I'm sober now. Off of benzos and booze. But holy shit the things I've seen while in rehab. I'm a transfemme and got put in the men's psych unit. A quick recap. A crackhead who was five foot nothing who upon learning I was a trans femme was convinced I in fact had afab genitalia. He would often ask if I was wet or if id fuck him. The best thing that happened with him was me walking into the bathroom while he was shaving his stomach, turning to me, and shouting "XXXXX CAN I SHAVE YOUR PUSSSSSY?"

A PCP addict who out of nowhere asked if he could call me "Mother" and said shit like "mother do you like Hitler" "Mother do you get horny here" "Mother is anyone on the Boston Celtics secretly a transsexual?"

Security flipping the whole units stuff because we weren't allowed to bring food up from the vending machines and I had a nice thing going where I'd buy honey buns and wait for them to run out and then sell them for 3 cigs then sell each cig for a dollar and make a decent profit. They didn't find shit bc I kept my honeybuns in a back office that no one used and they thought was locked (I jimmyed the lock with my rehab id card)

Cuddling with a cute Bi dude on ten blankets and a pillow I made in my "office" and immediately stopping bc fuck cuddling while paranoid and afraid of being caught.

A 62 yo alcoholic who was from Georgia and came to Chi just to go to rehab. He couldn't read or write, was racist, sexist, and queerphobic. He called his roommate "boy" and learned the hard way racist shit doesn't fly past the Dixon line.

I have waaaaaay weirder stories and will add more. Love you all and I'm glad 2 be back

  • Aliveelectricwire [it/its]
    hexagon
    ·
    4 days ago

    I had a cold and was struggling to breathe (gotta love asthma) so they had to send me to the ER. I did a few steroidal breathing therapies and was sent back. The breathing treatments drop your BP extremely. So on my first smoke break back I was sitting next to cute Bi dude and after I smoked my first cigarette I saw a pigeon walking toward me. It started "glitching" and I started seeing it sideways and unable to hear anything. Apparently I had a seizure from a rapid increase in BP from smoking and woke up in the icu 2 days later. Bc staff can't intervene (only nurses can) I almost died. A paramedic who was addicted to powder coke and from a different unit saw what was happening, moved me into the recovery position, gave me CPR, And stabilized me. He was discharged for "interfering with a medical emergency"

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]
      ·
      4 days ago

      He was discharged for "interfering with a medical emergency"

      jfc

      every "rules are rules" asshole needs dunked in a toilet

      glad you made it through ❤️

  • Aliveelectricwire [it/its]
    hexagon
    ·
    4 days ago

    Someone was there just for the court bc he got drunk and almost beat two cops to death after mace did nothing and he was tazed and ripped the prongs out of his self and beat tf out of the pigs. Would talk about "fucking his language instructor at the farm" everyone thought he was just a badass hick but I deadass asked if he was DIA or CIA and he just said "3 SOG, bitch"

    • kristina [she/her]
      ·
      4 days ago

      almost beat two cops to death after mace did nothing and he was tazed and ripped the prongs out of his self and beat tf out of the pigs.

      waow-based

  • Aliveelectricwire [it/its]
    hexagon
    ·
    4 days ago

    Some dude screamed at and grabbed one of the case managers wrist and we all jumped him lmao. For "some reason" the camera didn't record it and he got discharged. Nothing happened to the rest of us.

      • Aliveelectricwire [it/its]
        hexagon
        ·
        4 days ago

        I'm on a new med called clonodine! It's a beta blocker, lowers your heart rate and causes extreme chill but can't be abused like benzos can. (If you pop more than prescribed you just fucking faint) I also don't have cravings for alcohol. I was just using that when I didn't have benzos and when I had benzos it was to make em hit like a truck. Still not gonna drink for a loooooong time tho

        • anarchoilluminati [comrade/them]
          ·
          4 days ago

          Damn, that's good! I never heard of clonodine but I'm very sheltered from hard stuff. It sounds like it can be helpful in your situation though! I'm glad you have it! Is it covered by insurance/medical? I hope it isn't going to be difficult for you to acquire when you need it.

        • arbitrary@lemmygrad.ml
          ·
          4 days ago

          Huh interesting, I was prescribed clonodine before bed to help with restless sleep from ADHD. Might be interested in naltrexone for the alcohol?

  • Cowbee [he/him]
    ·
    4 days ago

    Sounds eventful, but glad to have you back!!! party-blob wayne-jammin chicken-bop

  • anonochronomus [comrade/them, she/her]
    ·
    4 days ago

    So glad to here you're out and feeling better! Life is a lot easier sober. I just got out of a quick detox trip and have been hitting meetings daily. Feel free to dm me if you ever need to talk about anything. heart-sickle

    • Aliveelectricwire [it/its]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 days ago

      I literally can't do AA or NA. I have religious trauma and like no matter what they say AA and NA is 100% a judeochristan program. I'm doing recovery dharma and SMART recovery.

      • anonochronomus [comrade/them, she/her]
        ·
        4 days ago

        As long as you're doing something, that's what counts. Im at the point where I couldn't really give a shit about the program itself. I did the steps years ago and they didn't really do much for me. It's more about getting my ass out of the house and being with other people who share the same struggle. Not to mention there is no SMART or Dharma around me. Regardless, I hope you stick with it. It gets easier.

      • anonochronomus [comrade/them, she/her]
        ·
        3 days ago

        It is absolutely true if you have the disease that I have. I can't tell you if you're and addict/alcoholic, that's something you need to figure out for yourself, but I can tell you what my disease is like.

        When I put a substance in my body it's OFF TO THE RACES, and I can not stop. The only thing I care about is getting another one in me. And that goes on until I end up in an institution, jail, or 6 feet under the ground. If you're sick the same way that I am, I'll tell you right now, it is progressive and terminal if un-arrested. If you are an addict/alcoholic your life will eventually become unmanageable, it's only a matter of time.

        So, take that with as many grains of salt as you please and ask yourself a few questions about how you use. Do you have cravings? Do you use compulsively? Do you drink/use more than you plan to? Does it negatively affect your life and relationships and you continue to use regardless of the consequences?

        • ChuzaUzarNaim @lemmygrad.ml
          ·
          3 days ago

          I'm pretty much always some kind of wasted. I suspect we're fairly similar wrt addiction based on what you've said.

          And yeah, it's pretty much destroyed my life and cost me most of my relationships outside of my immediate family. It's cost me jobs, career opportunities. It's wrecked my health, physically and mentally.

          Mad respect to you for quitting, but I can't do it. I'm too committed at this point. Plus, I think you need hope for it to really stick, and all my experience of life tells me that things get worse until you eventually die, usually miserably.

          Best of luck to you.

          • anonochronomus [comrade/them, she/her]
            ·
            3 days ago

            I've been in the exact place you are now for a long time. I promise you it can and does get better. It just takes some work. Get to a meeting if you haven't been before, a speaker meeting would probably be best. I guarantee that just about every single person in that room will know precisely how you feel. It isn't hopeless. Sure, things are pretty fucked right now, but that doesn't mean they can't change for the better.

  • krolden@lemmy.ml
    ·
    4 days ago

    Benzos are the worst chemicals ever created IMO. I'd much rather go through heroin withdrawl than a benzo withdrawal. Glad you made it through

    • Aliveelectricwire [it/its]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 days ago

      I'm pretty sure the worst chemical ever is VX. But yeah I've been on at least 10mg of xans or Klonopin a day since I was 16. I was going thru withdrawal for like a month lol

  • corgiwithalaptop [any, love/loves]M
    ·
    4 days ago

    I reckon we might have gone to the same place, your stories sound VERY reminiscent of my stint in rehab.

    Anyways, FUCK YEAH CONGRATULATIONS! Hope you're feeling good!

  • UlyssesT [he/him]
    ·
    4 days ago

    A 62 yo alcoholic who was from Georgia and came to Chi just to go to rehab. He couldn't read or write, was racist, sexist, and queerphobic. He called his roommate "boy" and learned the hard way racist shit doesn't fly past the Dixon line.

    I can't help wondering what the hard way entailed. fash-bash

  • Belly_Beanis [he/him]
    ·
    4 days ago

    JFC I've been to multiple psych wards and one of them was mixed in with addiction rehab. They didn't care if we had extra food, just no caffeine after 5 PM. Also weren't allowed to smoke and absolutely zero touching (not even handshakes). I've seen some stuff too but it seems like you went through excessive ass backwards bullshit.

  • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    4 days ago

    Missed you. How's comrade pupper Basil? Your rehab stories are wild. Jeez, all my times in the psych war rehab and nothing comes close to that.

    • Aliveelectricwire [it/its]
      hexagon
      ·
      edit-2
      4 days ago

      QMy ex wife has Basil. They broke up with their Dem Soc sugar mommy they started dating as a rebound from me. So now they're threatening to throw themself in the grand canyon and I have no idea where them or Basil is. I'll likely never see my son again lol.

        • Aliveelectricwire [it/its]
          hexagon
          ·
          4 days ago

          Nope. Honestly it devastated me when I learned but if I focus on it at all I'll not just relapse on booze, I'll end up slamming fent. Sooooo like I'm just accepting the situation, moving on, and preparing to probably pay for my ex wife's funeral when they inevitably kill themselves. (We're still legally married)

  • Infamousblt [any]
    ·
    4 days ago

    Just gonna say comrade I'm glad you're back and through it. Long road ahead still but you got this

  • YourMom [he/him]
    ·
    4 days ago

    Glad you are seemingly ok. What was your reaction when you found out about Brandon