Hey there. I’ve just started to single counselling for addiction. I’ve been proposed to go to a detox for a week, considering it’s been 2 months I can’t get beyond 3-4 days off booze.
My question is simple: can we bring a computer in a detox ? The thing is that I’m PhD student and need to write… I’m so late in my writings due to alcoholism that the idea of going away for a week without being able to write is making me think I can’t go. Does some of you knows the basic rules of detox ? I know it might differ from places to places … if it can helps I’m from Montreal.
Thanks for reading and if you have any insight it’ll be amazing
The only thing i was allowed to bring was currently prescribed medication and clothing. They provided everything else. One reason is they aren’t sure how you’ll behave during the detox. I was so out of it the 6 days were a blur and i had nothing but smoothies which were all i could keep down.
Theee are no detox/inpatient facilities tjat allow electronics. They want you to focus on your recovery which is actually the best thing. My detox and inpatient were very restrictive as they should be. I was there for 6 weeks combined and it was nuce not being distracted by technology.
I had responsibilities when I was told it would be the best thing for me to go in to detox. I had so many reasons why I couldnt go but I did. It was the best decision I made. Everything was still there when I got out.
You need to take care of you right now. Everything else will come in time.
Today is day 365 for me sober. After a year I still am grateful for being given the chance to go get help.
The detox I went to only allowed clothes, personal hygiene stuff like shampoo and toothpaste, and my regularly prescribed meds. I had a hat on and they wouldn’t even allow that in. So, I’m assuming no but ya never know. You could do a search and see if one detox place knows of another that does allow it; its worth a try…
Detox, as in, for withdrawal? The two times I went to a detox facility other than the hospital, electronics were not allowed. When I detoxed in the hospital, they let me have my phone, not that I felt well enough to really make use of it. I didn’t ask about bringing in a computer, but keep in mind this is literally staying in a hospital bed for a week going through physical mayhem, sometimes in a busy hallway for days at a time, I wasn’t going to be productive at all.
It sounds like you might be interested in inpatient treatment/rehab though, for recovery support beyond the physical withdrawal stage. Those facilities will have their own rules, but they generally do not allow electronics. The treatment center I was in did not. I was thankful for that, it made it easier to focus on my recovery, even though I wasn’t a heavy phone user. Not having to think about all the stuff I had to do on the outside encouraged my attention towards the learning and healing I was doing.
I’m from BC, but I imagine most places are the same.
I’m a PhD student too. Trust me, by taking the time to get yourself right, on the other side your writing will be exponentially better AND you’ll be more efficient. I’d say go to detox and leave the laptop at home until you’re past the worst of it.
Yeah the vast majority of detox facilities dont allow electronics for several reasons, primarily so you cant call or message someone who might come to visit you and persuade them to bring you something. Its mostly for drugs but it wouldnt be too hard for someone to sneak in a bottle for ya if u were to guilt trip them about it. Also because youre gonna be busy between feeling like shit and attending counseling and group meetings…dont forget youre primary goal for going there is to work on ways to face/cope with ur addiction, they really dont want ya distracted focusing on other things. If youre on a deadline you cant afford to miss for work or school my suggestion would be to take it back old school with a pencil and a couple sheets of paper… do ur writing longhand and then type it up once youre released from the facility provided you dont need the internet for research while youre writing. If at all possible tho id say postpone it til u get out and focus solely on gripping ur sobriety while youre there. Those places arent cheap, might as well get ur moneys worth lol
I would like to thank you all for you le answers. It think generally the point is to go to rehab and focus on rehab. You’re all right and you’re also right saying that me wanting to keep my writings going is kind of me trying to not focus on my deep problem which is addiction(like @Mephistopheles underlined…) . Like I could just be in a controlled area where I could continu my project without focusing on my recovery…
I make a general reply here as you guys pointed pretty much the same thing in different angle… as for the withdrawals, it’s not exactly the reason of my potential rehab. Because my problem is more the psychological dependance that occur mostly for me after the 3th and 4th days of sobriety (to answer to @ifs) … it was made a suggestion to go in detox to pass that barrier for at least a week.
So… with all your insight i think next week I’ll tell my counseler I could go to the detox … and bring pen an paper like @Becsta suggested …
I hope that, like @dirtybones said, my writings and productiveness will get better after I put the work in… I’m still debating with myself if i should do it or not… honestly I might try a writing retreat to start… but i know I should also put the work to my recovery.
And seriously right now it’s the spring break so I could be leaving for a week without too many trouble … then focus on writing… anyways all this is processing in my mind… thanks for your kind repliés guys
You could always deferr. My wife has lost her dad and brother in the last couple of months and has deferred her master’s till later in the year. Can you do that with a PhD?
I mean, what’s more important?
If you can stop alcohol for 4 days without severe withdrawal I’m not certain you need a detox, more likely rehab. Go see a doctor for advice on that, alcohol withdrawals are extremely dangerous and if you do need a detox you should definitely do it properly, be careful.
Regarding your studies, there’s a saying in recovery;
‘Put your recovery first. Anything you place before your recovery you’ll eventually lose anyway.’
I’ve set my studies back by almost 2 years now because I’m yet to find a way to work it around my recovery, I’m almost there though
Being sober and enjoying life has been well worth it for me.
Great work acknowledging the problem, that’s the largest step for many!
but you’re right , it’s like I’m hesitating between two very different thing, and maybe I need both !!!