# Why can't Christopher have any chocolate while in rehab for heroin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357 "2002-11-18T19:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/21 "2002-11-19T03:21:46Z")
Generally with opiate withdrawal, one doesn’t see loss of sphincter control so much as a diarrhea which the patient can’t differentiate from flatus (farts) and cuts loose with dire consequences. I do concede that bladder spasms can be a problem, with loss of urine. In my practice, I’ve seen more spontaneous ejaculation (well, had it reported to me anyway, thank all that’s holy) during withdrawal than urinary incontinence. Thanks for the cites! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/22 "2002-11-19T03:29:58Z")
Happy to serve. Spontaneous ejaculation?! Sounds like something out of William S. Burroughs, in more ways than one. Just for the hell of it, here’s one more cite: [Theobromine and diuresis](http://www.hersheys.com/nutrition_consumer/theobromine.shtml) (Courtesy of Hershey’s) > [@](#): > > Theobromine has a mild diuretic action (increases urine production) similar to caffeine, but does not stimulate the central nervous system like caffeine. Note the careful wording… “Doesn’t stimulate the CNS _like caffeine…_” Nope-- it stimulates it in a much more pleasant way, gods be praised. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/23 "2002-11-19T03:32:51Z")
Oh, and **QtM** – thanks for doing such a thankless and difficult job. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/24 "2002-11-19T03:41:28Z")
My understanding is that drug rehab centers allow their patients to smoke because it’s just plain impossible to break people of tobacco at the same time as other addicitions. Peter Benchley, best known for _Jaws_, also wrote an utterly forgotten book called _Rummies_, about an alcoholic put into a rehab center. It’s a funny and devastating book, but there are no sea monsters in it, and so nobody ever bought it. Even so, it’s a horror story: just reading about rehab would put me off ever becoming an addict. And people smoke like chimneys throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/25 "2002-11-19T03:49:31Z")
I’m probably the only person in the world who doesn’t watch _The Sopranos_ and I don’t know what kind of rehab this Christopher is in. However, it makes sense that a rehab center would confiscate a new patient’s candy bars for reasons other than the strictly medical. I know of one adolescent rehab center that confiscated–at least on a temporary basis–everything patients walked in the door with, including clothes. The first couple days, patients wore hospital scrubs. Gradually patients earned back various privileges, including the power to treat themselves to things like candy bars. Staff members preferred to be the ones controlling anything that could be used as a reward for both disciplinary and therapeutic reasons–or so the theory went. I know they used to search for and confiscate any food at the center that wasn’t authorized by the doctors. FTR, I haven’t visited this particular treatment facility in many years and don’t know how they work things these days. I mention this because I’m under the impression that trends in this area change a lot over time. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/26 "2002-11-19T06:50:18Z")
At the hospital where I occasionally work, psych patients do not get caffeine or cigarettes on the unit. When they get outside privileges, they can check out their cigs from the nursing station, or go to the cafeteria or outside for real coffee. All patients who smoke are offered the patch; some take us up on it, and some don’t. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/27 "2002-11-19T07:43:33Z")
When I worked in a treatment centers, they had a smoking room, and caffene is never banned in any treatment center I am aware of. Go to an NA meeting sometime, see how much coffee and cigs there are. Part of what happens with most addicts is they cross addict to cigs and coffee. Not really a bad trade off, and not something that most treatment centers discourage. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/28 "2002-11-19T09:19:23Z")
Two other non-clinical possibilities: Concerns about the possibility of concealed drugs. The nurse was a thieving b’tch with a sweet tooth. I haven’t seen _The Sopranos_ since last year. Hey ho-- off to the binary groups. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/29 "2002-11-19T11:43:56Z")
It depends on the treatment center whether they allow caffeine and nicotine. What I was told was that caffeine somehow interacts with various psychotropics, including antidepressants. The centers I’m familiar with (and no, I’ve never been a patient, but I’ve known a LOT of people who have been) that allow caffeine don’t prescribe drugs. And no rehab I’m familiar with will allow food to be brought in from the outside; it’s too easy to smuggle drugs in that way. As for the smoking, again, it depends on the facility. Some facilities are smoke-free, so they encourage patients to quit while they’re in. Others recognize the fact that patients will go loony if they quit smoking while quitting drinking/drugs and allow them to smoke. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/30 "2002-11-19T13:27:15Z")
> [@](#): > > spontaneous ejaculation This would medically co-incide with whatever drug that had a side effect ( for women, I think) that when they yawned they would orgasm. That’d be one heck of a party. Goggles required. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/31 "2002-11-19T16:48:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > **…In my practice, I’ve seen more spontaneous ejaculation (well, had it reported to me anyway, thank all that’s holy) during withdrawal than urinary incontinence…** [hijac] I’ve read many times that fighter pilots ejaculate when the catapult propels them off the deck, in their A/C of course. Any truth to this, and if so, where do I sign up! [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/32 "2002-11-19T17:38:00Z")
you can all get the same sort of pleasurable ejaculations as the addict experiences during withdrawal by simply inserting an electric cattle prod into the rectum and setting it off. **NOTE** that I do not recommend doing this. But the degree of pleasure will be about the same. Not every ejaculation is a happy event. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/33 "2002-11-19T20:58:31Z")
[Obligatory _Forbidden Zone_ reference] “The king said he was going to ream us with 18” cattle-prods, and I’m _still waiting!_" [/Obligatory _Forbidden Zone_ reference] ---
**Author:** ![Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/34 "2002-11-20T14:11:45Z")
GaryM: Not! ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357/35 "2002-11-20T14:54:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milton De La Warre \* > \*\*GaryM: Not! \*\* Yeah, I’ll stick with the old fashioned kind! Thanks for the image though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-christopher-have-any-chocolate-while-in-rehab-for-heroin/137357.md?page=1)