17: Rehab from the other side Part 2

This is rehab from the other side... from the lived experience of a loved one on the 'outside'.

This is a personal episode for me, as I dig into the memory box and go back to the rehab time, and the (very) long lead up to it. The rehab roller coaster of hope, dreams and disappointment.

Not much is said about what happens to the spouses when their partners go to rehab. What it looks like, what it feels like, and the roller coaster of emotions while continuing to juggle all the balls.

In this episode I talk about what the beginning was like when my loved one was in rehab, walking out the doors and resuming 'life'. And that's the thing here, nothing changes for those on the outside, life still carries on. And we need help and support too. What about us?

I talk honestly about how I thought rehab was a silver bullet and how this dream was slowly crashing down around me, piece by piece.

The directive of the rehab that we should respond to a lapse or relapse with "care and compassion" put my in a tailspin, as I had nothing in my tank, I was operating in survival mode, and I just wanted to know HOW to do that.

Rehabs very rarely give the loved ones, families and spouses the support that THEY need to rebuild their lives along their loved ones. And this is the shortcomings.

This is part 2 of 3 - there is a lot to be said about rehab from the other side.

This is opening the can of rehab worms because they are certainly not all created equal. And while there are some amazing people out there doing such great work, there are some less than great also.

What I wish I'd known.

What I wouldn't do again.

Why it's not a silver bullet.

Let's get into it!

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