What are your experiences with drug/alcohol Rehab centers in Switzerland? In the States, the choices for young adults are numerous and range from equine centers to wilderness camps. This is oriented toward post detox, during recovery.
However, from what we gather, in Switzerland this takes place at pyschiatric hospitals.
Naturally, the next obstacle is the language. Unless you are quite fluent, the group therapies might be challenging.
We would great appreciate to hear your experiences.
If you can't afford the private places then you may have to go with whatever is offered. (google drug rehab Switzerland and the top links are all high end)
http://www.clienia.ch/home/ . ( psychiatric hospital).
For those who don't know ( as we did not), Detox is usually a medically contolled situation where patients are medicated ( Valium) to get them through withdrawal symtoms. Since Littenheid is not exclusively a Drug/Alcohol Rehab, there are patients with all kinds of problems. It can be rather unsettling, though one realizes they are just folks with problems. The staff is very kind and has lots of experience with the possible reactions.
However, other than wandering around in a semi sedated state, sitting in a smokers' lounge , playing cards, building puzzles, attending ergotherapy and occasional group sessions, it is mainly a waiting game. ( Disclaimer: our perception!) This is called Acute Care.
What comes next is very important, and though Littenheid has Rehab, the language part is a stumbling block.
Therefore, I am hoping others will share their Rehab experiences.
Thank you.
Thank you.
It takes time.
I don't have any direct experience here in Switzerland, but my brief experience with doing university stuff and also via the MIL and friends who had mental health issues with and without drug addiction, is that it's a process of ups and downs, and don't underestimate the psychological side of it...
My aunty had to take a 'tough love' approach with her son, my cousin, but not until he had been in/out of jail several times, stolen everything that he could from the family as well as friends, neighbours and unknown victims...and left them with three small children to look after. He was addicted to lots of things, ended up on Heroin and then ended his life in a homeless hostel on an overdose of sedatives...
One of the big problems was coming back, over and over, to the same area, where he knew the people, the dealers, the addicts, there were no prospects for him... his sister still sees the dealer driving around in a big fancy car and her brother is dead...
It's a hard thing to also balance the acute needs of someone who is obviously needing big support, with the rest of the people around them...and life going on 'as normal'...
Ergotherapy and physical therapy can be two important ways of helping a person overcome their problems. I have been attending ergotherapy, in different settings, for six years, and it has been an enormous help to me. Learning new skills and expressing yourself are very powerful tools.
As far as rehab is concerned, have you looked into a foyer (sorry, I don't know the German).
I live in a foyer with people between the ages of 20 and 35. Some of us have purely psychiatric problems, some of us have other issues thrown in and some of us have substance abuse issues. I don't, but I have seen how the foyer handles the care of those who do... and as I said about the hospital, the residents here have a really community spirit. We care about each other, we keep an eye out for each other and we do our best to help each other.
Of course language can be an issue, but that's true of any care here. And every health care provider I have encountered here has done their very best to help me overcome my language issues.
Feel free to PM me if you want to know more about living in a foyer.
Does anyone have experience with Drug/ Alcohol Rehab in or outside of Switzerland? What was done?
Just checking for a good friend. Thanks so much for your help! 🦋💙🙏
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa each have a luxury rehab industry, sometimes in remote settings, with a lot of extras such as sports, massage, etc., to help the person get through withdrawal, and probably more psychotherapy to try to deal with the underlying issues.
One of the disadvantages, so I was told, of such treatment in Switzerland (whether state or private) is the geography and the infrastructure. More or less, there is a bus-stop within walking distance of the gate of the treatment facility, which potentially takes one to access to drugs or alcohol. One has to bring a determination to try to avoid that.
I think ongoing support afterwards is essential. It is illusory to imagine that one can check in for the 6 weeks or 3 months, get clean, do some introspection, talk to those who're on the same road, and then step back out into Real Life and be just fine. I mention this because a friend who did a rehab said he had had exactly that notion when he entered the clinic, and indeed, had only agreed to go because he had thought along those lines.
He said he was shocked to learn that some of his co-patients were in for a second or third time. As he spoke to them, he realised that the single, destroying factor was that they had gotten clean, gone home, and let everything get back to normal.... and crashed because they did not know how to navigate "normal" differently , when their home and especially their social environment had gone on just the same while they were away.
He said one of the hardest things to accept was that, after he had gotten clean and gone home, he would need to actively seek out and participate in a support group, perhaps several groups, one each evening if need be, on an ongoing basis, perhaps even for life , to help keep him on the right road.
He did so, though, because he really, really knew that persisting in his addiction would mean certain death. He also knew that family members had paid for the rehab, and that they would not be able to do so for a second round.
He found a 12-step programme. He told me that while some people there are nice, he doesn't even like most of the people who attend, but seeing them once a week (or more) to share experiences and on account of that coping clean for the whole time, is soooo much better than crashing. He also finds comfort in being able to encourage others to stay clean.
6 years now, all good!
Here's quite a good outline of what is actually done in a rehab clinic.
Littenheid is a good environment for recovery. You didn't state what your friend to going there for (drugs, alcohol etc)? This would help with providing you with more relevant information, as places like Littenheid have different 'houses' with varying age groups, addictions, freedoms etc.
*Tip - apply for access to the fitness room asap. Medical exam takes a few days and the first week or two can get boring.
Note: depending on which house your friend is put in, it might be mandatory for your them to go home over the weekend, which is usually Saturday morning and return by Sunday evening. (I'll come back to this).
It's impossible to define a recovery, because it's different for everyone, but I feel the one thing is always overlooked and that is the 'style of life' your friend has.
I'm going to reiterate some of what doropfiz has already said, because it is true and very important.
Being in a clinic pulls you out of the 'hole' you were in and gives you the chance to live a normal life/routine and most importantly - lets you live away from your worries. It's crucial that your friend doesn't return to the same old way of life once they finish their stay at the clinic.
I mentioned that they might be sent home on weekends. This time should be used to get things in order. What I mean here is for example; cleaning a messy apartment, getting rid of memories of that past life etc. Get their affairs in order. Three months passes quicker than you think.
Remind your friend - you don't go home clean, you've just given your body and mind a break and it's going to take time, a long time even to repair the damage done and that's great. It's time to put the past behind them, stay busy and move on. If your friend embraces this, then I see nothing that will stop him/her from succeeding.
Hope that helps a bit and I'd be glad to answer any other questions you might have - if I can
aob
...at a fabulous price per week
Regarding Littenheid is that covered under regular health insurance or is private?
Ask your insurance company to be 100% sure
Tom
Does that include a free mini-bar ?
Interesting viewing from what I could understand but yes there is always the for and against AA/NA brigade. I think there is never a one size fits all to addiction and recovery.
Regarding AA/NA you visit different groups until you find one that suits you. AA/NA is very good as it is supportive and you are involved with people who understand. People have problems with the reference to God but that is minor.
When you get started, it takes time. Recently scientifically proven that takes up to 2 months to be free of the alcohol affects on the brain.
If you have an alcohol addiction, highly recommended to stay away from triggers such as bars. If you have problems at home then you escape by going to meetings.
Try to find someone who does neurofeedback.
The spin-off group had no formal program, and no reading of affirmations. It was about social support. That spin-off group went on hikes, to movies, on outings, and formed telephone links to help one another stay sober.
They formed "buddy" partners, and went along with one another to places and events that couldn't be avoided (difficult sibling's birthday party, horrible aunt's Christmas dinner, daughter's proud graduation, court-cases, clearing-out-of-offices after having been fired for drinking) and helped the person to stay sober. Sometimes, the Buddy came along into the event, at other times just parked outside in the car, and the alcoholic could walk outside, sit in the car, rave and let off steam about the difficult people inside, get a grip on themselves, and face the next hour, or be driven home safely... without a drink.
Has anyone heard of anything like this in Switzerland, please?