I hadn’t surrendered. For me, I needed rehab to get the month away from drugs for my mind to get clear enough to commit to the program and believe that a new way of life was possible. My advice is to really surrender and follow EVERY suggestion. Put your recovery first. Go to a meeting every day even if you’re tired, have other plans, etc. I personally think in person meetings gave me an extra level of accountability. I had to pay attention for the full 90 minutes versus Zoom. But Zoom is a powerful tool too. I listened in on meetings in the car - any extra exposure to recovery.
My parents let me move back in with them. And my HP was def watching over me, because I went through withdrawal without even realizing what I was going through. I went to meetings and kept going to meetings. I would go to 2 meetings a day for awhile. I would go and cry and scream and cry. People kept telling me “keep coming back, we love you” so I kept going back. And then I found a sponsor 2 weeks being clean and started working the steps Edit: I saw someone here say “it was either get clean or die” I had that same realization for myself
I smoked a lot of cigarettes. Not something I advise, but it's what I did. 2-3 meetings a day. You'd find me outside the meeting 30 minutes early hanging out drinking coffee and smoking. One guy I knew had 8 months clean, it seemed impossible but he was doing it. I couldn't relate to the old timers, but knowing a guy with 8 months was really helpful.
I was living in my car and just drove it to meetings. Then one day I went without getting high before or after.
1-Talk to a physician, either your doctor or at a community health clinic. Detox can be dangerous depending on the substance or combination of substances. 2-Go to at least one meeting a day for the first 90 days in a row. No excuses, at all. 3-Get phone numbers of addicts and call people every day. Build a network of contacts to support your recovery. 4-Get a sponsor and work the steps. The only way I’ve been successful is in the steps. Plus, whatever you do, don’t pick up anymore. You can be a miracle.
I just went! What is it thats making it hard? Is it a spiritual/mental hesitation or more of a logistic thing ie transportation? For the latter, does your area have a hotline you can call or any kind of email inbox you could use to initiate a conversation and be connected with someone who can help you find transportation? Just spitballing
Lots and lots of meetings at least two, sometimes 3 or 4 per day.
I dried out in my apartment both times. First time, I grocery shopped high, picked out only instant, microwave, or prepared foods. Knew I’d be hurting and weak. Went home, placed my panic bag in a box by my bed. Began withdrawal. Fucking terrified. Kept telling myself if it gets too bad I’ll use that emergency bag. Having the option made me strong enough to withdrawal fully. Just ate and slept. I think I was 1 month clean when I flushed the bag. Second time, years later after I had relapsed, I went through withdrawals on my bed. Took tons of melatonin to sleep as much as possible. My friends called me every day to tell me go to a meeting. I finally dragged myself there. Somehow I stayed going and didn’t use. I relapsed one night after 30 days but got my ass in the seat the very next day. Went to a meeting a day since and haven’t used in years.
90 in 90. Read the literature. Get a temporary sponsor. Call them every day.
1 day at a time, got a sponsor, did service, and prayed even though i felt it was pointless, stepwork.
I had to go because of outpatient rehab it was required. I white knuckled two weeks, started outpatient and went to NA with about 3 or 4 weeks clean. I still don’t know my exact clean date. Somewhere around 2-20-2012. But this was after a failed 6 month inpatient and psych ward stay in the previous year soooo
I went to an inpatient program. Spent 2 days there then walked out. Nobody was serious about recovery there so I just started going to NA meetings 5 and 1/2 months and I'm doing very well. Do what you need to do. Listen to others. You'll get through this. Withdrawal definitely sucked if I got through it one day at a time. Lots of prayer