EMB asked:
My husband just went to an inpatient rehab. He hit rock bottom and voluntarily went. He seems to be putting every effort into it. I am just concerned that that success rates are not great. I understand that when he gets home he will still have to go to meetings and probably do some intensive outpatient therapy. How much do the rates improve for those that continue on for more therapy and meetings compared to those that do not?
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5 users responded in this post
It all depends on the person. Some have a strong will to overcome the habit, and really do ,with their belief in God),
Don’t worry about the odds, Honey. Even if they’re 1%, you have to think your husband will be in that group. Rest assured it’s better than 1%, and know he’ll be a success story.
Just a cursory glance at the internet could give you tons of statistics on the “success” and “failure” rates of rehab. And they would all say different things, some bleak and some optimistic. I would encourage you not to read into statistics because those based on other people and their experiences (and not yours, your family or most importantly your husband’s).
Alcoholism is a disease that could strike anyone, regardless of status, income, occupation, age, gender, race, sexual orientation or creed. There is no uniformity and each person’s struggle is different.
Inpatient rehab is a wonderful opportunity for a person to learn the coping mechanisms and relapse prevention techniques vital to staying sober in a safe environment. But inpatient does not help a person in creating a new life wherein alcohol is no longer a threat once he’s out.
So it becomes much more beneficial to continue on with groups, therapies and meetings so that he can begin to make said changes in his daily routine. At the same time, he will rely on his family in being open and honest about his recovery. Recovery is more possible when his support group is just that: supportive, and not shaming, judgmental or scared.
Recovery and the criteria of success is different for each person. For some, it’s 12 steps; others, one difficult cold-turkey-grit-your-teeth-and-bare-it step. Your husband will have an idea of what he needs to stay sober so that he isn’t triggered into relapse. Listen to him — he is the greatest indicator of his own success.
his prospects depend on him and whether or not he realizes that recovery is a life, not a life sentence. That bears repeating:
RECOVERY IS A LIFE, NOT A LIFE SENTENCE!
The people who fail are generally in 1 of 4 groups: those who think treatment is a 1 time thing and they come out cured, those who fundamentally believe that they don’t really have a problem (everyone else does), those who don’t want to get better, and those whose families don’t support their recovery.
I checked myself in 15 years ago. i have never relapsed because my sobriety has been the priority of my life. As long as I am sober I am able to be there for others. My prospects for success when I was discharged were judged to be poor because I was returning to a family situation wherein my recovery would be intentionally undermined, and I had 0 in the way of a support network.
Fortunately, my wife refused to live with a man who couldn’t handle his booze, and she left. I attended AA and CodA for more than 12 years. I spent what very little money I had on outpatient therapy for the 1st year. I took my dog, my truck and my tools to a new town, where I found a new profession that was personally rewarding and made a contribution to society.
In recovery, we often say, “It takes what it takes”, and many of us have taken that to heart and will go to any lengths to stay in recovery, which fortunately requires only compassion. But it’s called “alcohol-ism” not “alcohol-wasm”, we accept that it is always waiting for us, and we can never regard it in the past tense. It is a small price to pay for the freedom we gain.
So, his chances are almost entirely determined by the choices he makes, and the support he recieves from his family. Many families absolutely refuse to keep all booze out of the house when their loved one comes home. His chances, if yours is such a home, are near 0. If he is willing to go to any length to stay in recovery, and you are 100% supportive, his chances are near 100%.
Get the book, “7 weeks to Sobriety”. Follow it and his chances improve dramatically.
in house rehab is the best way to go and the longer you financially can handle to be there the better, i think. i was in for 90 days and it is the best and hardest thing i’ve ever done for myself. the fact that he asked to go to rehab is a great start! the meetings are a life saver for some, i don’t care for the meetings and have done fine due to my relationship with Christ and the strength i have from it. i think al anon meetings for you would do wonders to help you better understand what he is going through and be a support for you. they have great material and a book they have available.
as far as statistics go i couldn’t say really but i know that it is better if you go to meetings daily when you first get out. … but it happens one day at a time that people like your husband (and me) are staying clean and sober! hang on to that hope!
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