[KBC]

Her brother caught her using again earlier this week and that sparked the whole process of getting her to go to an inpatient program.

I reiterate,once an addict,always an addict.Even after treatment, after she has exposed to everyone that she has a problem with controlling her use of drugs,things like this will happen.Less so if she is supported,monitored and not enabled(More on this)

Her parents won't send her back to school if she can't quit, so they've basically said it's inpatient or nothing.

This is very good,responsible 'tough love' behavior.. kudos to the parents.

She wants me on her release forms instead of her parents

Probably not a good plan,an addict needs to 'have a way out' and I feel she would use you for that.Her parents are a better choice and have a good grasp on this,I don't suggest that you get in the middle of family.

Would you guys be able to tell me a little bit about what inpatient rehab is like? I mean, it's not a 'strap you to a bed for a week' kind of thing is it?

Treatments vary from place to place.Some will administer sedatives if they medically need to do so for withdraws,others won't except at the risk of life loss.. it depends on the protocols of the facility.

Also, once she checks in she can just as easily check out, right?

As the person on her forms, do I have the right to know if she leaves the facility?

Your side of this should not be what she can do to LEAVE this facility,your responsibility as a supporter should only be that she goes there and stays for the needed time, THEIR time,not yours or hers.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch,you might not be the one on her forms(you aren't family)her parents can stop you from being the middle man in this,and if I were them I would,for your sake and theirs.

You are looking to save her from herself.They are looking to stop her from further harming herself and others,you included.Who gains if she leaves before the treatment is finished?Who looses?

Enabling is an issue you will need to become more educated in,al-anon is much-to-do about enabling.I am not knocking your efforts,in no way am I trying to stop you from supporting her and her family,I only ask that you allow them to make the decisions about her life.You are 'from the outside' looking in,they are 'from the inside' looking forward.

Use the time available to you to go to meetings,learn what you can there and put it to use.In school(either on campus or near)there are meetings.I will almost guarantee it.How?Because there are meetings for people in recovery,people who support people in recovery,the children of people in recovery,adults who support people in recovery, the list goes on and on.Not every group will call themselves 'al-anon' or 'nar-anon',some can label themselves as just about anything.But their goals are the same,support,not enabling.

Keep hold of your needs,don't get all lost in hers and how you can fix it so she is in comfort or how she can't do this without your help.She did get here without your assistance,trust me,she can get clean if she want's it bad enough.If you make it so she doesn't have anything to loose,why would she care if she was clean or not?Her family holds her responsible(won't let her go back to school),what do you do if she decided to use again after treatment?While you are in school?Too busy to go to meetings or support her?Perhaps after you had signed her out of treatment because she wasn't happy there?

Food for thought.

KBC