I'm trying to find out if anyone here that's been addicted to Heroin and has entered an in patient program for 28 days?
My daughter, age 25 just left yesterday to a facility for 28 days for recovery. I understand that a longer program would be better, but I'll take anything at this point, hoping that this might help her want to be forceful in changing her life.
I"ve never been in patient for detox and want to know more about it.
I found out that she will be doing a four day detox, then she will be able to contact me or whomever she wants to call, and from there, I guess they have hourly, daily meetings to attend?
Do they give the patient anything for withdrawals in the four days? or the 28 days?
what do they teach in the meetings? are they intensive? does it work?
upon discharge, do they try to help set the patient up with after care and a program to get into?
or is is up to the patient to seek out this stuff?
any information would be comforting to me at this time.
I really hope these facilities are doing the best they can do to help the person who finally wants to get help and not just do what ever they have to do half a** just to keep money coming in.
I want a place that has staff that truly and significantly cares so much about each and every person that comes through their door.
I wish I could personally put an end to this deadly and life sucking drug called heroin off the streets for good. but I know this is impossible. I have never seen my beautiful daughter look as bad as she did yesterday when she stopped by to see me to get a few things before she went upstate to the detox program.
she had a rash on her face, between her eyebrows,,that she tried covering up with makeup, which only made it look worst, and her once beautiful teeth are all yellow now and the glue that once held her braces in place as a child, stands out even more yellow than her teeth.
she used to care so much about her appearance and dress so maticulously, but not anymore.
her once shiny strong hair is now limp and greasy, her clothes are all wrinkled and have a scent of mold on them which were probably just picked up from a pile of dirty clothes and put on because she no longer uses the money she can get to wash clothes and instead puts every dime towards her next fix so she doesn't suffer withdrawals.
I pray she awakens from this nightmare of a life being addicted to this killer heroin and wants to do the work that it takes to get clean again.
it's a choice of life and death.
the addict doesn't see what they look like. it's like they're in a fuzzy dream and can't see reality. I WANT my daughter back again. I miss her so much. I hate drugs. I really hate them. not the addicts. I understand the addicts, I don't understand the people who make the drugs all for the sake of money and not care about a persons life. they are truly the devil at work.
there are SO many people who have died the past couple of years all because heroin is on the rise. younger people are now doing it. kids in their young teens!!!!! something has to be done about this epidemic !!!!!!! My God, has this world gone insane and only care about the mighty dollar and not about another fellow human being???
I"m so angry and just want to cry but can't.
I know it's not just the program that has to do the work for the patient, but that the patient has to want it bad enough to do the work themselve and further work when they get out.
Lintek54, I have been through a program very similar to the one your daughter is currently in from the sound of things. To answer a couple of your questions, Yes they do typically help the patients that are withdrawing from heroin with medication such as suboxone or subutext for the first few days to week. They also usually provide other comfort meds such as muscle relaxers, blood pressure medication and lists of PRN medications that the patient can request for any particular discomfort they may be having. Now not ALL facilities are like this, as some have the patients go cold turkey as they don't believe in pharmaceutical replacement for drug addiction. But it sounds to me like your daughter is not at one of those types of places. As for your question regarding aftercare, most of the programs assist the patient in helping set up a specific aftercare program that will fit the needs of the individual. A lot of the time this could mean going into a sober living environment for another extended period of time, or regular counseling sessions weekly or a combination of the two. Every place is a little different and all the programs I have been to have been in the southern California area, and if I had to guess by you stating that she went UP STATE that you may be on the other side of the world, lol NY maybe or something? But anyways keep encouraging your daughter! This coming from a heroin addict, it took a lot of courage for her to go into this treatment facility. That should show you right there that she does want to get better! So encourage her, but don't enable her! Hope this helped, Im new on here too! Good luck to you and your daughter.
My recovery began in a 90 day program in 1989.
They will administer meds as required (I had been alcohol/drug free for a couple of months and that was when I truly was going crazy. I received no meds and I am so glad I didn't).
My 90 days got my feet on the ground good enough to be released and to be able to accept AA/NA.
In AA/NA is where the recovery takes place and it is a lifelong process for us.
I wish your daughter the best.
Al-Anon and Nar-Anon would help you. They will explain to you what will/should happen in the future and it will be an education for you.
They will administer meds as required (I had been alcohol/drug free for a couple of months and that was when I truly was going crazy. I received no meds and I am so glad I didn't).
My 90 days got my feet on the ground good enough to be released and to be able to accept AA/NA.
In AA/NA is where the recovery takes place and it is a lifelong process for us.
I wish your daughter the best.
Al-Anon and Nar-Anon would help you. They will explain to you what will/should happen in the future and it will be an education for you.
Thank you both for your awesome replies. You have given me hope and encouragement.
yes, I am in NY. We call North bound, "Upstate". lol. she's three hours away from home. I have never met such a stubborn, determined young lady as my daughter. It's been a very difficult life she's been living these past few years while she's been on her own out of our home. she's even admitted to me she can't take living like this anymore and that it's costly too. she want's off the roller coaster. I do know that once this child wants something, she goes after it and will hold onto it like a dog bites onto something and won't let it go.
and it is a life time of work. it's growth. it's challenging and rewarding as well.
but they say take it one day at time so that the mind doesn't see it as overwhelming which then makes the person not want to attempt it.
I really am praying that they guide her more in the direction of a residential living type thing so she's not around all the triggers and people that she was around before she left. she did admit to me that she doesnt' want to be around these people and places when she gets out.
28 days just does not seem long enough to get time under the belt from abstaining from drugging.
she really needs to be in therapy to work on her past issues that set her off in pain to begin with. she fights therapy like I did. not until i got into weekly therapy and on meds to treat my so called "bipolar II" disorder did I get truly better.
she told me that she wishes we could always feel as good as she does when she's high.
I told her most human beings want that feeling and that's why they seek after things but these things only temporary fill that hole. It could be material things, drugs, sex, gambling, shopping, etc. and that there's really only ONE thing to make us feel that good in life and that's to fill the emptiness with what or who created us. that's our purpose, to come back to what created us.
I told her a story I just heard the other day on the news. Brain surgeons were doing studies on a persons brain while they were awake, and when they touched certain areas of the brain , they felt euphoric and said what a good hospital the place was and what great doctors they are etc. and then they touched another area of the brain and the person said they didn't like the feeling and that they felt sad and gray like and to stop doing what they were doing. then they touched another part of the brain which set off anger. they said they'd have to strap a person down when it came to touching that part of the brain. I told my daughter, this is how drugs affect the brain. that's why people keep seeking after the drug that made them feel good. drugs touch that center of the brain. and that's when she said why can't they come up with something that makes people happy all the time without it being against the law. lol.
I told her that her joy will come back after her brain heals from not using drugs anymore.
I finally am getting my joy for life back again and I never want that taken away again. it's so much easier to live a clean and sober life compared to a life of addiction. it's a much more complicated, dramatic and chaotic life style when you're chasing after a drug to make you feel good. she has so much to learn yet and she's so smart. I told her it's never too late to start fresh again. each day we are given a chance. to me that is a gift.
yes, I am in NY. We call North bound, "Upstate". lol. she's three hours away from home. I have never met such a stubborn, determined young lady as my daughter. It's been a very difficult life she's been living these past few years while she's been on her own out of our home. she's even admitted to me she can't take living like this anymore and that it's costly too. she want's off the roller coaster. I do know that once this child wants something, she goes after it and will hold onto it like a dog bites onto something and won't let it go.
and it is a life time of work. it's growth. it's challenging and rewarding as well.
but they say take it one day at time so that the mind doesn't see it as overwhelming which then makes the person not want to attempt it.
I really am praying that they guide her more in the direction of a residential living type thing so she's not around all the triggers and people that she was around before she left. she did admit to me that she doesnt' want to be around these people and places when she gets out.
28 days just does not seem long enough to get time under the belt from abstaining from drugging.
she really needs to be in therapy to work on her past issues that set her off in pain to begin with. she fights therapy like I did. not until i got into weekly therapy and on meds to treat my so called "bipolar II" disorder did I get truly better.
she told me that she wishes we could always feel as good as she does when she's high.
I told her most human beings want that feeling and that's why they seek after things but these things only temporary fill that hole. It could be material things, drugs, sex, gambling, shopping, etc. and that there's really only ONE thing to make us feel that good in life and that's to fill the emptiness with what or who created us. that's our purpose, to come back to what created us.
I told her a story I just heard the other day on the news. Brain surgeons were doing studies on a persons brain while they were awake, and when they touched certain areas of the brain , they felt euphoric and said what a good hospital the place was and what great doctors they are etc. and then they touched another area of the brain and the person said they didn't like the feeling and that they felt sad and gray like and to stop doing what they were doing. then they touched another part of the brain which set off anger. they said they'd have to strap a person down when it came to touching that part of the brain. I told my daughter, this is how drugs affect the brain. that's why people keep seeking after the drug that made them feel good. drugs touch that center of the brain. and that's when she said why can't they come up with something that makes people happy all the time without it being against the law. lol.
I told her that her joy will come back after her brain heals from not using drugs anymore.
I finally am getting my joy for life back again and I never want that taken away again. it's so much easier to live a clean and sober life compared to a life of addiction. it's a much more complicated, dramatic and chaotic life style when you're chasing after a drug to make you feel good. she has so much to learn yet and she's so smart. I told her it's never too late to start fresh again. each day we are given a chance. to me that is a gift.
