Drug Rehabilitation Services – Joe’s Experience
This is a real life case study of one drug dependent persons journey from
an $800 a day drug habit that he had for over ten years.
Joe was heavily using drugs along with his partner, Naima and both were
seized by an addiction that had long been out of control and tearing their
lives apart. Joe had a family which he lost due to his addiction, and he
has not seen his children in over 8 years. His oldest child is now grown
and refuses to have anything to do with his father – just one part of a
very heavy price that Joe has paid for his drug dependency.
Shortly before seeking treatment to kick his saddiction, he and Naima
split up. This was the catalyst for Joe to seek help and here is a brief
record of his experience with drug rehabilitation services.
The Beginning
Joe checked in to a drug rehabilitation services facility outside New
York, one of the top facilities in the country but this was not to be an
easy ride for Joe.
The routine is strict and heavily monitored. Any violence or incidence of
drug use and a resident is immediately removed from the drug
rehabilitation services facility – no exceptions, no second chances.
Lisa is a counselor assigned to Joe, and she is a very blunt no nonsense
woman with over fifteen years counseling drug dependent patients. Every
day Joe and Lisa will meet to discuss his treatment and how he is
progressing but this is not the only event in what for Joe will be a very
busy schedule that will occupy every day of his stay at the drug
rehabilitation services center.
Twice each day, all of the patients meet for group therapy sessions that
for many results in the formation of extremely close bonds due to sharing
the experiences associated with their drug addictions. The feeling of
mutual misery from drug dependency serves to cement patients to each other
very tightly and this is all part of the strategy behind the treatment
regime that is being put in place by the drug rehabilitation services
facility.
This is tough love. Discipline is strict but that doesn’t mean it is there
to knock confidence in already low esteem feeling patients – it’s the
reverse. Sharing drug experiences that can only come from those that have
actually experienced the intimate use of drugs, the highs and the lows
encourages patients to explore why they are addicts and what has caused
hem to go down this destructive path.
It is all part of the drug rehabilitation services center treatment plan
to raise self-awareness of the destructive effect of their addiction and
why they have been compelled to use drugs.
The end of the first week and Joe is matter of fact about where he is:
“I wouldn’t be talking to you two months ago” he tells me”I’d be stealing
your wallet.”
Two Weeks Later
Still drug free, Joe carries on with the strict regimen of individual and
group therapy but the urge to return to drug use is strong and he’s
finding it extremely difficult.
Lisa says that every day Joe is trying to convince her of his control over
his addiction, seeking ways to argue that in fact he doesn’t really have
such a problem. Lisa has seen this all before, it’s a battle of wills
between her and Joe.
Week Three
Joe is finding it hard. The effect of withdrawal is causing him to
demonstrate very erratic behavior. So much so that there is the talk of a
return to using drugs.
Joe is angry and aggressively denies taking any drugs but even so, Lisa is
having none of it and he’s required to be tested.
His test comes back negative but this is a warning to Joe – the drug
rehabilitation services center really means business.
Group therapy is producing a positive result that Joe can’t yet see. Mike
sees that Joe is struggling with coming to terms with his addiction and
takes him under his wing. Mike has been a patient at the drug
rehabilitation services center for two months and has been there himself.
He understands what is going through Joe’s mind, the doubts, the urges and
the sense of coming close to giving up.
Joe is also finding it very hard living with the strict routine and
discipline and feeling watched all of the time. This is an absolute low
point for Joe and he wants to quit and get out.
There are tears and anger, pity and despair but Mike and a couple of other
patients stay with Joe, but will this be enough to make him stay the
course with the drug rehabilitation services he so desperately wanted
three weeks ago?
Week Five – Light at the end of the tunnel
Five weeks and more of being drug free and the effects of withdrawal are
beginning to fade for Joe.
Joe’s thinking in a more normal fashion now, focusing on his issues and
coming to terms with the damage his addiction has caused his family. He’s
especially upset over how he treated his ex wife and his family and for
the first time in many years he actually experiences guilt over what his
addiction has cost not him, but those he loved.
This is a very sad time for Joe. Grief, shame, sadness are all welling up
inside and coming out more and more as he continues with individual and
group therapy sessions that form such an integral part of the treatment
regime at this drug rehabilitation services center.
Feeling bad about what has happened is a major change from not feeling at
all and now Joe is starting to plan for leaving the drug rehabilitation
services center.
There is not only his on life to think about. He’s thinking about what he
can do to make amends for his family and those hurt by his addiction.
Joe will find that not all his bonds and relationships have been broken,
his ex wife contacts him to wish him well and to get better. She’s not
ready to go any further yet, but it’s a start to Joe maybe, one day, being
a father again.
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