Hi Greg, as I recall, you were waiting (or on the list) for a detox and rehab. I sincerely encourage you to do this. I know you desire to do this, so I hope your turn is very soon on the list. I know you will have good care, and they will help you through the detox period.

Give your liver a rest, and enjoy the rehab,. I went to rehab and it really is a great chance to rest, and meet good people who are encountering similar difficulties.

The program is set up for time with therapists, groups, free time, three meals, lots of snacks, walking, and other ways to exercise you r ind and body. I think anyone would like to go to rehab for month, I only wish it were available to EVERY one, not just us addicts. It is a wonderful time for experiencing YOUR SELF.
And you may just have some wonderful sleeps.

SO that's what I hope for you right now. I truly send you my best wishes, ART

Hi ART, thanks for giving me an insight into rehab from someone who has been through it. To be honest I always feared it as a prison-like experience, and I sometimes casually refer to it as "going into lockup". It's great to hear a postive experience like yours.

My only upcoming treatment is a 5-7 day inpatient detox in Canberra, which will probably happen next week. Canberra is one of the very few public detox clinics in my area that doesn't have an extensive waiting list. In Australia, rehab and detox are usually done in totally separate facilities, so it's a different matter when it comes to rehab. I have previously detoxed via an outpatient service in my home town, and my local general hospital used to offer an inpatient detox service, but these are no longer available due to short-staffing and and an absence of hospital beds. I'd say this is an issue affecting many health services in many countries these days. As for booking into rehab now, I am going to see if the alternative drug baclofen can block my drinking obsession after detox. If it doesn't work, rehab will be my only real option.

Thanks again and I also wish you all the very best.
Greg

I did (embarassingly) 2 stints in detox this last year. Frankly, I think if you're a sane person who truly wants out of this, detox is incredibly depressing and detrimental. I was so afraid of what was happening to me emotionally and physically , and the cattle car treatment I rec'd with the puking, screaming people in the rooms around me, scared the crap out of me. I hope your exprience gave you the rest you needed. Not the reality of detox here, unless you have lots of $$ prob. When will the "experts" get it?