In the alcohol/drug treatment industry this is the kick-off of the busy season. Today is the day when alcoholics/addicts say “fuck I did it again”. Don’t worry though because the alcoholic/addict mind has a distinct way of making this somewhat bearable. Blame and justification. Survival tools for the alcoholic.

On some level, however, this seems much worse due to the importance of the holiday. For some people ruining Christmas means arriving late, being loud and being a dick. or maybe you got in a fistfight with your wife’s brother or perhaps you ended up making out with your brother’s wife… in the guest bathroom. Perhaps ruining Christmas this year was just not showing up at all. Again.

So many problem drinkers really start taking stock of how unmanageable their life is after Christmas but so many won’t do anything about it until after New Years Eve. I mean, why get sober before a New Years Eve party? I get that.

Of course, there is another reason that the rehabs & 12 step rooms fill up this time of year and that is because they have to. Driving while under the influence will not only land you in jail (or the hospital) but you will end up with a court card you that you will need to have completed by attending 12 step meetings and in a lot of instances they can require you to enter a treatment program for substance abuse. My suggestion if you are going to try to stick it out through the New Year is UBER. It’s hard enough to get sober let alone try to get sober while being charged with vehicular manslaughter.

There are, however, a few reasons to consider treatment this week. If you have been toying with the idea and have fucked up your life and pissed off enough people that you are ready right now there are some advantages. One advantage is that it is the end of the year so most likely your deductible and out-of-pocket have been met. That is if you have insurance. If you don’t have insurance there are other options for you so don’t be discouraged. If you truly want to get sober and to stay sober you can.

You don’t have to live like this anymore. You don’t even have to go through another demoralizing holiday again if you don’t want to.

Getting sober is a unique experience. If you are a heavy drinker who wants to stop and will be able to stop on their own safely (perhaps you have done it before but you couldn’t stay stopped) or if you are a binge drinker or some other situation where you don’t need professional intervention, then the very best thing you can do is go online and Google Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous “meetings near me” and go to a meeting. Keep going every day until it starts working. Listen for the similarities, not the differences. Talk to a few people and let them help you. They will, but you will need to be willing and open-minded enough to hear them and take suggestions. In the beginning, go to as many meetings as you can. When I got sober I went to 3 a day. Search out the early morning meetings at 6 am, 7 am it’s a great way to start your day and then perhaps hit one at the end of the day, like bookends to your day.

If you are further along in your disease and you can not quit on your own, you start to tremble and shake after a few hours. If you have to drink and use to “get well” then you will need some additional support to separate you from your drug of choice and create some interference on the disease.

For those people, I thought I would write about the treatment admit process if you want to stop drinking and or using. I will break this up into two posts. One for the Alcoholic/Addict and one for the Families & Friends of the Alcoholic.

I know when you are already foggy and sick it can be overwhelming to pick up the phone and call for help. So here is some direction. Even if you aren’t ready today it surely doesn’t hurt to do the footwork so you are set up and ready to go if and when you are ready.

For those with insurance:

Call the 800 number on the back of your insurance card and ask them if you are covered for Mental Health/Substance Abuse. (many of the major insurance carriers will have a list available on their website).

If you are covered:

1.) Ask them who is in-network for what you need? ie: Detox, inpatient treatment, out-patient treatment. You might not know what one of these options you need, just get the info for now. Write it down.

2.) Ask them if your deductible has been met and what your out-of-pocket is for Mental Health/Substance Abuse. Write it down.

3.) Google the names and phone numbers of the in-network facilities they gave you and write them on your list. Look at their website and look at the program they offer. Make sure they have a program. 12 Step based is a very good indicator that it’s not just an overpriced spa visit. These might sound dreamy but they won’t keep you sober. (my experience).

One of the things you will see advertised is “medically assisted detox”. This is important to know. Medically assisted detox is a much safer detox for alcoholics and prescription drug addicts and much more comfortable and successful for the heroin addict and meth addict.

Needing detox really is determined by the quantity and frequency, as well as the substance you are using. Alcohol detox can be extremely dangerous due to the risk of seizure so please do not stop abruptly without medical assistance. What you can do while you are researching Treatment Centers is to slow down your use if you can. I call this maintenance drinking. Most alcoholics I have helped admit they know exactly what I’m talking about when I use this term. It’s the kind of drinking you do when you know someone is coming over or you have to go to the store to get more booze. It’s where you drink just enough to not get sick but not so much you pass out or blackout. Slow down. If your blood alcohol level is too high when you get to detox they will send you straight to the ER and then once your blood alcohol level is in the safe zone you can go back to detox. Blood alcohol poisoning is a major concern when we get into this blood alcohol level. So be careful and slow down. Drink water, most alcoholics don’t drink water and dehydration complicates the entire process.

4.) Now take a moment and think about your situation. Do you have pets that you need to find temporary care for? Children that can stay with relatives or friends? If you’re still employed do you need to speak to HR and let them know you will be going into treatment? This step can be complicated because your disease will use this opportunity to convince you there is no way you can go into treatment. You have too much to do. You might lose your job. Your dog won’t eat unless you feed him out of your hand. You will lose your job if they find out. Well let me break it down for you, they already know, your job, the kids, the neighbors and yes even your dog, and they all want you to get help. Your kids have been fine and so has the dog the entire time you’ve been passed out on the couch or held up in the bathroom. You really need not worry about anything as your going to lose it all eventually if you don’t get help.

If your waiting for the perfect time to get sober it is now. You will never be ready or prepared enough, you have to just make a decision that you don’t want to live like this anymore and you want to get sober. A funny thing happens when you start moving in a positive direction, the universe shows up to help. Things work out and everything starts falling into place. Trust the process. At this point, you don’t have a choice. You’re out of ideas and burned out all your options. Start the process and move forward. The fear is just Alcoholism trying to keep you stuck.

5.) Call the In-Network Facilities and see if and when they will have a bed available. They will want to run your insurance so have your insurance card your date of birth and SS # handy. Once all of the financial portion has been taken care of they will do a medical assessment with you over the phone. This is important so the medical team can approve your admittance. It is important to tell them the truth about your usage so they can help you and keep you safe and comfortable. Most alcoholics/addicts lie about how much they are using but you need to be as honest as you can so they can order the detox medication you will need. If they refer you to a higher level of care or a facility that is a better fit, don’t be alarmed. Take it as a sign from the Universe and it is guiding you to the right location.

Please note that some employers have fantastic HR departments that have excellent policies for Drug and Alcohol Treatment. You are not the only one who has had to approach them with treatment needs and they are there to help. It is usually a confidential supportive policy that will allow you the time you need to get a recovery program in place.

I am personally making myself available to answer questions and or provide ideas or experience if you need help finding help. Please feel free to contact me via email or DM me through Facebook or Instagram if you need some suggestions.