Read on Twitter
This thread got some more attention yesterday thanks to a generous RT, and gave me the opportunity to revisit it. I realized that it really needs some clarification/context that I wasn& #39;t ready to share at the time. (another thread) https://twitter.com/BeerDharma/status/1214323090576093187">https://twitter.com/BeerDharm...
That thread reads like "dude exercises heroic levels of self control during a really dark time in his life, and lives happily ever after." I& #39;ll let Maury take it from here...
The fact is, the conversation I had with my "doctor" was actually my psychiatrist, and the context for that conversation was "I really think you need to go to the hospital for your safety." I decided to split the difference and voluntarily committed myself to an IOP program
IOP stands for "Intensive Outpatient Program." It& #39;s where you& #39;ll actually probably land afterwards if you wind up in an in-patient situation. The program I went to was for co-occuring mental health issues and substance misuse (I have bipolar disorder)
This consisted of going to 5 and 1/2 hours worth of group therapy and classes for 5 days a week for seven weeks. It& #39;s basically like boot camp for CBT/DBT, med compliance, and how to cope without substances.
Oh, the other really important part: I got piss-tested randomly up to three times a week to ensure that I was compliant with their zero-tolerance policy on using alcohol/drugs. I also had to attend AA meetings which felt mortifying.
I entered this program in late September, so "sober October" was a nice cover for my friends, especially in the industry, who were like "hey, haven& #39;t seen you at the bar for a while." Worth noting that I took time off work from my beer job at the time
NGL, it sucked, but the things I learned there would prove incredibly valuable to me moving forward. We& #39;re talking "live-saving" levels of valuable. I know it& #39;s a scary proposition for most people, but I promise it& #39;s not as scary as it seems.
Probably the most eye-opening part of this whole thing was sharing stories in group therapy about things I& #39;ve done and seen in the beer industry, and having hardcore opioid addicts and people who drank several bottles of vodka a day react to them with shock and abject horror.
Anyway, I completed the program and ultimately decided to return to drinking in moderation. I still struggle with this from time-to-time, especially when I& #39;m depressed. There is no "happily ever after," but I& #39;ve come a long way since then.
There are two reasons I wanted to share this:
1) To point people in the direction of actual help, because "Dry January" just isn& #39;t going to be enough for some people. There& #39;s help out there.
2) I want to normalize this in the industry. Seeking help shouldn& #39;t make you a pariah
1) To point people in the direction of actual help, because "Dry January" just isn& #39;t going to be enough for some people. There& #39;s help out there.
2) I want to normalize this in the industry. Seeking help shouldn& #39;t make you a pariah
Gonna leave this here and take some time to breathe because this is a really triggering thing for me to revisit -- apologies if I don& #39;t reply for a bit. My poor, poor therapist is in for a fucking treat for my appointment tomorrow morning
