Rehab

Recovery doesn’t just happen because one stops drinking and using drugs; especially in the beginning, it takes diligent hard work and sacrifice. I think this may be the hardest lesson we have to learn as alcoholics and addicts new to sobriety, that even though now sober we continue to think function, and make decisions with a "diseased" brain. Quitting is the easy part, it’s staying sober that is the real trick.

Those in AA say to change people, places, and things. A therapist might say it also requires cognitive behavioral training. A pastor might say that it takes faith and finding one's spirituality. And they would all be right. One has to proactively work a recovery program, consciously setting aside time and resources not only to stay clean and sober, but to maintain a healthy and progressive mindset.

Click "Read more" to continue...

Within thirty seconds of Eva Mendez being displayed in her undies on my monitor my wife’s sixth sense had kicked in drawing her into my office.

“What are you doing?”

Hah! Smug, confident in my legitimate purpose, I explained that Eva Mendez was in recovery so a legitimate topic for my site.

“But in her underwear?”

Well that one took a little more explaining.

Click “Read more” to continue…

I wish this was just a parody of Amy Winehouse’s now classic song Rehab but unfortunately it's the real thing. Richard Reed (not the shoe bomber), a 44 year old alcoholic was arrested at the Canadian border this week for the murder of his parents. His reason: they were going to send him back to rehab.

Of course Mr. Reed then proceeded to rob his dead parents taking their cash, car, and yes even wedding rings. Not said in the story, but with an experienced guess I could say that for the last three days he has just been drinking himself silly to avoid the reality of what he had done. If he ever escapes the insanity of the disease he may wish that he had never sobered up. A sad affair, all around.

But it’s the weekend and I mentioned a parody, so take a look at this video of an AW wannabe that made me look twice.

They’re tryin to make me go to rehab
I said no, no, no
Yes I been black, but when I come back
You wont know, know, know.

I aint got the time,
And if my Daddy thinks im fine,
He’s tried to make me go to rehab,
I wont go, go, go. ~ Amy Winehouse, Rehab

They say that two things that are certain in life are death and taxes, but an upscale clinic in Southampton has added rock bottom to the list and is actually doing something about it. The UK based Manor Clinic has an innovative program they call Prehab™ that allows those fighting alcoholism and other addictions to sign up in advance for treatment.

“PREHAB™ is a unique service offered EXCLUSIVELY TO YOU by The Manor Clinic as a fast track admissions service for entering residential treatment.

NORMALLY, following a confidential FREE 1:1 assessment by one of our Addictions Counsellors, you can decide to enter for treatment after all the necessary GP/Consultant/Funding arrangements are completed. This can take up to 7 days.

HOWEVER, some people may recognise they have a problem with alcohol abuse, but are not yet encouraged to make the decision to enter treatment.

The unique PREHAB™ service takes care of this by creating your own personal file, which is regularly updated by The Manor Clinic over a 12 month period.

You can then access treatment immediately by telephoning The Manor Clinic & quoting your own personal PREHAB™ registration number.”

Learn more here about this fascinating concept. In a way, it really does make since. Many alcoholics know that there life has become unmanageable long before they are willing to seek help. The main question I have, is pre-registering for treatment and the inevitable crash and burn equivalent to giving someone a free pass to drink themself silly? What if without the assurance of treatment the alcoholic would have sought treatment before a traumatic fall? What if they die during their descent to rock bottom?

I have never liked Patti Reagan, the rebellious daughter of President Ronald Reagan, often thinking her popularity was gained because of her black sheep status in the first family rather than any marketable talent. However this article she has written for Newsweek about celebrities who use rehab as a pit stop instead of a life change has forced me to re-evaluate my opinion.

“It makes me angry when I see how the opportunity of being in rehab can be abused as nothing more than a slick PR move. A brief retreat from the paparazzi. How lucky these celebrities are to be able to go to one of these facilities (which are not cheap) and to benefit from the wisdom and help that waits behind the gates.

I struggled for years to learn on my own what someone like Lohan could learn in months, if she were willing to do so. Of course, that learning also has to be followed by practice. Every day. Forever. But it can start in rehab.”

My hat’s off to you Patti. Well written and spot-on a topic I had struggled with to express my thoughts coherently, so I appreciate you doing it for me.

This is definitely recommended reading and thanks to Screedler for bringing it to my attention.

In June of 1794, over 1000 Indians attacked a small fort in the Northwest Territory (now Ohio) engaging less than 300 Americans led by General “Mad” Anthony Wayne. Their point of defense was a makeshift defensive structure named Fort Recovery. It was built over the same ground where a few years earlier over 700 American soldiers had died in what could easily be described as a massacre. This time however, the wooden timbers of their ad-hoc wilderness fortress provided a place of safety in which the soldiers could rely upon their training and mutual support to repel the enemy marauders; Fort Recovery held and became a turning point in history described by some as the opening of the West.

I have my own Fort Recovery, and it's called a routine. General Wayne, considered an early adopter of “basic training”, drilled his troops so they would react in a proper manner in the heat of battle while protected by the walls of Fort Recovery. In a similar sense, my routines provide a defensive structure of normalcy that serve as a shield and grounding influence when life events get messy.

Click on "Read More" to see why routines are my friend...

”In almost all cases, family members report significant reductions in depression and anxiety.”

I couldn't resist using the movie poster, but the CRAFT I am talking about has nothing to do with witchcraft or the movie. In fact I should be using the intro for HBO, because this is a review of another one of their supplemental series on addiction called Getting an Addict into Treatment: The CRAFT Approach. CRAFT stands for community reinforcement and family training. It was developed by Dr. Robert Meyers, a professor in psychology, after he grew up watching his father's alcoholism eventually kill his mother at forty-five. I had never heard of the CRAFT approach and was at first skeptical of its value, but after watching the episode I had a change of heart.

I have linked to the show through it's title above, so please watch it yourself and then click "Read More" to see my review...

"How do you know what she was thinking? She was whacked, stressed, and traumatized so there is no telling what she was thinking!"

Blogging with comments enabled, you better be prepared for people to question the validity of your content. But little did I expect that I would raise the hackles of a family member, who just might be a closet groupie (haha), by suggesting about what Britney Spears was thinking when she shaved her head between rehab visits.

I replied with the easy and short answer, “I don’t”, but a longer explanation is necessary so click on Read more for the rest…

Let me come out and say this first, I am bald. I shave my head every day and actually enjoy the ritual, the clean fresh start it gives me in the morning is wonderful. Anyone that has heard me lecture on addiction knows that I am a firm believer in benign routines; they have a positive grounding effect on one’s life.

However, and this is a BIG however, Britney Spears shaving her head between abbreviated rehab visits was anything but benign. Yeah, I know this is old news but I wanted to use her actions as an example instead of just piling on during the feeding frenzy of last month. Hopefully Ms. Spears is doing well after a protracted stay in rehab and I wish her the best of luck. Now back to our story...

Click "Read More" for the rest of the story: