Recovery Life

In 2017, I had to stop everything and get a hold of myself. I lost myself. I was older and wanted more out of life, but I couldn't find a direction or a purpose.

So I went to rehab. My drinking was out of control. I had over time trained myself to rely on alcohol, of all things, to handle life and the pressures that I put on myself.

But what do you do in rehab?
The photo of the schedule posted above shows a typical schedule at a typical rehab.

I was googling things like, "what do you do in rehab" - and truly, I wouldn't find much helpful info out there. So if you're curious or know someone who might be, stay tuned, because I want to tell you about my experience with it, good and bad.

I'll keep these posts as short as I can, but first, here's a little background:
My first attempt to even consider sobriety waa in 2008.
My roommate suggested that I try an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and I did, and I was curious, and I got a sponsor (someone who mentors you through the AA program).
This was in Syracuse NY.

My first sponsor was very well regarded in the AA community and had 20 years sober time. But he wanted to have sex with me and even confessed to me that he was in love with me and offered me the key to his apartment.

Welcome to recovery. This is just MY story.

I left NY and moved to LA and nothing was what I expected out there. I'm still in LA now, and I still don't exactly fit in.

When I moved to LA, my hometown, my mother began to notice my drinking, and she really wanted me to give AA another chance; so I did.

I got another sponsor - and the thing is that people in AA always strongly suggest to get a sponsor. It's part of the program. So i asked around about this guy who had over 5 years sober time and regularly attended meetings and he became my sponsor in LA.

Within a few weeks, he hit me out of nowhere with this: "Alejandro, I know you've been looking for work out in Hollywood. Do you think you can score me some extasy?"
And he O.D.'d in a motel in Pasadena.

But believe it or not, I didn't give up.
I still attended meetings and I went with a third sponsor, a woman this time. Also, very recommended, very presentable, and very active in the program.

I called her one day, just to check in, and she said, "I'm sorry Alejandro, but I'm in a bar in Huntington Beach and I'm out of the program right now."

So this was my introduction to helping myself with alcohol and with the changes that II wa going through as an older man who was confused for the moment, and lost - with not a lot of direction, or purpose, or sense of fulfillment in my life.

I was bored. I was not impressed or interested in the same jobs and the same kind of friends, and the same parties.

In 2014, my mom passed away and I really spiralled hard with the drinking and with other irresponsible behaviors, like unprotected anonymous sex.

It took some time, but in 2017, I told off my landlord while I was drunk and she asked me to leave. She meant only to leave for the night, but I was ashamed and I checked myself into a homeless shelter.

My life was gone. I still got good jobs, but I couldn't hang on to them because of drinking.

My withdrawals from alcohol became more severe. I would wake up in ambulances or hospital beds. I had my first seizure due to alcohol withdrawal.

So I returned to AA in 2017 again, and found a very cool group of DTLA people who I still meet with today occasionally.

But AA wasn't enough, and I needed to stop everything, and the therapist I was seeing at the time kept suggesting in-patient treatment.

Finally I made the call and was admitted to an all-male treatment center called The Royal Palms, near DTLA, around MacArthur Park.

The schedule there was similar to the one in the photo posted.

That's all for now.
I will continue my story, and tell you about the recent changes that have taken place in the business of recovery since Medical has taken over many treatment centers.