Friday, June 29, 2012

January 2, 2011 entry

Prayer For The Day:
I pray that I may realize that, for good or bad, past days have ended. I pray that I may face each new days. The coming twenty four hours, with hope and courage.
Just For Today:
I will take a deep breath and talk to my God whenever I feel frustrated.
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I'm very tired this morning. My head is hurting. I'm feeling fine other than that. Stayed up late last night.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Betty Ford Clinic.....no

Just called my mom and had to reassure her that the rehab I'm at is doing very well and I'm mad that my parents got the grand idea of wanting to send me to the Betty Ford Rehab in California. That right there angers me. They can't even afford it! What are they thinking? This whole thing is so damn stressful. My parents annoy the crap out of me and it's so unnecessary. I want and have to get my shit together. I told my mom that I need a continuation of this program. I am able to go home, but I can't sit home and sleep all day like I used to before I came here. I have to go to AA meetings and make an effort. I have to continue to meet with my therapist and we can go through the 12 steps along with my sponsor. This is hard work but it's worth it and I'm worth it. I pray for strength and peace of mind when I leave the rehab and when I return home. The group saw the movie Clean and Sober starring Michael Keaton and Morgan Freeman for Saturday's 10 AM group. Saturday's here are laid back because since it's the weekend, the rehab is technically closed so there aren't any staff members except for the nurse so there aren't any meetings or groups except on Sunday. I'm so tired of having to wait up early. Every day, no matter if it's the weekend or weekday, we have to wake up by 6:30AM. I took my anxiety pill today. Things are good today.
[January 1, 2011]
6:30AM GROUP-
*ANGER, FRUSTRATION, BEING HOME TOO MUCH, COMPARING OUT, FEELING EMPTY INSIDE.

 

Continuation of Journal 1

[no date]
My mom came back to visit me in rehab unexpectedly. She brought little oranges for me and the group to share. I was outside smoking with a few other patients and of course my mom had a fit. She's always trying to control me. The one thing, well one of many things, that really annoy me about my mom is she really is trying to control how I look, dress, weigh, etc. She hates that I have tattoos and she wants me to look like this porcelain angel doll. That's one of the things I discussed with Nikki, my counselor here in rehab. It seems to me like my parents just sent me here to rehab to "fix me". I don't think they know the work involved with getting and staying sober. While my mom visited today, she told me how bad my dad feels for me being here. I believe that. I bet they partially regret putting me here in the first place. They like me at home with them all the time, that's all. I assured her I was doing perfectly fine here. She told me that she bought plane tickets for us for Puerto Rico. Honestly, that shows me how ignorant they are to this issue. I think they honestly believe I'll be cured when I get out of here. Puerto Rico is the last place I should go when I get out of rehab.  I wish they would take this seriously.
The one thing I learned is that life will still happen, whether I get sober or not. When I truly quit, crappy days will still happen to me and it's all about how I choose to react and deal with whatever situation is in front of me. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the New Year's rehab party tonight.
                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~
January 1, 2011
I talked to Nikki yesterday and she agreed to meet my mom for a meeting. I want to go home badly today. I was told to make a pro/con list of staying at the half way house next door. I would rather be home and I'd still be going to meetings, promise! I'd go to meetings, meet up with people, look for work. I know that's a lot but I really want all of this to work out. I really want to go home today. I have a lot of nausea and anxiety.
                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer For Today:
 I pray that God will guide me one day at a time in the New Year. I pray that each day God will supply the wisdom and the strength that I need.
Just For Today:
I will be vigilante doing everything necessary to guard my recovery.

I'm doing good here but I'm just annoyed by what's going on at home. But I'll still make my list about the halfway house.

PROS-
INDEPENDENCE, FREEDOM, WON'T DEAL WITH PARENTS, MEETING NEW PEOPLE.
CONS-
NEW ATMOSPHERE, HAVE TO PAY TO STAY THERE, PARENTS LETTING ME COME HOME, NEW PEOPLE, CAN STILL SEE THERAPIST AND GO TO MEETINGS AT HOME.

Important Things

HONESTY, LOYALTY, FRIENDS, HEALTH, TALENTS, GOALS, SELF, LOVE, RESPECT.

First Parent's/ Visitor's Night at Rehab

December 30, 2010
Prayer For The Day:
I pray that I strive to be the kind of a person that God would have me be. I pray that I may try to fulfill God's vision of what I could be.
Just For Today:
My recovery is too precious to just wish about it. Today is a good day for action and prayer.


I enjoyed the Women's Group with Nikki today. I know these groups with other women and making friends here will get me through being here. My parents come tonight for visitor's night. It's once a week. I'm interested in seeing how that'll go. I don't think I'll be sad when they leave. We'll see.
                                              ~~~~~~~~
December 30, 2010
They, parents, came for visitor's night and left and I wasn't sad. They reminded me of partially why I drink. Their back and forth bickering, mainly started by my dad, causes me to drink at home. Even when it's not even related to me, in most situations, if I don't want to hear the yelling I'll hole myself in my room, turn up my music. But I think it's more of a habit to take the pills, which I don't even take everyday. I can't say that when  things go wrong I'll always get a drink, because I don't. But if I still get angry out of no where. I'm adjusting here well. Yesterday was the first official day I stopped feeling sad here. The last day I kept trying to want to go home. I still have 3 weeks left so I still have a while to go. My parents did ask me about a sponsor, something you are asked to have in AA/NA. It's really hard to be around people that don't get it and those that aren't addicts themselves. My dad really focuses on the wrong things. He frustrates the hell out of me. His total ignorance of this disease is so unnerving. I'm not going to sit here and start blaming my parents, not after all the self growth I've found during my short week in rehab. I totally forgot that their fighting was one of my reasons. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.
                                                     ~~~~~~~~~
December 31, 2010
Prayer For Today:
I pray that I may carry good things into the year ahead. I pray that I may so live that I will be afraid to die.
Just For Today:
I will look for opportunities to be of service in everything I do.

Of course I miss being home and I never sat there and blamed my parents entirely for my drinking. You know, of course I miss being home. You can't get used to this place. There's nothing like home comforts. The thing I heard to think about, probably Elissa the counselor said this during one of our groups, think about your worst/ saddest moment while drunk or whatever and after days of brainstorming it has to be this past  Christmas Day. Maybe it was because of the holiday, but I knew it was out of control. It was when I took 12 sleeping pills, stayed in my room high as hell from the pills, and my parents were downstairs opening presents.  To me, that memory is so heartbreaking. But you know, I can't do anything about that now. Elissa told us to think about that time and Nikki mentioned to play the tape in your head all the way though. What this means is, don't just think about the good highs and the good times you had while drunk or on drugs. Think about all the bad things that happened as well. So I start remembering the physical sickness, the time I left my cats outside because I was too drunk to remember to let them in. Also about the time I was drunk and the one time I went to work hungover. Also when I started drinking vanilla extracts because they have a small amount of alcohol in them. I know that wasn't more than 3 months ago. I don't even know how that started, but I would drink that when I couldn't afford to buy my usual bottle of red wine, my main drink of choice. I also remember about 2 years ago I would call in sick to work when I would be too buzzed off of the sleeping pills. That's when I would take those sparingly. But the point is, if I remember all that stuff and if I really look back at all that, not to mention how nervous and angry my parents got each time something happened to me, that all wasn't because I thought life wasn't worth living. They weren't suicide attempts. They were all apart of addiction, the disease. Another reason was boredom. Simply, I was able to get away with it, so I did it. I would sit at home, I didn't make my job situation or my life overall any better. If anything it made my life stagnant and make me feel worst.
My mom said when I get out of rehab, she's going to buy me and herself a plane ticket for Puerto Rico. We have a beach house about 40 minutes east of San Juan. She wants to go in February. I haven't been there since my birthday last May. She said she might call my therapist for me. My mom also mentioned that my cousin, Tim, who is in AA as well, called me and left me a sweet and supportive voice mail. Before word of my alcoholism broke out to parts of my family, I really was never close to Tim. He's on my dad's side of the family. My dad had a drinking issue when I was younger but once some of his family talked to him about it, he promptly quit. Maybe that's why he doesn't understand my addiction. I wrongly assumed a while back that a person would totally understand addiction if they had an issue of their own. I was wrong. He doesn't understand at all. My cousin Tim and his mom, my aunt, are both alcoholics. Actually, my dad's mother, my grandmother was an alcoholic as well. So, it strongly runs in my family. Anyway, Tim knows a few girls our age that live close to me that are in AA. I am trying to find people my age to go to meetings with when I get out of rehab. I plan on going to at least one meeting a day when I return home. My job situation is what makes me the most nervous about returning home to live with my parents. Until I find a job I'm going to have to volunteer or something just to get outside. But I won't think too far ahead. Everyday here in rehab is different. So far I'm doing well.

Part I: Rehab and Halfway House Diaries

Diary 1- Rehab, Diary of the Addicted.
December 28, 2010
Prayer For The Day:
I pray that I may be grateful. I pray that I may not forget where I might be but for the grace of God. 
Just For Today:
I will allow knowledge of my true nature to guide my actions. Today, I will face the world as myself.

I was surprisingly able to sleep last night. I'm still adjusting to being here in rehab and trying to adjust to the other people here. Things seems fine to me. I am glad I met with Nikki, the counselor. The one on one conversations help me a lot to self recognize.  I value that I'm so honest and loyal. I think those two things will be a huge help in me solving and realizing things about myself. I want to come out of this recovery a more positive thinker about myself and my overall situation. I no longer want to look at my home situation as a bad thing, and believe that good will come soon. I want to figure out why I do what I do: constant negative life experiences drive my drinking. I feel like I look at this present situation, being in rehab, as jail or a punishment, so that's partially why I want to leave here so badly, when I should see this as a much needed push. I feel I am at a crossroads. I know I can no longer continue what I'm doing and I've admitted I need help for my situation, and I shouldn't  feel like what I admit to Nikki as punishment or be so careful about what I say. I have always known that I lacked confidence, but it has taken me years to admit it to myself or use that word. If a word has a negative social stigma, I'll ignore it.
                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~
December 29, 2010 
Prayer For The Day:
I pray that my life may be balanced between prayer and work. I pray that I may not work without prayer or pray without work.
Just For Today:
I seek to see myself as I truly am. I will listen to what others say about me and see myself through their eyes.

I thought a lot about why I'm here last night, as I do every night. I know I put myself here by my actions and that I can get myself out. I know that my plan when I leave here is to meet with my therapist, to find a job and probably get back on food stamps. As soon as I am out of the house and working I'll naturally feel better about myself. A strength I think I'll gain by being here is the ability to be more social. I've always been social, more than I think. To deter me from going back to my old behavior could be to think of the worst possible thing that happened to me while drinking. While in a group with Elissa yesterday, we were asked to think of our worst moment in our drinking or drugging. I guess what happened recently could be a moment. I learned that it's not about our moments that need to be the same but it ends up becoming about how we felt. I can easily relate to how they felt and I could relate to many parts of the NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting guest's stories on the first day of my time in this rehab. I know I've gotten through the first of the twelve steps of NA/ AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)- "Admitting this has made my life unmanageable". I know I've been struggling to get to the first step for a couple of weeks now. I realized that even though I really should not be living that way, I blame a block in life as the reason. Partially I blame a heredity issue and the other half really is my own mindset. Really since it's all about how we think about ourselves, and if I stay in the negative mentality, I'll continue to drink. The negative mentality drives what I do; when I know there's no reason that I should have allowed to let alcohol take me this far. So I sit and think; partially it's a habitual reason as to why I do the pills. Especially since I don't get a withdrawal if I don't take them. So why do I keep taking them? Especially also since I hate the feeling I get when I take them. I absolutely hate the feeling I get. But of course I do like the feeling I get from the drink- whether I get sick or not. I'm coming to a crossroads and I need to and want to quit. I know I've hurt people and I've been think about that a lot lately. I think a big thing is impatience. I feel better physically today. A little nausea and dizziness but no headache. I'm adjusting well socially too. It's not just about the drinking issue as it is the living situation. I've felt the need to move out for a while but I know some of my habits won't change and there won't be as much of a need to look for work if I stay home. Volunteering has been something that I want told to do to get out of the house and meet people.
I just came back from my first women's NA meeting next door at the halfway house. I surprisingly  like it a lot. One of the things I knew I wanted to get out of this rehab experience is not only to be more social and get out of my comfort zone, but to hear others stories about their own addictions. One of the things I knew I wanted for days before coming to rehab was a chance to no longer be alone socially and to hear stories from other addicts. I knew that a big thing of understanding my problems would be to relate to others. Everyone thinks their alone and the only one thinking stuff. They aren't. I always thought and still do think I'm alone and I know I'm not. The three big things I was able to relate to at the women's meeting was 1. Thinking you are alone in your disease and you are the only one thinking certain things. 2. Not being social with other women. 3. Relating to others. I think it hits harder and means more when the stories come from other women.
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Welcome to my nightmare.

My name is Scarlett and I'm a heroin addict. I have been keeping a diary in so far, 4, spiral notebooks since I entered rehab and I have decided to transfer them to my blog online here.
I've been an alcoholic for about 14 years, pills for about 12 years and I have been, regretfully, a heroin addict for the past 8 months, a year coming this late August/September.
What a hellish journey it has been. Actually, within about 3 months of using things were already steadily falling apart.
I started using for typical reasons. Heroin truly has this glamorization attached to it. I became mentally obsessed and addicted to H years before I ever touched it. I didn't even really know much about it, all I knew was that I wanted it.
So follow me, if you dare, as I let you into my life, my obsession, and my hell. Buckle up! It sure as hell is a bumpy ride!
What made you want to read my blog in the first place? Are you a fellow addict? Then you must understand how I feel. If you are a parent of an addict, I am giving  you a possible glimpse of what your child is up to and what they may be dealing with.