Alcohol Rehab - Rehab Guide Clinics

Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol Rehab can help you tackle addiction with residential treatment and support. If you or a loved one are ready to be free of addiction, rehab can help.

If you want expert advice on the best rehab options in your area, our team can find what rehabs have spaces, provide prices and offer interventions for a loved one.

 

Call FOR A FREE ADDICTION ASSESSMENT NOW 24/7 02072052845

alcohol rehab group therapy

 

Drinking is one of the UK’s most persistent health and social problems. More than half a million British people are considered dependent drinkers, which is likely to worsen due to the pandemic.

If you or a loved one has an alcohol use disorder, alcohol rehab is one of the main treatment methods.

You will need to recover from drinking and repair damage to your health. Liver and heart disease are the most serious consequences of drinking too much.

Alcohol addiction can often be the cause of social and relationship issues. Alcohol rehab offers a unique opportunity: a completely drink-free life for as long as you stay. This allows you to consider every factor in your life without alcohol clouding the situation. Constant exposure to drinking and alcohol can be one of the toughest parts of quitting.

If you want to go to rehab for drinking and help to stop, it is important to understand how rehab works. There are a few different kinds of alcohol rehab and detox. The most common are explained below.

What Happens in Alcohol Rehab?

Group counselling

Whatever form of alcohol rehab you choose, the general treatment plan will be similar. The only things that will change are location and who is there to help you. A modern approach to rehab includes three stages.

Alcohol Detox

Withdrawal from alcohol is one of the hardest. Because it is so widely accepted and available, relapse in the phase of cravings and withdrawal is common.

We don’t suggest ‘cold turkey’ to anyone. Any residential rehab we recommend will offer a full medical detox. This means using medications such as naltrexone and acamprosate to reduce symptoms and keep you comfortable.

Some of these medications are also available with a home detox or a prescription from your GP.

Whatever your decision on rehab, it is very important to do a medical detox. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous as well as very unpleasant.

Rehab Therapy

Finally, the fog of chemical addiction lifts, and your body stops calling out for alcohol. Now, recovery begins.

In residential alcohol rehab, you will have one-on-one counselling and group therapy for several hours of the day.

You have a few therapy options if you choose home detox or community rehab.

Those who want one-on-one counselling will most likely be on a long NHS waiting list. It is possible to pay for private counselling between £60 and £ 150 an hour. This can be in-person, on the phone or online.

Alcohol Support Groups

Local support groups are widespread across the UK. Support networks are from the traditional AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) to the more recent SMART recovery.

Those looking for more specific recovery groups are best to look online. This means increased privacy, too.

If you have chosen residential rehab, we recommend finding and attending a group when you have finished. Although these support groups are an essential tool in helping alcoholics, if you cannot resist the urge to drink, rehab is the best option.

Rehab Fitness Group

Holistic Treatments

Detox and therapy help you to heal physically and emotionally in rehab. The next thing on most people’s minds is what happens after alcohol rehabilitation programs.

If drinking has been the centre of your life for a long time, you may feel lost without alcohol. This is your chance to find new and fulfilling ways to spend your life.

Holistic alcohol addiction treatment deals with the whole person. This is an important part of moving on.

Some find their path through exercise, others through a rewarding hobby, volunteering, family, exploring nature, and sober socialising.

Common Symptoms of Alcohol Dependency

The main symptoms are:

  1. You can’t stop drinking alcohol once you start.
  2. Craving alcohol when you stop.
  3. Withdrawal symptoms.
  4. Keep drinking despite the negative effects.
  5. Thinking about drinking most of the time.

Suffering from alcoholism means you will feel compelled to drink.

Once you start, you will often lose control of your drinking.

You can see how these symptoms can lead to a cycle of not wanting to drink but doing it anyway—then losing control when you eventually give in to the desire. This is why this particular addiction has a high relapse rate.

Even worse is that the cycle of addiction gets worse over time.

Overcoming Alcohol Addiction

When you cannot stop or control your drinking despite wanting to, you will need to take time out to focus on your recovery.

If you suffer from any alcohol withdrawal symptoms, this indicates alcohol dependence. And, where there is alcohol dependence, it is not safe to stop drinking suddenly without medical help.

When we think of alcoholism, we often jump to the most severe type, where a person’s withdrawal symptoms include seizures, hallucinations or delirium tremens. The reality is that alcohol withdrawal symptoms are not always this severe. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t end up that way.

Alcohol Withdrawal

Medical detox in an inpatient facility is the safest way to stop drinking if you suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Through medical alcohol detox, you will receive prescription medications to help control your withdrawal. You will also be monitored and supported by the nursing staff to ensure your comfort and safety.

An alcohol detox clinic is especially important to those with severe symptoms such as DTs (delirium tremens), seizures and extreme cravings.

After a successful alcohol detox, you will have a full alcohol rehabilitation programme designed for you. This will give you the tools to stay sober daily and avoid going back to drinking.

Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline Infogrpahic

Residential Rehab Clinics

Pros and Cons Of Residential Alcohol Rehab

Pros:

  • medical supervision
  • alcohol-free residence
  • Usually includes alcohol detox
  • Safe environment, removed from any temptation or harm
  • Intense therapy to promote real change
  • Privacy – no need to attend local services
  • Immediate admission

Cons:

  • Costs higher than other options
  • You have to be away from home

Types of Alcohol Rehab in the UK – residential

This type of rehab is both a residence and treatment centre. You will move out of your usual home and into the centre for your treatment program.

Rehabs, where you stay in the centre, come in all shapes, forms and costs. The best treatment centres for alcoholism depend on your needs, and many options exist.

Broadly speaking, there are:

Pictures of an alcohol rehab center facilities

Rural Alcohol Rehab

Mostly former country homes or long-stay hospitals. These will likely have plenty of private grounds and single rooms and be in a peaceful location.

Pictures on Alcohol Rehab Centre rooms and external rehab building

City Rehab Clinics

A good compromise for people who want to stay somewhere with good transport and activities. Suburban rehabs are the most likely to have different buildings for treatment and living. This gives a great home away from home feeling and helps you bond with other residents.

Image of London plus a rehab exterior shot and rehab bedroom

Urban alcohol addiction rehab

Usually, former townhouses are converted into mixed residential and treatment clinics. These are likely to have access to many facilities and specialists if needed. If you need a very specific treatment, it might be best to choose an urban alcohol rehab clinic in a large city such as London.

Do I Need a Residential Rehab Clinic?

We recommend that anyone with an addiction choose residential rehab if they have the choice. It is the safest and most effective method of recovering from alcoholism. Some people benefit most from staying in an alcohol rehab centre more than others. If you think you might be an alcoholic, clinics are the safest place to be for detox and therapy.

  • Have tried to quit and relapsed several times.
  • Experience severe withdrawal symptoms.
  • Struggle to stay sober with alcohol available.
  • Feel peer pressure at home to keep drinking.

Home Detox Rehab

Pros and Cons of Home Detox Rehab:

Pros:

  • Stay at home if needed
  • Medical detox for withdrawal symptoms
  • Privacy – the doctor comes discreetly
  • Immediate Assistance

Cons:

  • No 24/7 medical supervision
  • Psychological therapy is available but less frequent
  • You or someone else has to take care of you

Packing up and staying in rehab for alcohol addiction may be easier and safer, but leaving isn’t always an option. Some people have family or local commitments, so they can’t go into residential rehab for alcohol addiction.

The next best option is a home detox, counselling, and attending support groups.

They will decide if this is right for you and create a treatment plan and prescription tailored to your detox and mental health needs.

How Home Alcohol Detox Works

  • The doctor comes to your home or online/phone consultation if you prefer
  • A prescription is arranged
  • You take detox medication and rest at home
  • A loved one takes care of you
  • You attend support groups or pay for counselling privately

What is Outpatient Alcohol Rehab Like?

Pros and Cons of Community Rehab:

Pros:

  • Free for NHS patients
  • Prescriptions available from GP or approved organisations
  • Introduction to support groups in your area

Cons:

  • Waiting times are long
  • Confidential but not private
  • You may need to travel to access services

NHS trusts offer this type of rehab. These are charities that bid to cover specific areas of the UK. These groups will treat people with both alcohol and drug addictions.

Community rehab centres are not residential; the NHS only offers outpatient addiction treatment.

These centres should be your next stop if you cannot afford private rehab. They can help with group therapy, prescriptions for detox and family support.

How Much Does Alcohol Rehab Cost?

Private Rehab

The cost of private rehab varies, with certain rehabs being more affordable.

Generally, alcohol rehabs will fall into one of these three price brackets:

Affordable: £2,000-3,000 per week.

Mid-Range: 3,500-5,000 per week.

Luxury: £10,000 + per week.

Most rehabs do not offer payment plans, but they will often split the total cost into several payments for longer stays.

The price of addiction treatment often depends on accommodation and facilities.

Several rehabs will accept medical insurance, so it is always worth calling us to check!

Home Detox

Home detox is cheaper than residential care, costing around £1500-3000. This is only cheaper; however, if you feel confident, you will not relapse.

If there is a risk of relapse, you should always aim for residential rehab. One rehab treatment program is less expensive than several failed attempts. Look at it as an investment in your future.

Luxury and Affordable Alcohol Rehab

Luxury rehabs offer luxurious accommodations, extensive gardens, private gyms and 5-star meals, all freshly prepared on-site.

Addiction treatments offered by five-star rehab centres are more varied. They will have the latest equipment, specialists and holistic treatments.

If you are looking for something on a smaller budget, numerous more affordable rehabs exist. These provide comfortable and clean accommodation and professional medical care and counselling.

Whether you can afford a luxury rehab or a more affordable one, picking the right residential treatment centre is important.

Alcohol Rehab Abroad

The UK offers many varied alcohol rehab centres. Some people want to escape everything and choose alcohol rehab abroad.

A good climate, affordable flights and hotel-style service make Europe popular. Rehab Guide can recommend rehabs in Portugal, Cyprus, Spain, Dubai and South Africa.

Picture of a rehab in Spain, with swimming pool in the foreground

How Long is Alcohol Rehab

We will be brutally honest here as we feel it is important to understand that alcoholism is not curable. However, it is preventable, and it is treatable! A rehab can treat you, and you can maintain recovery a day at a time with support.

Most illnesses require an initial period of treatment and rehabilitation. The person will be taught how to manage their condition daily. Addiction is no different. Those with an alcohol use disorder require treatment in a rehabilitation centre.

The Purpose of Alcohol Rehab Treatment

Alcohol rehab treatment’s main purpose is to stabilise a person. Often, this will require a full medical detox and behavioural therapies and learning new coping strategies.

Alcohol recovery is an ongoing process once the initial detoxification and rehabilitation period has been completed.

If you suffer from alcoholism, the mere thought of giving up alcohol forever is likely challenging to wrap your head around. We understand this, as do millions in recovery from addiction. This is why we focus on maintaining sobriety one day at a time. This feels far more achievable for most.

There are several other benefits to this type of residential alcohol addiction treatment:

  • A residential treatment program offers privacy and no need to use local services
  • You can live your rehab treatment plan, not just fit it around your life
  • Private rehab offers more treatment options to suit you as a person
  • Provides relief to family or loved ones by offering safety and care for someone with alcoholism

How Long Does Alcohol Rehab Take?

How long you stay in alcohol rehab will depend on several factors that are completely personal to you.

Factors that affect the duration of rehab treatment include:

  • How long you have been addicted.
  • Whether you have any co-occurring illness that requires treatment.
  • The length of detox that you need.
  • How physically and mentally well you are.
  • Social and environmental factors. Do you have a safe place to go?
  • How quickly you respond to treatment. Everyone is different, and everyone heals at different rates.
  • How do you and your counsellors feel about your discharge?

Most inpatient alcohol treatment takes about 6 to 12 weeks. You may need less or more; it depends on your situation.

The best long-term treatment outcomes come from those who stay the longest. Recent government statistics show this and are helpful when considering how long to commit to an inpatient programme.

How to Apply for NHS Alcohol Rehab

Most people don’t realise there is no such thing as an inpatient NHS alcohol rehab. The government does not provide the facilities to treat drug and alcohol addiction as an inpatient.

Waiting times for community alcohol rehab vary from area to area. You must speak to your local services to determine the waiting times and if funding is available in your area.

How Rehab Guide Helps

Choosing an alcohol rehab programme through Rehab Guide brings several benefits. As a leading authority in addiction treatment, we take our role in helping those afflicted with addiction and their families extremely seriously.

We can also arrange for you to view our rehabs before admission to understand better what to expect.

Every alcohol clinic we work with is CQC registered, heavily regulated and offers a compassionate and caring environment where you can thrive.

If, after reading this, you are thinking: I need rehab now, we can help with quick admission. Call us now and speak to one of our friendly addiction experts for a free and confidential assessment. The first step to a brand-new life is asking for help.

Call FOR A FREE ADDICTION ASSESSMENT NOW 24/7 02072052845

Sources:

  • Understanding alcohol use disorder https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder
  • Warning signs of alcoholism https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/substance-abuse-services/prevention/warning-signs-of-alcoholism.html
  • Treatment approaches for drug addiction https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction
  • Alcohol and drug misuse prevention and treatment https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-drug-misuse-prevention-and-treatment-guidance
  • Principles of effective treatment/National Institute on Drug abuse https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/principles-effective-treatment
  • Effectiveness of long-term residential substance abuse treatment for women: findings from three national studies – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15540492/
  • https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-alcohol/2020

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