One time thing

Omaapecm, ASN, RN · Mar 20, 2019

I was placed under monitoring because of a DUI 5 urs prior to even going to nursing school. My biggest issue with this program was being forced into AA into because I don’t think this program is for everyone. However, I soon realized it was truly made for me and has kept me sober. I never considered myself as having a drinking problem until I became stone cold sober. It really has been a blessing for me. But I do not think people should be forced to do meetings. It’s unfair to the person and to the members. It should be a choice.

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2019

The term ‘recovery’ is not sole property of the addiction/alcoholic arena. One can be “recovering” from anything- including these programs.

A “one time thing” invariably gets people slammed into a contract. Simply being forced into monitoring does not make one an addict/alcoholic. (For what it’s worth, I don’t like the term ‘addict.’ Such an individual is ‘a person with the disease of addiction.’ A disease does not define the whole person.)

Yes the term ‘cookie cutter’ does indeed refer to the contracts. Regardless of the issue (mental health or addiction or both.....) it seems that people all get the same contract, with the same stipulations. My ‘story’ if you insist on calling it that is mental health. Yes, the two can and do intertwine. Said ‘one time thing’ can have something to do with meds being unbalanced. Unbalanced meds can/does make a person suicidal. I’ll leave that one for another day because unlike what seems to be an AA thing, I see no need to rehash what happened over and over again. All that does is bring up the pain of a dark time in my life. In mental health, that is not healthy. In therapy the focus is on building the skills to be able to help oneself not descend to that dark place again. 12 step is NOT therapy. Period.

As far as being forced to go to meetings, I hate it, I don’t understand it. All of those slogans that are repeated again and again make no damn sense to me. It is an insult to the people who are there by choice. I’ve had enough of it shoved down my throat that I do know that “membership requires the want to stop drinking (or given the alphabet soup of ‘insert issue here anonymous, just about anything. I will response to your question with one of my own. How can I recover from a disease I don’t have?

In short ‘working a program’ (which is yet another phrase that baffles me) will not help my bipolar. What will is oversight of my meds by a psychiatrist and seeing my therapist.

I’m not going to change my views. AA and it’s sister organizations are fabulous for some but are not the cure all for everything. Monitoring programs seem to think so. As long as ‘approved evaluators’ are the ones making the recommendations and such people are imbued in the gospel of 12 step, people will be inappropriately forced into going to meetings, because like yourself (I’m guessing) they think AA is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

In my particular situation, I have never said that monitoring was unnecessary. To me, an appropriate contract may include proof that I see my psychiatrist, proof that I am progressing in therapy, perhaps some stipulations in work that address my tendency to work 70 hours a week. 5 years of this is also insane. 2-3 years maybe. Instead I got all the restrictions of a ‘cookie cutter’ contract. The slimy place I was directed to for evaluation was more interested in filling beds than in accurately helping people. They sniffed out family money and I was ‘recommended’ for the full on delux package 6 months of in and outpatient ‘treatment.’ For that long, my psych needs were ignored and for a lot of $$$$$, it was essentially a daily carpool to meetings. The only way I got out was to lie and make that statement of “......and I am an alcoholic.” Is not one of the major precepts of 12 step to be honest?

I read and participate in this forum because my experience is sadly not uncommon and if I can lend support, help and information for others stuck in this sewer and scared of losing all they’ve worked for then I am doing what a nurse is supposed to be...that is caring for others.

Does that answer your questions?

Cowbell · Mar 20, 2019

On 3/7/2019 at 11:54 AM, chadprepton said:
I see a lot of posts mentioning how one instance placed nurses into monitoring programs. I see (and can definitely understand) tons of talk with the cost and time of these programs.
Given that this forum states its about addictions and recovery I was wondering about those nurses who feel like they shouldn't have been placed in monitoring. Does anyone's story have nothing to do with drugs? I'm only asking because I haven't met anyone under contract in which drugs had nothing to do with their story. People mention about their state being 'cookie cutter' and I guess thats referring to the terms of the monitoring contract?
And for those who had a one time thing: What's your experience being forced to go to 12-step meetings? Have you ever tried to work one of the programs? Or in the process of going, change your views?

Just wondering what the answers are to all of this from the person who posted it.

What are your answers to your own questions, chadprepton , and what got you into monitoring in the first place anyway?

Just for some perspective.