Pinky has been to at least five rehabs and a number of detoxes that we know of. Two of the rehabs let her bring two of her children with her. Each time she would complete the first part of the program, be scheduled for the next (recovery house, halfway house) and start using again. I think there is a limit on the number of children who can live with you.

Imagine being able to say that your first two years were spend in a rehab!

I don't believe she went into rehab this last time, although she is taking Suboxone and attending group sessions once a week. She appears to have been straight for nine months, but who knows?

I've heard of them, but don't know anyone personally who has gone to them. I imagine they are few & far between, too. The idea behind it is probably that some women won't go without their children or they may feel like having the children with them will motivate them to get & stay clean. It would be very interesting to do research and find out the statistics - if there are any - about the success rate of these "bring your kids with you" rehabs in comparison to those that don't allow the same. At least the ones who were born there wont' even remember it when they're older. And it's probably a MUCH better environment than the one the drug addicted mothers have them in B4 going into rehab. At least they are in a controlled environment and there are sober staff members keeping an eye on things.

I saw a study that said that 1/3 of people who go into rehab will get it right the first time and never be back. Another 1/3 will go several times but eventually get the message and straighten out. The remaining 1/3 will never give up their habit, no matter how many times they do rehab. When you are looking at their children living a part of their developing lives in rehab, perhaps it is the time to seek children and family and say it hasn't worked and you should have custody to avoid placing the children in that environment. For one thing, addicts are usually heavy smokers. Is that good for young children to be around? Also, addicts in rehab are volatile and may get violent. Is that a good environment for these children? I w/call the rehab and ask and if your dd is correct, go to family services and intervene.

My dd went to jail in 2009 when her baby was about 1 1/2 months old and in foster care (I COULDN'T take on another, never mind a newborn, and was hoping she'd be adopted). They took the babe to jail to visit her regularly. She got out of jail 4 months later and was set up for residential rehab where she could, indeed, have the babe. Again, at first, it was regular visits but they actually returned full custody in 2010. From there in August she went to a half-way house where she stayed until recently when they found a "sober community" living environment for her and the kiddo. Kiddo is now almost 2 and with my dd. I am hoping, of course, she stays straight...

I never knew kids can go to rehab! How sad. What an enviroment for children. Around a bunch of drug addicts going through detox, either by choice or court ordered. I hope most of these kids are young enough they won't remember. How scary this could be to a child. I don't understand why courts would allow children to be exposed to that. Thank God my granddaughter is only 18 months and won't remember this. I too cannot take on another of my dd kid's, her 2 girls are enough. I begged my dd to put this baby up for adoption, hoping baby might have a chance at a normal life but she refused. Ibelieve she thinks of her baby as a meal ticket.

Why is the generation of our kids so self-absorbed, self-centered, and self-obsessed? How did this happen? My kids were my world and my center. I did nothing without considering how it would affect them and if it would benefit them. My money went to them first and their needs, my husband's next and me after that, if there was any left over.

However, my daughter with the kids has NEVER put her own children first, NEVER. It's all about her and her wants and needs, never about them, not even when they were babies.Once when I told her she was the mom in the family and she was the one who made the family or broke it, she laughed in my face and told me that was so old-fashioned, that she was entitled to have a life too and to have her own interests and needs.

Are these so-called adults all mentally ill? I don't THINK I caused it, but who the heck knows. The me-me-me generation has weakened our society and caused problems that will ripple for years and years to come.

All I know is that I'm VERY tired of dealing with it in my own family. UGH! How about you?

Sorry for the rant -
T2

Oops! Sorry, I got off on my rant and left the point I wanted to make. Here we are now allowing children in rehab centers and prisons. While I see some value for kids in this, there is concern about how this must affect them and we know it does in some form. What a tragic situation that a mom is in rehab or prison and has her kids with her. I continue to shake my head in total disbelief and concern. It boggles the mind.

I don't have the answer to the problem, but I do believe that allowing people to have access to their children to the point that their kids are exposed to only God knows what could be less, rather more, of a deterrent. If they understand that they and their kids are being cared for at someone else's expense as well as "counseling and therapy" to help them through the results of their totally self-indulgent behavior, is this a deterrent to future behavior?

Does this type of care then become not so bad and but a safe haven that they become comfortable to the point that there is not much desire to not do drugs again and end up back there again?

I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud here and I'm not asking these questions to reflect on anyone's struggles with their children or grands, but only for self-reflection and concern. I always want only the best for all of us and those we represent.

Hugs, T2

Wow! DD your statistics are very optimistic.

When my son was in rehab, they gave me some very different statistics. They said they had one of the highest rated facilities - he was in an extended program (I think it was four or six months with several months in an intermediate housing facility). They said their success rate was, as I recall, somewhere around 20% and that that was higher than the national average. They gave me the rest of the stats, but I don't remember them. I just remember that they were VERY low. Return rate for treatment was high, I remember that. I wish I could find the stats.

I'd be interested in reading more about the stats you have, DD. Where are they from? Can you give a link? Thanks! :)

Here's one site I found which would agree more with the stats I was told by the rehab program ds attended. It's just the first site on the search I did. http://www.drug-rehabs.org/

Here's a good article on the effectiveness of rehab programs and their funding and programs. I skimmed it and it seems to make some sense.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/health/23reha.html?_r=1

sorry granny, don't have a link. I actually saw this film at a family support meeting. This was not an extended rehab, but mostly just a couple of weeks at most and then outpatient. I believe the difference in numbers may be that you are talking about long term rehab and residents of those programs typically have failed the short term many times before they go to long term. There are many variables that can alter statistics. Bottom line is that no matter how you look at it, majority of addicts do not turn around in the long term. Thanks for article....w/look it up. Have you ever read anything on "substance abuse personality"? Very interesting in understanding why many do not recover.

Illinois is cutting all of their drug programs. Maybe the success rate isn't worth the cost?? It's very sad for those who would seriously use the help for good, though :-(

I think they work to a point but the people in the programs have to want to quit and clean up their act. We can't make them want to. Drugs are in all portions of our society today. Prescription drugs are abused as well as illegal drugs. I guess all we can do is speak for ourselves and pray for our loved ones.

GMaWilli, the second link I posted talks a lot about the amount of money the programs cost for what people actually get out of them, how they are run and who regulates them. It was pretty interesting. Oddly enough, there aren't any real regulations on the programs, yet they are all federally funded. Many states are enacting laws that are regulating the programs or basing funding on statistics. It was an interesting article.