Waiting for my treatment date, I will be away for 9 months. During that time I am to have no outside contact. How do I handle that if I am in a 16year relationship with 3 children?
I need help or advice on how to handle treatment and no outside contact with my 16 year relationships and 3 children?
Chris, I work for a center, and removing you like that from your family is not helpful. You should be allowed to contact your family and the place your going should be assisting your family with there recovery as well. Please remember this is a family disease, personally I have never herd of being removed like that to that extreme …Hope its not a cult of some sort.
Kris
Recovery Coach and advocate
508- 212 -7206
erica
#3
Hey Chris! Wonderful that you’re getting into treatment. Before going, I agree to check what the rules really are for outside contact - I’ve heard of no cell phones or email, but allotted phone time where you can check in with your family. You can also write letters to you s/o as well as your children. Make sure to inquire about any family involvement at your treatment center, and if they have any program get your family involved! If you’d like to chat 1:1 about this, I’d be happy to help. I’ll follow up with a message!
polly
#4
I can add in a different perspective here, having been the partner of my husband who went through rehab. His was about 40 days so not quite as long, though I wished he’d have done some outpatient too!
Firstly, I can imagine your 16 year relationship partner is feeling glad that you are going to get some professional care. I felt so relieved, finally, when my partner went to rehab. It was like a huge weight of responsibility and worry was lifted off. Now I could pay attention to my own feelings - which in itself was quite hard, but with a therapist, and a new meditation practice I was able to heal myself.
I agree it is important to stay in touch. In my case we were able to do so via phone calls weekly and I also visited for a family day and an aftercare planning session - though like I mentioned, my partner preferred to have no outpatient plan so with your 9months plan it sounds really well covered.
Are you able to talk with your partner about this concern of yours and perhaps they can liaise with the treatment center to help calm your nerves about how communication will be?
Note: when my partner came out of rehab after 40days his mind and body were not recovered - 9 months sounds way more realistic! I didn’t know this at the time but recovery takes years and it steadily gets better over the months but the more help you can get with it the better 
As for your partner, we’d love to be of support to them in this journey, after all we are a community of friends and family who’ve stood by our loved ones as they’ve wrestled with and been through active recovery from addiction. Will you invite your partner here?