Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Wickford
Regardless of the prosperity or status of a country or community, the effects of drug and alcohol addiction not only persist but are becoming more apparent.
Addiction does not discriminate, and it affects communities of all levels of wealth, class, age, race, beliefs, and so on. Drug and alcohol addiction transcends these societal and economic boundaries.
In the United Kingdom, it was estimated that almost 300,000 adults [1] took the steps to contact an addiction professional in order to overcome their addiction from 2021 to 2022. This number is higher than the previous year.
While you would typically think that seeking help leads to the welcoming and acceptance of professional support, most of these people decided against undergoing addiction treatment at their local drug and alcohol rehab in the UK.
However, while many people still may be in denial or turn a blind eye towards their substance use disorder, Essex and Wickford in particular saw a significant amount of entries into treatment.
From 2019 to 2020, Essex (including Wickford) saw a total number of 1,930 adults [2] entering a drug and alcohol rehab in order to recover from their debilitating drug and alcohol addiction.
Of this figure, it was discovered that 56% of these patients were actually parents. Additionally, it is estimated that there are 2765 alcohol-dependent adults living with children throughout areas of Essex such as Wickford.
This means that not only are these addicted people being affected by substance addiction, their children, as well as other members of the community, are profoundly affected by their addiction.
Drug and alcohol addiction affects most people, in one way or another. Although it may affect people directly by changing the structures in their brains and presenting discomforting symptoms, the indirect effects of addiction are manifested by economic costs, antisocial behaviour, the strain on healthcare, and so on.
Start your recovery journey today by calling our expert team to access drug & alcohol rehab in Wickford on 0800 088 66 86
The Scientific Explanation for Addiction
Drug and alcohol addiction is officially recognised as a chronic brain disease. Not only does this show that neuroscientists are beginning to understand more about the nature of addiction, it can help reduce and minimise the stigma surrounding addiction, such as the misconception that it is not an illness, but a choice.
The term “addiction” is often used interchangeably with terms such as substance addiction, substance use disorder, or even drug and alcohol “misuse” or “substance abuse” (which are often avoided because they carry negative connotations).
The term “abuse” in particular carries a connotation of violence and hostility even when it is not the case with most addicted people.
Other negative terms associated with addiction are “addict”, “alcoholic”, or “junkie”, because rather than explaining that the person has a substance use disorder, it carries the connotation that they are the problem and that their identity is synonymous with their illness.
Neurological models developed by scientists and addiction specialists establish addiction as a brain disease, where the person who is addicted will undergo severe physiological changes in the body when exposed to the addictive substance.
When someone who is susceptible to addiction engages in one of these psychoactive and intoxicating substances, the structures in their brain change.
Their neural “mesolimbic” pathways, which are responsible for helping us associate pleasure with certain activities and sensations (e.g. completing a task, exercising, sexual intercourse) are manipulated in a way where they become dependent on the drug or alcoholic substance.
This makes the addicted person struggle to function optimally or enjoy activities which do not include these addictive substances.
A common reason why addicted people tend to lose interest in previous hobbies is that their brains have been altered in a way which makes them physically and psychologically crave these substances.
The Effects of Frequent and Excessive Drug and Alcohol Consumption
When a person undergoes a period of time without engaging in these substances (e.g. a few days or weeks), they will experience a wide range of uncomfortable and potentially severe withdrawal symptoms.
Common examples of withdrawal symptoms include headaches, anxiety, insomnia, muscle cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, trembling, depression, and seizures.
However, each patient will experience something different during the withdrawal stage, and this is down to their physical and mental condition if they are on any medication, which substance they are addicted to, the quantities in which they consume them, and so on.
Withdrawal symptoms can kill the patient if their dependence is severe enough, and because of this, some patients will be required to undergo a medical detox at their drug and alcohol rehab in Wickford.
The effects of drug and alcohol consumption, not just addiction, can be devastating in the long run. Drugs and alcohol are carcinogenic, which means that they actually foster the development of cancer cells in the body, and they can lead to a wide range of diseases.
Liver disease is a prominent example, with most cases of liver disease deaths being attributed due to alcohol consumption, even among moderate drinkers.
Furthermore, frequent and excessive consumption of psychoactive substances, whether alcohol, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, or else, can lead to a range of mental health conditions.
The mental health conditions which are most commonly associated with people who are suffering from addiction include but are not limited to clinical depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and more.
Start your recovery journey today by calling our expert team to access drug & alcohol rehab in Wickford on 0800 088 66 86
How Does Someone Enter a Rehab in Their Area?
While it may not seem like it at first, the process of entering a drug and alcohol rehab in Wickford or elsewhere does not have to be difficult. At Rehab Recovery, our purpose is to help facilitate a patient’s admission into rehab so they can initiate their long-term recovery journey to recovery.
Rehab Recovery can help patients not only enter rehab but decide on which form of rehab will benefit them most. Patients will need to complete a preadmission assessment which will be conducted over the phone and free of cost with a friendly team member at Rehab Recovery.
By completing the necessary admission assessment, where you will answer a set of questions concerned with your unique circumstance including physical and mental health, medical history, preferences and additional requirements, Rehab Recovery and a team of addiction specialists will identify the most optimal treatment plan and rehab in Wickford for you.
Contact us today by dialling the number 0800 088 66 86, we can help you initiate your journey to a healthier life of sobriety. Each patient has the prerequisite factors and knowledge required to return to a happier and healthier life.
At Rehab Recovery, we want to help you activate these skills by pairing you with an optimal treatment plan and drug and alcohol rehab in Wickford.
Helping a Loved One Enter Rehab
If you have taken it upon yourself to research the procedure of entering someone into a drug and alcohol rehab, there are several ways we can approach this.
Once the person themselves can choose to enter rehab, there is no way to make someone enter a rehab facility in order to recover.
So, when someone is dismissive of the idea of undergoing addiction treatment, Rehab Recovery can help loved ones by assigning an interventionist.
An interventionist will help stage an intervention, which is effective in helping and guiding someone into seeking treatment.
During an intervention, participants will be able to share what they think about their loved one’s addiction and how it has had an impact on their lives, to their loved one. This is a non-confrontational environment which fosters open communication.
Participants will each take their turn sharing their experience dealing with their loved one’s addiction, and the goal is that these reasons will provide the loved one both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to enter rehab.
Start your recovery journey today by calling our expert team to access drug & alcohol rehab in Wickford on 0800 088 66 86
Therapeutic Approaches at a Rehabilitation Centre
Because of the many variables associated with drug and alcohol addiction, a comprehensive addiction recovery plan requires a range of treatment options to optimise the patient’s recovery.
Addiction treatment programmes typically include therapies such as:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) [2]: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is often employed throughout someone’s addiction treatment programme. This is because it is used to treat not only addiction but a wide range of mental health conditions which have an adverse effect on their recovery. The goal of CBT is to help reconfigure a patient’s negative behavioural and thought patterns, which are not only harming their recovery but worsening their addiction and other areas of their life. CBT is also considered to be effective in developing relapse prevention strategies.
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) [3]: DBT is similar to CBT, however, it is used with more emphasis on treating patients who suffer from mental health conditions such as anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and so on. These mental health conditions can make patients extremely emotional and erratic, and DBT teaches patients about stress management, mindfulness, and more.
- Alternative Holistic Therapy: Holistic therapy adopts the philosophy of ‘holism’ and differs from traditional forms of therapy. The idea of ‘holism’ is that the person should be treated as one, and that physical, mental, and spiritual health are ultimately intertwined. Examples of Holistic therapy include massages, yoga, equine therapy, adventure therapy, tai chi, meditation, and more.
- Family Addiction Counselling [4]: Family therapy is an important addition to anyone’s road to recovery. This is because the patient’s relationship with their family can have a tremendous impact on their recovery. Improving communication level’s and their awareness of how to support their loved one increases the ability of the patient’s support network. Additionally, it can resolve issues between members which create a hostile living environment.
- Group Therapy: Group therapy offers benefits which individual therapy tends to lack in, such as peer discussion, combating social isolation, and more. The act of sharing and listening to others can enhance empathy and allow patients to form stronger support networks. Group Therapy also facilitates social reinforcement, a significant driving force in someone’s recovery. Studies show [5] that attending group therapy poses tremendous benefits when compared to subjects who do not attend any form of group therapy.
Start your recovery journey today by calling our expert team to access drug & alcohol rehab in Wickford on 0800 088 66 86
Types of Addiction Treatment Services Available in Wickford and Essex
When it comes to recovery, different patients will require different forms of care. While one may be suffering from alcohol addiction, another may be suffering from addiction to drugs. One patient may suffer mildly from addiction, whereas another may suffer from a severe type of addiction which requires urgent medical care. At rehab, patients will be able to undergo varying levels of care.
1. What is Outpatient Treatment and Who is it For?
Patients who are suffering from a mild form of addiction will be able to undergo treatment as an outpatient [6] at a treatment facility. This means that they will undergo treatment while returning home each night, and undergoing various forms of level but on a more flexible level.
Outpatients typically attend around 5 – 6 hours of therapy per week. However, if an outpatient desires to spend more time undergoing therapy sessions, they can undergo the intensive outpatient treatment programme.
Here, they can attend up to 30 hours of treatment per week, while still remaining an outpatient, attending to other responsibilities and returning home each night.
While it may be flexible and free of cost, most of the criticism of outpatient treatment services comes from the idea that it lacks the same level of intensiveness or personalisation as inpatient treatment centres do.
2. What is Inpatient Treatment and Who is it For?
Patients who are suffering from moderate to severe forms of addiction, as well as mental health issues (in addition to their substance use disorder), will be highly advised to undergo treatment at an inpatient rehab [7], or residential rehab.
This is because these conditions are more severe and require a higher level of personalisation and support to recover.
A large proportion of patients suffering from addiction also suffer from mental health disorders. This is called ‘co-occurring disorders. Inpatient care offers a higher level of customisation and attention to detail according to the individual’s needs, making it an effective treatment option for each patient.
Each case of addiction is unique, therefore, it is of great importance to treat each patient with a personalised plan rather than a generic ‘one size fits all’ method.
Furthermore, an comprehensive inpatient treatment programme also offers patients residential detox. Here, patients can recover from their withdrawal symptoms with the use of medicated assisted therapy at an overnight medically supported facility.
They will have access to thorough support, day and night, from a team of medical professionals.
Residential detoxes have a far higher success rate than ‘home detox‘ where patients are far more likely to relapse.
The problem with a home detox is that the relapse triggers may be within the home, and when the person is trying to abstain without the assistance of supervision from health practitioners, they may succumb to relapse.
3. Should I Undergo Inpatient or Outpatient Rehab?
It can be hard to comprehend the varying levels of treatment, and patients will need guidance from a counsellor or addiction specialist to understand what form of treatment they should undergo.
While you can contact us or seek advice from an addiction specialist, you should undergo treatment at an addiction treatment centre as an inpatient if you:
- Are suffering from mental health conditions (co-occurring disorders) such as anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, schizophrenia, and so on
- Have tried to recover in the past, but relapsed in doing so
- Are suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms
- Live in an unstable home environment
4. What Are the Benefits of an Aftercare Programme?
When a patient successfully completes their treatment programme at one of their rehab facilities, they will be able to continue maintaining their recovery through an aftercare programme.
Typically, aftercare programmes offer 12-month programmes (sometimes longer) which include things such as financial advice, counselling, support sessions, the 12-Step Programme [8], access to groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) [9], SMART Recovery [10] and more.
Patients, regardless of whether they are inpatients or outpatients, can both undergo an aftercare programme as an outpatient following their time spent recovering at a facility.
For inpatients, it is beneficial that they undergo an aftercare programme because they underwent recovery at residential rehab facilities, and an aftercare programme will help them adjust to managing their recovery with more independence.
Access to fellowship programmes and support networks will allow patients to discover a new world of support. They will meet new people who each have a unique insight into addiction recovery, and they will be able to form a new support network in their local area.
Research shows that attending support groups has a positive effect on the outcome of long-lasting addiction recovery.
References
[1] National Statistis: Adult Substance Misuse Treatment Statistics 2021 to 2022: Report https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/substance-misuse-treatment-for-adults-statistics-2021-to-2022/adult-substance-misuse-treatment-statistics-2021-to-2022-report
[2] Parents with Problems: Alcohol and Drug Use: Data for England and Essex https://www.ndtms.net/resources/public/Parental%20substance%20misuse/East%20of%20England/EE_Essex_2019-20_Parental_substance_misuse_data_pack.html
[3] Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Substance Use Disorders https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897895/
[4] Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Substance Use Disorders https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2797106/
[5] Family Counselling Approaches – Substance Use Disorders (Chapter 3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571088/
[6] A Review of Research Supported Group Treatments for Drug Use Disorders https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8215831/
[7] Outpatient Addiction Treatment – Rehab Recovery https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/outpatient/
[8] Residential Addiction Treatment – Rehab Recovery https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/residential-addiction-treatment/
[9] 12-Step Recovery Programme: What It Is and How It Can Help https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/12-steps/
[10] Alcoholics Anonymous https://www.aa.org
[11] SMART Recovery https://www.smartrecovery.org
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