Rehab -- short for rehabilitation center -- also goes by different names/aliases: treatment center, detox, psych ward, and retreat. Retreats are more for those fancy dancy celebrity rehabs, what with their trails, lakes, yoga and spas. Most alcoholics and addicts rarely see this kind of rehab unless they have lots of money or really nice parents.*
Before an addict gets sober, many of them spend a lot of time in rehab. Addicts and alcoholics claim to hate it, but they find themselves there time and time again for a variety of reasons; to appease loved ones or the courts, avoid the police, or sometimes just for a bed and a decent meal. Some now-sober people went to rehab once, twice or even 11 times before they finally got the message!*
In rehab, there are a variety of activities that people participate in. They vary from treatment center to treatment center, but most of the time there are some common similiarities. Eating three meals a day (not very common when addicts are out there), group therapy, classes/lectures on what it is to be addicted, art and/or music therapy, one-on-one counseling and 12-step meetings brought inside the center by people who are active members in the program.
When addicts are sober for awhile they really LOVE rehab. They talk about where they went, like regular people talk about where they went to college. They reminisce with fellow alumni. Many of them go back to rehab as often as possible, to speak to the patients, see old counselors, chair meetings, or be of service in a variety of ways. Some addicts listen to songs about rehab, or wear shirts that say shit like "rehab is the new black", or proudly display the name of our "alma-mater."
Alcoholics have been known to sit around for hours talking about what celebrities are in rehab, need to be, or just got out. They wish that their alcoholic or drug-addicted friends would go to rehab, so they can share in the love of rehab, or just so they can visit them!
There are, of course, those sober people that never went to rehab, and therefore are not so fond of it. They may tell you that rehab is unnecessary, that they got sober without it. Some alcoholics do not like the "treatment center mentality," which involves exploring more of the causes of addiction. The truth is, they are just jealous that they never experienced the thrill of being in rehab!
*Most often, rehab has diminishing returns, as the loved ones of the person trying to get sober either run out of money, patience and tolerance for a repeat relapser. Someone who might have started off in rehab out in sunny California, might find themselves in a public-aid detox program by the time they're ready to give up the ghost. Best to get it right the first time.
any ideas?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Diet Coke
Even though ex-alcoholics and addicts are abstinent from the things that were killing them, it doesn't mean they don't have other things that they enjoy with the regularity of their previous 'drug of choice.'(1) Diet Coke is one of the mainstay beverages of many recovering 12-steppers, as it provides many elements a sober person really can latch on to:
1. A beverage with lots of caffeine. Later in recovery, some people come to the decision that this, too, is an addictive substance they wish to jettison along with nicotine and sugar. But many recovering persons find that caffeine is a lovely drug substitute that helps them in many areas of their life, ranging from getting up in the morning to not killing people in the afternoon to staying awake for more recovery or fellowship time.
2. A decoy beverage. Especially when one is new in sobriety, it is often nice to have a beverage that is easily disguised as an alcoholic beverage so others in potential drinking situations (e.g., work parties, weddings) don't question the newly recovering person as to why they are abstaining from alcohol. This is particularly important if the person is around a bunch of people they *used* to drink with.
3. Easy access. Diet Coke is pretty easy to find. You can find it at any gas station, convenience store, drugstore, grocery store and many restaurants. There are some varieties that are more scarce, such as the much coveted Cherry Diet Coke, which is noticeably different from Cherry Coke Zero, as many Diet Coke drinkers will attest.(2) It is always wise to check with a restaurant if they really have Diet Coke or if they are trying to pawn off a Diet *Cola,* which is much different, and may cause the Diet Coke aficiando to have something entirely different, like an orange soda.
There is some discussion amongst Diet Coke drinkers as to which Diet Coke is the best Diet Coke, as there seems to be some variance to the recipe from delivery device to delivery device. Some drinkers prefer their Diet Coke in cans, while others prefer the plastic 20 oz. bottles. A high percentage of Diet Coke drinkers have an obsession with Diet Coke dispensed as a McDonalds' fountain drink. There has been no scientific evidence to prove this, but many addicts and alcoholics suspect that there is some additive in Diet Coke that inures the drinker to it, much like cigarettes and Starbucks.
No matter how it gets to a recovering addict's mouth, it is consumed the way they drank alcohol -- fast. A horde of drunks can wipe out a case of Diet Coke without effort. If a party is being organized, one should always plan on having twice the amount of Diet Coke a normal party would need.
(1) Drug of choice: The mind-altering substance an addict/alcoholic preferred to get themselves out of reality.
(2) Coke Zero and its variants are still caffeinated *and* sugar-free, but they definitely taste different than Diet Coke. This blog says that Coke Zero has half the aspartame.
1. A beverage with lots of caffeine. Later in recovery, some people come to the decision that this, too, is an addictive substance they wish to jettison along with nicotine and sugar. But many recovering persons find that caffeine is a lovely drug substitute that helps them in many areas of their life, ranging from getting up in the morning to not killing people in the afternoon to staying awake for more recovery or fellowship time.
2. A decoy beverage. Especially when one is new in sobriety, it is often nice to have a beverage that is easily disguised as an alcoholic beverage so others in potential drinking situations (e.g., work parties, weddings) don't question the newly recovering person as to why they are abstaining from alcohol. This is particularly important if the person is around a bunch of people they *used* to drink with.
3. Easy access. Diet Coke is pretty easy to find. You can find it at any gas station, convenience store, drugstore, grocery store and many restaurants. There are some varieties that are more scarce, such as the much coveted Cherry Diet Coke, which is noticeably different from Cherry Coke Zero, as many Diet Coke drinkers will attest.(2) It is always wise to check with a restaurant if they really have Diet Coke or if they are trying to pawn off a Diet *Cola,* which is much different, and may cause the Diet Coke aficiando to have something entirely different, like an orange soda.
There is some discussion amongst Diet Coke drinkers as to which Diet Coke is the best Diet Coke, as there seems to be some variance to the recipe from delivery device to delivery device. Some drinkers prefer their Diet Coke in cans, while others prefer the plastic 20 oz. bottles. A high percentage of Diet Coke drinkers have an obsession with Diet Coke dispensed as a McDonalds' fountain drink. There has been no scientific evidence to prove this, but many addicts and alcoholics suspect that there is some additive in Diet Coke that inures the drinker to it, much like cigarettes and Starbucks.
No matter how it gets to a recovering addict's mouth, it is consumed the way they drank alcohol -- fast. A horde of drunks can wipe out a case of Diet Coke without effort. If a party is being organized, one should always plan on having twice the amount of Diet Coke a normal party would need.
(1) Drug of choice: The mind-altering substance an addict/alcoholic preferred to get themselves out of reality.
(2) Coke Zero and its variants are still caffeinated *and* sugar-free, but they definitely taste different than Diet Coke. This blog says that Coke Zero has half the aspartame.
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