Have been sober for many years but currently relapsed and am in a downward spiral. I’m close to losing my family but I can’t seem to get my head together. Feel like I need a few months out, maybe take some time off work… has anyone done similar and did it help?

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Everyone had their own experience and has their own path. I first got sober 20 years ago, and have relapsed a couple times after long stretches of sobriety. Both relapses were pretty long. I have found many rock bottoms. I have never been to treatment. 20 years ago there was a lot of stigma around addiction, and I think there is less stigma today. The stigma kept me from going to treatment. I think going to treatment and taking significant time off work would have hurt my career due to the stigma, but I don’t know that. I went to a lot of AA. 90 meetings in 90 days was pretty life changing.

The last time getting sober was scary for me. A lot of DTs and a lot of anxiety. I probably only got through it due to work from home and a higher power.

I have over complicated sobriety many times in the last 20 years. Some people say people with a higher education level have a tougher time getting sober because they think they know everything.

When I remember that I am an alcoholic as described in the book and therefore I am powerless over alcohol I have a chance of getting another 24 hours of sobriety. When I think I have things under control, there is a good chance I pick up a drink.

We do recover. Thanks for letting me share.

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You’re a strong person in recovery.

I’m on a fmla leave right now for a stress / anxiety from excessive hours and burn out. Basically start with your pcp if you don’t already have a psychiatrist or therapist to get a referral. Tell them what’s going on and ask for them to fill out the fmla leave forms so you can focus on treatment. The treatment could just be lots of therapy, a outpatient group program, or in patient rehab.

likehelpful

I was in a similar situation and went to rehab for 3 months. I took FMLA. Best decision I ever made. I’m thinking about you and you can do this!

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How you doing OP?

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I’m doing much better, thank you. I have to say the support from this bowl has been really helpful to get my strength back up. Plus some great links that have been posted including joe and Charlie’s big book talk have been life changing - I’ve learned so much. Feeling really fortunate to have a network like this to tap into

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If your health benefits cover rehab, I’d recommend going for as long as they’ll give you. It gives you time to step away from the craziness of life and work on yourself and what’s been happening to cause your relapse. It gives you a simple routine and expectations for each day: get up, make your bed, go to groups, eat. Sometimes that’s the best thing for us.

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Hope you’re doing okay. Thinking of you for sure. I was much lower in my company at the time of my last relapse. Going to an outpatient for me saved my life. I was held accountable by family and the place I went for had IOP for the first few weeks. I went 5 days a week after work. Made it impossible to cheat a drug test and I even made sure those around me made it impossible too. Went on a cruise in early recovery and insisted my family bring tests and to force me to stay honest. Went to a meeting on that boat in the middle of the Atlantic every night. Thought it was so cool that even there, there were people like me. Depending on your situation, rehab of some sort sounds like it may be beneficial. My personal experience was the outpatient and a strict IOP and meeting regimen turned my life around. I’m hoping for the best for you on this!

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Thank you so much. Like you I’m fortunate to have a lot of support from my family, it sounds like you’re going great. I’m really looking forward to a time when I can trust myself more, but feeling a bit stronger over the last week listening to some big book talks and learning more about my situation. All the best

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Rehab?

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The dudes in my group who have gone to treatment all agree it was worth it and that they’d probably be dead otherwise.
It sounds like you’re close to where they started on a big downward spiral.

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I went to rehab for 6 weeks - best decision I’ve ever made in my life. I was able to work with HR to take all my vacation time and all my holiday time, so I only had 2-3 unpaid days.

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Definitely go! Best decision I made was inpatient + months of sober living

If you can’t stop or stay stopped, you’ll likely need detox, at least, because withdrawing from alcohol on your own is dangerous. My story doesn’t involve rehab, but I have friends, and Sponsees in A.A., who went and got a lot from it. (Suggest you get a Big Book, too.)
Best of luck to you. There is a Solution. And you’re definitely not alone!

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