Drug and alcohol addiction are serious medical issues that can completely transform a person’s life. If left undealt with, addiction can seriously harm your physical and mental health and lay waste to your life – bringing about an end to relationships, livelihood and self-respect.
Accepting you have a problem is the first major step on the journey to recovery. The next step is to consider going into drug and alcohol rehab.
You may not know where to start when it comes to deciding on that next step.
Addiction Advocates can help.
We are a rehab referral service, providing advice and guidance for those needing addiction treatment. With our help, we can get you into a centre that is perfect for your situation – giving you the best chance of achieving your recovery goals.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Drug and Alcohol Addiction?
Though drug and alcohol addiction are separate issues, they often share similar addiction traits. The common indicators of addiction can be organised by physical, psychological and behavioural symptoms.
Physical symptoms:
- Insomnia
- Looking more dishevelled and haggard
- Weight change
- Increased tolerance
- Withdrawal symptoms (shakes, diarrhoea etc) if you stop taking the substance
Psychological symptoms:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Increased agitation and paranoia
- Lack of focus and concentration
Behavioural symptoms:
- Lack of interest in things you once enjoyed
- More time spent acquiring drugs/alcohol and using them
- A downturn in work performance
- No longer socialising with friends and family
- Attempted to stop but was unable to
If you are suffering from a combination of these then you may be suffering from a serious addiction. Now might be the time to consider finding out more about alcohol and drug rehabs.
What are the Benefits of Private Rehab?
Private drug and alcohol rehab is the most effective pathway towards long-term recovery. There are many benefits to going private for rehab treatment that publicly funded services cannot give you.
Treatment Options
At a private rehab centre, you will have access to a wide range of treatments. Alongside evidence-based psychological treatment, you may be able to take part in well-being therapies and undergo a thorough detox regime. All of this can make up part of a personalised treatment plan that is aimed specifically at you to get the correct help.
Time Away
When choosing private rehab, you are deciding to become a resident of the facility for a time. Whilst this may be unnerving at first, time away from your usual environment can be good for you. Breaking your routine and a spiralling cycle of addiction can help you focus completely on your treatment. Without distractions and being far away from your day-to-day temptations, you can better reflect and reset.
Quick Admissions
Private facilities usually have a much short waiting list than public services. If there is an available space, you can quickly go through the admissions process of a centre and be admitted within days of your initial enquiry.
Referring a Family Member or Friend
Addiction does not only affect the person using substances. It often ripples out harm family members, friends and work colleagues.
As a person close to an addict, you may not know how to approach a loved one about their addiction and which is the best course to take. Addiction Advocates understand this and so we provide family referral and friend referral services.
Through these services, we can offer advice and guidance on how to get the person you care about into recovery. We can speak to them and help them understand your concerns and the urgent need for treatment.
Detoxification: Step by Step
When dealing with a severe addiction problem, detox is your first stop in rehab. Detoxification is the process of ending your physical dependence on a substance by stopping your ingestion of it.
Completing a thorough detox is vital to an effective addiction treatment programme. It will leave you in a better physical and mental state to deal with the psychological aspects of addiction.
Once you stop taking drugs or drinking your body will react with withdrawal symptoms. The severity of these symptoms depends on many factors, including your addiction history, the severity of your addiction and the substance you are addicted to. During alcohol detox, you are likely to experience anxiety, insomnia, depression and headaches.
In many private drug and alcohol rehabs, medication will be administered to ease symptoms and make you more comfortable.
Withdrawal symptoms will begin within hours of stopping taking the substance and persist for a few days. After this, the physical symptoms should lessen but cravings and more psychological symptoms may worsen. A detox programme lasts on average a week, after which you will begin other treatments.
Addiction Treatment at a Private Rehab Centre
Taking part in therapies offered by rehab centres is an important part of the recovery journey. Addiction can have a huge impact on your mental health and uncovering the emotional and psychological origins of your issues will help you overcome them.
Sessions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, group therapy and motivational therapy will help you understand your addiction better and learn how to cope with it on the outside. Rehab centres in our network also make use of well-being therapies such as yoga and mindfulness to help boost your mental health and leave you in a state of mind more present and ready for therapy.
What Happens After Rehab?
Completing rehab is not the end of the journey.
Whilst this statement may feel you will nervous, rehab is only a part of the recovery journey. What comes next is very important for you and it is the time in which many relapses occur.
Exiting rehab with an effective relapse prevention plan is important to remaining sober.
To help you through these possibly overwhelming initial months, many centres offer free aftercare plans. Aftercare can help you hone your coping techniques after rehab and give you access to support meetings so that you can stay in touch with others in recovery.
How We Can Help
If you have decided to face up to your addiction and need advice on what to do next, contact Addiction Advocates today. Call our team at 0800 012 6088 or text HELP to 83222 and we can help find the right clinic for you, allowing you to get access to the treatment you need.
How We Help
Finding the right treatment for your addiction can be difficult this is why we have created a service which takes the stress away which can be a massive relief when dealing with an addiction.
Self Referrals
Suffering with an addiction and being alone can be a horrific scenario for many. Whether you have a drug or alcohol addiction, we're here to help.
Family Referrals
Do you have concerns that a loved one may be affected by substance misuse? Have you spotted any signs and symptoms of a drug and alcohol…
