Question:
I don't understand... a treatment center that won't
let you back in until you get clean? Makes a hell of a lot of sense,
since it is the treatment centers fuction to help you get clean! (But
not surprising in this age of managed cost... I mean care.) But I
understand from your previous post that you were admitted, but
discharged for using) (Which again is pretty strange... if treatment
centers discharged everyone who used in treatment, or had difficulty
remaining abstinent, they'd all be empty! Is there more to the story?)
Are there alternatives? I agree, not everyone needs
treatment, or responds to treatment, but trying to detox "socially" is
pretty risky. I would suggest that when you get to hurting to the point
you're ready to use again, go to a hospital emergency room. If they
refuse you, they leave themselves open to a hell of a liability, and
they can make the appropriate referral.
Answer:
Today in many cities "detox" centers and "treatment" centers have 2
separate purposes. The detox center is just that, a place to detox either
with or without chemical aids, and usually only allow you stay for about 3
days to a week.
Treatment centers are for a structured form of drug education after you
have been clean for at least 24 hours in some up to 3 or 4 days in others.
Sometimes the length of time that you have to be clean is based on the drug
used. Sometimes it is just a general policy that blankets all drugs.
Treatment centers that are not located and run in a hospital, especially
city run centers, will not take an addict unless they have been clean for a
specific period of time because of insurance purposes. Not the addict's
insurance but the Center's insurance. The treatment facility I went to
would not take anyone unless they had been through a 3 day detox either in
a hospital or a detox center. It's just the way these places are run. And
yes, if you are caught using you are put out on the street.
Check into a detox center or hospital, if this is not possible go to an NA
meeting and tell the addicts what you are going through and ask for help.
Someone will try to help. Someone might even offer to spend some time at
your place helping to clean the place of any drugs and then stay with you
and get others to stay with until you get through the withdrawal. But
remember, you "only have" to withdraw "once". It may hurt like hell but it
won't kill you. It is a good idea to get a medical check up as soon as
possible. You have done some damage to your body that you do not know
about. WE cannot help you with that kind of trouble. I needed a doctors
care to detox safely, the shock to my system was dangerous because I also
have a heart problem. Though active addiction was slowly killing me,
suddenly stopping could have caused more problems. I was given very mild
sedatives for 2 days and then nothing for the third day. Then I was sent
to a treatment center. If I had actually listened that time and had
followed the advice of the recovering addicts in NA that I was introduced
to at that time I would not have gone back to active addiction. I did not
want to listen so I did it my way and had to go through withdrawal all over
again. That last time was enough for me. This time could be your last
time going through withdrawal, "if" you want it to be.
