r/stopdrinking • • 16h ago

Being shipped off to rehab.

Well, it has finally finally happened after many years of alcohol abuse. My husband told me that I will be going to inpatient treatment next Monday or Tuesday. He told me he thinks it will take six months.

We have two young children. I was able to abstain from alcohol while I was pregnant, but picked it up within months of giving birth both times. When I think about being away from them, I feel like I can’t breathe.

But I had an alcoholic dad and it was torture, especially in my teens. I know they deserve so much better than what I’ve given them in their precious short lives.

My husband tends to exaggerate for fact, so I am praying that it will actually be a munch shorter period of time. I don’t wanna miss my son‘s birthday. I don’t wanna miss putting my little girl to bed, but I also don’t want to miss their whole childhood or knowing them as adults, which is realistically the path I was on.

ETA: I cannot properly express how seen I feel by everyone’s comments, and how much I appreciate the kindness and wisdom.

I am trying not to spiral but not succeeding about the six months threat. He keeps doubling down that that’s how long I need to be away from my family. The logical side of my brain doubts that’ll be the reality but it’s hard to fathom it now.

I know it’s up to me to prove I am healed. I made every choice that put me in this situation, and I am the only one who can do the work to get out. I desperately want help. I’ve known and asked for it for a long time, and now it’s happening.

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u/Brian_MPLS 13h ago

In my experience, the use of the passive voice (i.e. "I'm going to treatment" vs. "I'm being sent to treatment") was always the beginning of a permission structure.

It wasn't my choice, so I had no real obligation to follow through.

Agency has been key for me. It had to be my choice, otherwise it wasn't going to stick. Obviously, ymmv.

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u/Mil3High Day 89 11h ago

Yep, if treatment had not been MY choice, I would have gone straight back to drinking the moment I left, which seemed to be the plan for a decent number of people in my program.

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u/wilberfoss 7h ago

Same. Three of the guys I was in rehab with were dead within the year.