This is a question I am often asked – and it was a question I asked myself over 10 years ago. I did not want to go to rehab and tried just about every other option first.
I tried stopping on my own without help. I was not a weak person – in fact I was a very successful one and could not work out why this one aspect of my life was causing me so much pain and sadness. I was quite a controlling woman in hindsight – but had no control once I started to drink. Most people who end up in addiction rehab have tried lots of other options first.
Have you tried stopping on your own without rehab?
I had also been to my GP. The first few times I went I told my doctor I was ‘stressed’ and ‘anxious’, ‘depressed’, ‘not coping’. So I was put on medication – anti depressants. Since my problem was not proper depression but drinking, that did not help. I did not tell my GP how much I was drinking – in fact, when he asked me I lied about how much. He was not a mind reader so he did not offer me help for my drinking. Eventually I did tell him I had a drink problem (or maybe someone in my family did). He prescribed me a home detox but this did not work as I really wanted to carry on drinking. I did not deal with the reasons I was drinking. So I stopped – but then started again…..
Have you told your GP the truth about your drinking or using?
When I told my GP that I was drinking too much, he referred me to an alcohol counsellor who I saw once a week for a month or so. That took up an hour a week and I don’t think I got really honest about my drinking. Aside from that, apart from that hour a week I was still left with the same feeling so drank after the session and every other day. Since I was an alcoholic once a week was never going to be enough help for me.
Have you tried weekly counselling?
When that did not work and things continued to deteriorate, I went to AA. i am not sure how serious I was in hindsight to really stop through AA – or if I was just going to ‘tick a box’ for my family so they thought I was getting help and wanted to stop drinking. I only went once a week (not enough) and carried on with the old stop start routine.
Have you tried AA or other 12 step fellowship groups such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or Cocaine Anonymous (CA)?
If you have tried all these things – stopping on your own, getting help from your GP, counselling and self help groups, then you might think that nothing will work for you. Even if you have not had to go through all these options, you could take the short cut straight to rehab. It is the most effective and quickest way to get and stay well.
The good news is that rehab can and almost certainly will help you.
In rehab you will be kept separate and safe from the alcohol or substance that is causing you unhappiness. You will get clean / sober and start to look at why you drink or use mood altering substances in the way you do. Why can you not live without it and be comfortable with how you feel? Why are you running away from your life and your feelings? Why do you need to blur reality? You will see that there can be a happy and fulfilled future without them and you will be given the tools to live your life without needing to turn to alcohol or a substance.
You will get the aftercare support you need to get and stay clean and sober.
Rehab works for just about anyone who wants it to work. It can work for you.