In the last two years of practicing my addiction I became addicted to many different substances which could have resulted in a lethal combination.  It is rather odd that I survived in spite of all the various chemicals I was putting into my body on a daily basis.  By all reasonable means I should not have survived.  I attribute my survival to the intervention of my higher power.

I was urged to go to detox at a local hospital by family members.  I went willingly as I knew that they meant business this time.  Personally, I just wanted to go somewhere and rest so I could pick up where I left off.  I wanted these people to stop bothering me about my drinking and using.  So, I willingly went to the detox that they recommended to me.  And to my utter amazement I have been sober since that very first day in detox.

Medical detox is recommended especially when the addict is using combinations of drugs and alcohol.  I was using uppers and downers plus alcohol on a daily basis.  My poor body was in quite a poor state of health and I felt as if my brain was a pinball machine.  I had hit bottom in every area of my life including morally, financial, physically, spiritually and relationally.  So medical detox for me seemed to be the reasonable way to sober me up.

I remember my first afternoon in the detox unit.  I was in bed and wearing a hospital gown at 4 in the afternoon.  I was starting to crave my afternoon drugs so I told Nurse Margaret that I had a bad headache and needed something for pain.  She brought me two Tylenol tablets and needless to say I was very disappointed.  I began to realize that this was quite possibly the end of my drinking and using career.  I wanted no visitors as I was too ashamed for anyone to see me in the unit.

I was given the appropriate drugs to control my withdrawal symptoms as prescribed by the physician.  Whatever the method, its main object was to clear my mind and body of the effects of the illicit drugs and alcohol I had been taking.  Once this occurred. I was able to think somewhat straight and no longer had the craving for drugs and alcohol.  I was told that to get over using would require a transformation of thought and attitude.  I needed to place my recovery above everything in my life.  At first this appeared to be impossible for me.  But what with talking with some sober members of the program I was finally able to see a glimmer of hope for my own situation.  Mind you I still had all the tattered ruins of my life to be dealt with.  But it appeared that this 12 Step program they talked about just might work for me too.  I began to feel a bit of hope that I could stop my drinking and using.  I had made a few people very angry and these were situations I was going to have to deal with upon leaving detox.

Needless to say, I was separated from drugs and alcohol for the last time in that detox unit.  These AA people would come and visit us and talk to us.  I attended my first AA meeting while in the unit and when I raised my hand for the first time that I was an alcoholic/addict, the weight of the world seemed to leave my body.  People were nice to me.  It had been a long time since anyone had been nice to me due to my poor behavior.  I felt finally safe and as if I had come home.  And I have remained sober since my first day in detox which was quite a few years ago.