We are now going to assume that the individual presented to treatment or assigned to a self help group has successfully detoxified and it appears that they are not crazy.
At this stage of treatment detoxification still has two important influences on treatment.
Younger, more resilient bodies clean up in a hurry,
look great, feel great, what is the problem??,
I’m O.K. and I think I can go home now.
The patient has just awakened from a relatively long drug and alcohol induced stupor
and the guilt and shame
that is felt once they realize where they are is
too much to handle, time to leave.
Most treatment facilities enforce a blackout of five to seven days after the patient has been committed to prevent the patient from trying to arrange transportation to “Get me out of Here.” The excuses to leave are as varied and as creative as there are clients in every rehab center. Most alcoholics have been rightly accused of lying once or twice in their lives and trying to flee rehab is a suitable challenge to any alcoholics creative story telling.
The second thing that must be understood is that the entire cleansing of the body and mind usually takes a whole year and many times up to two years. Many recovered alcoholics will describe the experience of total detoxification as an event where at a given moment, a year or two after drinking has stopped, there is a feeling that a fog has lifted from their brain.
Now begins the most critical process of recovery treatment.
Through the use of personal interviews and introduction into small group therapy sessions the counselor and the client must agree to be honest, trusting and to agree to thoroughly examine why the client is in treatment.
Self realization is the key to recovery.
There is very little emphasis on how much or what kind of alcohol was consumed, when the alcohol was consumed or where the alcohol was consumed. The emphasis is on the consequences of the drinking.
Most alcoholics agree that they rarely had trouble every time they drank, but when there was trouble it was usually because of drinking. The emphasis of the self education is to have the client understand, in their own words, what control the alcohol had over their actions.
As an example: I had only two drinks three nights ago, because I said I was only going to have two. I had only two drinks two nights ago, because I said I was only going to have two. Last night I said I was only going to have two, but I lost count.
Group therapy is one of the strongest forms of assisting the client to begin self realization. In the normal 28 day, 4 week treatment program, there are two clients who have three weeks exposure, two who have two weeks, two who have one week and two who are just out of detox, recently admitted. By sharing experiences and learning to identify with someone who has the same apparent problems, the client is guided to self realization. A peer group admonishment is not as damaging to the fragile ego as a direct condemnation from family or other authority figures. A good therapist asks questions and allows the group to provide an answer or explanation. Are you being honest?
Many of the best, one on one, client therapist discussions end with the therapist recommending the client take the issue to their group session. Most clients who do not like their groups are incapable of being honest and are having trouble facing reality.
The group does not like them either.
Admitting that there is a problem with alcohol is the springboard to the next step of the treatment program.
If the alcoholic is trying to sober up using the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, they have just completed step 1.
“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable”.
Happiness is helping someone help themselves.
Michael_e
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