We have a round table with a group of addicts and alcoholics. We are all sitting here in a circle. We're going to talk about real life experiences when it comes to getting clean, staying clean, and what treatment is like. We also talk about what they've been going through and the struggles that they have.

We also talk about what they're looking forward to. Chris, Evan, Casey, Dylan, and James kick off the discussion with what they were going through prior to treatment. We talk about turning points and the actual treatment process once they are here. Everyone shares their struggles and more in this episode.

Show Notes

• [03:38] The group consists of Chris, Evan, Casey, Dylan, and James who are first going to talk about some of the barriers they had prior to treatment.
• [04:13] Life blowing up in your face is one of the things that gets you to treatment.
• [05:16] Evan was only 16, and he was embarrassed about his drug use. He overdosed and his parents knew something needed to be done.
• [08:34] Accepting that you are an alcoholic is a big part of going to treatment and having it work.
• [09:58] Changing things like beginning to exercise and who you hang out with can help, but you really do need the treatment process.
• [12:31] Everybody shares what they struggle with the most while they're in treatment.
• [12:59] For Chris, relationships are a struggle while in treatment. He needs to find relationships with people who have long-term sobriety.
• [16:24] People have different reasons for coming to rehab.
• [18:28] Certain things that you have done in the past can lead to misery. Don't repeat those behaviors that lead back to addiction. Don't get overconfident.
• [19:37] You don't realize how much you actually have until you look at it everyday and see all the things you have to be grateful for.
• [20:55] Go to treatment where you're going to be living. Build a support network because 30 days isn't enough.
• [22:52] A lot of people have the urgency to progress forward. Goals have to happen within a certain time frame. It can't be rushed.
• [25:49] Sometimes people with heroin addiction think that they can drink. There isn't much of a difference with the addiction aspect and needing to change something about yourself with a substance that you will use to an extreme.
• [30:42] Be okay with what you feel and what you think and try to find the core reason why you're putting these substances in your body in the first place.
• [31:37] Drinking begins as a social thing than it progresses to something more when you have the addictive mentality and the addictive mindset.
• [32:59] If you're not a drug addict or an alcoholic, you may never discover some of the things from childhood that are holding you down.
• [33:27] Tom's addiction has given him the opportunity to look at everything that has happened in his past.
• [35:12] Fears that come when treatment comes to an end.
• [36:02] It's crucial to build a foundation around people who are serious about recovery.
• [36:28] Reach out and find people in meetings to hold you accountable.
• [37:56] A big fear is what are you going to do when no one is watching you.
• [39:59] Stay as long as you can and make sure you are ready to go home. There's a good chance that home isn't a sober place to be.
• [40:35] When you go to treatment be completely open-minded and let the people there make the decisions for you.
• [41:03] Do your research on treatment places before you go, and 30 days isn't enough. Take your time, because you can't fix your problems and do what you have to do when you're using.
• [41:54] Be careful who you associate with. Get in a 12-step program. Take some time and sit with yourself.