Drug and Alcohol Rehab Brownhills

If you’re struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol, attending rehab in Brownhills could be your best way to deal with your problems.

If you do have these issues, you are certainly not alone. The Drugs and Alcohol Needs Assessment for Walsall found that, as of 2019, the area had higher rates of dependent alcohol users, problematic drug users of opiate and crack cocaine and intravenous drug users compared to both the West Midlands as a whole and nationally.

This is a serious problem, as there are thousands of deaths and hospitalisations throughout the UK every year.

Behind the statistics though, every case of addiction represents an individual who is suffering and both needs and deserves help.

Beating addiction alone is incredibly difficult, but accessing the right drug and alcohol treatment at a professional rehabilitation centre gives you the best chance of getting clean and making a long-term recovery.

 

Do you need help from a rehab clinic in Brownhills?

People who are dependent on drugs or alcohol are often reluctant to admit that they have a problem. This could involve hiding the extent of their drinking or drug use from partners, family members and others but it can also involve lying to yourself.

There is no one definitive sign of addiction. It is more about the overall picture but if any of these apply, you might want to consider whether you should seek professional help:

• Increased cravings or compulsion to use
• Needing to take more to get the same effect
• Feeling bad when you don’t have drugs or alcohol – withdrawal symptoms
• Trying and failing to cut down or stop
• Focusing your social life around drinking or drug use
• Avoiding social situations where you can’t use the substance
• Preoccupation with securing drugs or alcohol
• Neglecting your health, hygiene etc

Often it is not the addict themselves who first seeks help but family, friends and loved ones.

Again, it is about building up the whole picture but some signs that a loved one could have substance misuse issues could include:

• Observing frequent or heavy drinking and drug use
• The person hiding how much they use; secrecy and dishonesty
• Avoiding social situations where they do not have access to drugs or alcohol
• Changing their social circle
• Mood swings
• Trouble sleeping
• Changes in energy (very tired or very hyped up/energetic)
• Seeming unwell at certain times and better at others
• Persistent illnesses
• Neglecting their health, hygiene etc

If you think a loved one may be in need of drug and alcohol services it can be difficult to know how to proceed. It can be a delicate and tricky situation but we can provide advice in 100% confidentiality.

The person with the problem must consent to treatment but we can advise how best to approach them and make a family and friend referral. Sometimes an intervention may be appropriate but this is not the best approach in every situation.

We can also provide family drug support if and when the person with the problem does seek help for their drug and alcohol abuse.

 

Trying to deal with addiction alone

Trying to beat an addiction without outside help is possible, but it is extremely difficult and can be dangerous. Prolonged use of drugs and alcohol changes the way your brain works, with a particular effect on the systems that deal with pleasure, reward, decision-making and compulsive behaviour.

Over time the user will come to rely on the effects that alcohol or drugs have on the brain. They can also build up a tolerance, meaning they have to use more and more to get the same high, and eventually even to just feel normal.

When the substance is withdrawn the brain and body react badly, giving rise to what are commonly known as withdrawal symptoms. These can take a variety of physical and psychological forms and can vary from one individual to the next.

Relevant factors that can affect the withdrawal symptoms experienced include the type of substance and the length and heaviness of use. Some people might expect withdrawal from illegal drugs to be worse than legal ones but alcohol withdrawal can be particularly unpleasant and dangerous.

Add the fact that one of the defining characteristics of addiction is the compulsion to continue using the substance even when you know that there may be negative consequences, and it’s easy to see why tackling the problem alone is unlikely to be successful.

 

Attending a detox clinic

It is generally a much better option to go through the process of detoxification and accompanying addiction treatment programmes at a drug and alcohol rehab facility. Detoxification – commonly shortened to detox – is when the harmful chemicals or toxic elements of the drugs and alcohols are processed and ‘flushed’ out of the system.

This is always unpleasant but the experience can be managed with medication in some cases. If you attend drug or alcohol detox in Brownhills your health and addiction will be fully assessed before you start and monitored as you undergo detox.

You may receive prescription medication if it is appropriate and will also receive vital emotional support as and when you need it.

 

Other addiction treatments available

Supervised detox can help you get clean or sober up but the long-term goal is to help you stay that way, and this can be every bit as difficult.

A rehab programme in Brownhills will also provide you with the tools you need to make a long lasting recovery and steer clear of drink or drugs once you leave the doors of the facility.

This will generally take the form of a range of therapies, which could include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), group therapy, psychotherapy, counselling and other treatments.

Stress management and mental health care such as dual-diagnosis treatment can also help you address related problems, which can be very valuable when it comes to relapse prevention.

If you think you need help – for yourself or somebody else – don’t delay. Leaving an addiction untreated can be very harmful and dangerous, so call us today to find out how we can help.

See more information about drug and alcohol rehab in the Birmingham area here.