Drug and Alcohol Rehab Alfreton

Page Last Updated: 22/08/2023

Recovering from an addiction to drugs and alcohol can be a long and difficult process.

It can be extremely difficult to break free from an addiction without expert help, but with drug and alcohol rehab treatments it can certainly be done.

We can help find the best place for you if you are suffering from addiction. It’s always best to seek help as soon as possible, as an unchecked addiction can continue to have a serious impact on your health, relationships, finances, work and pretty much every other aspect of your life.

 

Why choose Drug and Alcohol Rehab Alfreton?

If you are struggling with addiction and substance misuse issues, there are a few choices available. Services available through the NHS can be valuable for some but there are limitations and drawbacks.

These programmes are almost all outpatient or community-based, which means you will have to manage your own appointments and largely deal with detoxification alone.

A private drug and alcohol rehab in Alfreton or elsewhere can offer the best in scientific and evidence-based treatments. You will also be in a secure, private environment where you will be able to dedicate all your energies towards your recovery.

This might not be the case on an outpatient treatment course, where you will also have to juggle the demands of your daily life and may be faced with substance misuse triggers such as familiar people, places and situations.

In a residential rehab you will have access to expert help and advice, with support available round the clock. You will also have medical supervision during the detox process, which can be a very difficult time.

 

Drug and Alcohol Detoxification

Detoxification, more commonly known as just detox, is the process in which all traces of drugs or alcohol are removed from the body. This can be seen as the physical side of recovery and it can be extremely unpleasant.

Over the course of prolonged substance misuse, the body and brain adjusts and comes to depend on the chemicals the drugs and alcohol provide. When they are suddenly removed, the system experiences physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms, which can be severe.

The exact nature of withdrawal will depend on a number of factors, including the substance involved and the heaviness and duration of use.

Withdrawal symptoms for an alcohol addiction, for example, can include:

• Profuse sweating
• Nausea
• Hallucinations
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Tremors (aka ‘the shakes’)
• Seizures – in the most severe cases

Despite the fact that it is legal and widely accessible, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be worse than many other substances. Opioids such as heroin and certain prescription drugs can also produce severe physical withdrawal symptoms while withdrawal from cocaine predominantly involves psychological symptoms.

These can still be very serious and difficult to deal with though, and the best and safest place to do so is in a drug or alcohol rehab centre.

 

What other Treatments are available?

Detox deals with the physical part of addiction but long-term addiction and substance misuse also has a major psychological effect. An effective alcohol and drug rehab programme will also include a range of different treatment options aimed at dealing with the psychological side of addiction.

This will generally involve a number of talking therapies that may include techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), group therapy sessions and one to one therapy and counselling.

You will be encouraged to explore the root causes behind your addiction and the behaviours that have led you to this point. CBT can be particularly valuable in allowing you to examine and change your behaviours and is frequently used to treat conditions such as depression and anxiety, as well as addiction.

The NHS says that this technique can help you to deal with problems that you would previously have found overwhelming by breaking them down into smaller parts.

Essentially, CBT breaks problems into five main areas, all of which are interconnected. These are:

• situations
• thoughts
• emotions
• physical feelings
• actions

CBT helps you to understand the relationships between these areas, breaking negative thought cycles and eventually helping you to change your own behaviour.

You may attend workshops covering areas such as nutrition, healthy eating and exercise, which will help you to live a healthier lifestyle moving forward.

This can help undo some of the damage that might have resulted from prolonged addiction and substance misuse, but living a generally healthier and happier lifestyle can also help to keep you from succumbing to the temptation of falling back into bad old habits.

Other supplementary therapies such as art and music therapy, mindfulness and meditation can also help you develop a healthier mind, with the same end goal of relapse prevention.

Some rehab centres may even use cutting edge technology such as virtual reality (VR) or the Satori Chair, which uses specific sound frequencies to deliver a deep, almost meditative state of relaxation.

Many of these techniques can also be used to treat behavioural addictions such as gambling addiction, as well as alcohol and drug addiction.

 

Mental Health and Addiction

It’s a well-documented fact that many people who have an addiction problem also have mental health issues to deal with.

The relationship between these two areas can be complex – sometimes an existing mental illness can lead to or have an impact on substance abuse and addiction, while at other times it can be the opposite way round. It may also be a mixture, with addiction, substance misuse and mental health problems all impacting each other.

It can be extremely useful to address both sides of the coin at the same time; an approach that is often known as dual diagnosis treatment. Trying to tackle an addiction without treating problems such as anxiety, mental health and depression could simply be storing up problems and increasing the risk of relapse in the future.

A good aftercare programme can help prevent relapse but you will also need to leave the main course of treatment with the tools and knowledge you need to remain clean and sober.

So don’t delay. If you are struggling with addiction, find out how rehab in Alfreton could help you to regain control and move forward to a happier and healthier life.

 

Sources

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/how-it-works/