A rehab centre is a place where people go to recover from a whole host of issues such as trauma, addiction or most types of illnesses.

You could be suffering from PTSD, an addiction issue or an injury to your brain or body. In fact, the World Health Organisation estimates that over 2 billion people across the world would benefit from attending rehab.

Within a rehab centre, you will receive a range of treatments and therapies, including both physical and psychological treatment.

Essentially, you will be placed and admitted into a rehab facility when you are no longer able to live your normal life.

This means that all treatment is geared towards improving your life, and becoming a happier and healthier version of your current self.

Rehab treatment consists of a range of medical treatment as well as psychological treatment, including most talking and physical therapies.

There are two main types of rehab, including inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab.

What type of rehab you are admitted to will depend on a range of factors, including how severe your issues are and whether you would cope well within an inpatient facility.

The differences between private and NHS funded drug and alcohol rehab

As well as inpatient and outpatient rehab treatment, there is also NHS funded rehab treatment and privately funded rehab treatment.

1. NHS-funded rehab treatment

If you are unable to fund your own stint in a rehab facility, then you might qualify for NHS funded drug and alcohol rehab. This means that you will not pay a penny for your treatment.

2. Private rehab treatment

Private drug and alcohol rehab treatment centres are available for anyone who can afford it. This means that you will pay for your treatment and will get access to help quickly.

Recommended providers of alcohol rehab treatment in London include Rehab Recovery, Kenward Trust and The Forward Trust.

Things to consider when choosing a rehab centre

There are a number of factors and things that you should consider when choosing a drug and alcohol rehab centre. Some of these factors and listed and explained for you further below.

1. Does the rehab centre offer inpatient, outpatient or both?

You should always check to see whether or not the rehab facility you are considering offers inpatient, outpatient treatment or both. If you suffer from a severe addiction to drugs or alcohol, then you might want to attend inpatient rehab, as this provides more structure.

If you suffer from a less severe addiction, then you might be admitted into outpatient rehab treatment, as this allows you to remain living at home for the duration of your treatment, to continue with day to day life as much as you can alongside your treatment.

2. What qualifications do the staff have?

When choosing a rehab centre, you should look at what qualifications the staff have.

This is because you want to ensure that you are receiving treatment from highly trained professionals who have experience in treating people with addiction issues.

You will receive a range of treatment from a wide range of individuals, including doctors, nurses and counsellors.

3. How long will I stay there for?

You will need to ask how long you will be required to stay in rehab for. If you suffer from a severe addiction, then you will be required to stay in inpatient rehab for a number of weeks, if not months. This could last up to 3 months for really severe cases.

If your addiction is classified as moderate, then you will still need to stay in inpatient drug and alcohol rehab, but will only need to do so for a couple of weeks.

If necessary, you will also need to continue your treatment through outpatient drug and alcohol rehab treatment back at home.

If your addiction is classified as mild, then you might only need to attend drug and alcohol rehab for up to 10 days, which is usually how long it takes for you to undergo a medical detox.

4. How much does drug and alcohol rehab cost?

How much your stint in drug and alcohol rehab costs depends on lots of different things. Most notably, it depends on how long you stay in rehab for. The longer you tend to stay in rehab, the more expensive it gets.

You should always check to see how expensive your stay in rehab is, so that you can be sure you can afford it before paying privately.

If after doing your research you determine that you cannot afford to attend private drug and alcohol rehab, then you should talk to your local GP about attending NHS funded drug and alcohol rehab.

5. What detox medication will be on offer?

There are a range of different medications offered within rehab centres and it’s important to understand what type of medication your chosen rehab centre will likely offer you.

You should check that your chosen rehab centre offers you a comprehensive detox plan and treatment, with 24/7 support and a range of medication, some of which is listed below:

• Acamprosate medication is usually used to help anyone undergoing a medical detox from alcohol or other substances. This type of medication alone won’t be enough though, and it is usually recommended that you take acamprosate medication alongside other types of therapy.
• Bunprehnorphine is another type of detox medication frequently offered within rehab centres. This is a much better option than methadone, as people are a lot less likely to become addicted to buprenorphine. You must take this form of medication within a rehab or medical centre and not in your home.
• Clonazepam is another popular type of detox medication that you should look out for. This type of medication is mainly used for mental health conditions such as panic attacks, anxiety and seizures. This will help to lessen your symptoms and help to make you feel more relaxed.
• Nalmefene helps with addiction to alcohol and helps to lessen the severity of your withdrawal symptoms during your medical detox.

6. What is aftercare and why do I need it?

Aftercare is an incredibly important part of the rehab and recovery process, as you need to continue your treatment long after you leave inpatient rehab.

Recovery is never an overnight thing, as it requires months if not years of patience, motivation and determination to stay sober and achieve a full recovery from your addiction.

Once you leave inpatient drug and alcohol rehab, you might be asked to attend long term outpatient rehab treatment which means that you will visit an outpatient facility on a regular basis to undergo treatment.

You will also be asked to attend local self help groups for more support. These groups will be essential to your recovery as you will lean on this type of support to remain motivated and sober.

You will also have to adjust to your new, sober life without drugs or alcohol. Leaving rehab, particularly after a long stint in rehab might be daunting and overwhelming. This is why it is important to continue aftercare for a number of weeks, months or even sometimes years after you leave the rehab facility.

It is important to understand that your life might look very differently when you leave rehab.

Your friends might no longer be your friends, your family might act differently around you and you might not be able to remain living where you were living before you attended rehab.

You might also have to make changes yourself. You might have to stop hanging around with people you’re used to spending time with, change your lifestyle and the way you think and behave.

Everything you’ve worked towards during your time in rehab will be worth it, but it is important to understand the importance of aftercare and ongoing support after you leave drug and alcohol rehab.

What type of therapy is usually offered?

Usually, every rehab centre will offer a range of therapy techniques which will help you to recover. Whilst you may never have tried therapy before, you might be surprised at what it can do for you.

Therapy alone won’t cure your addiction, but incorporating therapy alongside medication and withdrawing from the addictive substance, you are giving yourself the best possible chance at recovery.

Listed below are some very popular therapy techniques used throughout most drug and alcohol rehab centres in the UK.

1. Holistic therapy

Holistic therapy might sound a bit ambiguous, but it’s actually very simple. Holistic therapy includes anything such as art, music or exercise including walking, running or swimming. The aim of holistic therapy is to help you to uncover new hobbies and to help you enter a state of ‘flow’ where your body and mind act as one.

2. Group therapy

Group therapy is offered in most rehab centres and has proven very successful over the years. You will sit in a group setting with a therapist and will be given the chance to share experience as well as learn and grow from each other’s stories and lives. You will also be held accountable for any poor behaviour or relapses.

3. One to one therapy

One to one therapy does what it says on the tin, you will sit in a one to one environment with a therapist where you will be able to discuss your addiction and motivation to recover, as well as any trauma that might have contributed to your addiction issues in the first place.

4. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

During one to one therapy, you might be offered something called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This type of therapy assesses the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and emotions.

It aims to help individuals make better life choices, habits and behaviours. CBT has proven incredibly successful over the years, so you should always check to see whether your chosen rehab centre offers this type of therapy or not.

What does a typical day look like?

Attending rehab is hard work. It’s not somewhere you go to relax, have a few lay ins and meet new people. You are likely to be up early so that you can do a little bit of exercise and eat a good, healthy breakfast.

You will then have a range of different classes and therapy sessions to attend, including one to one therapy and group therapy. There will be a few hours of downtime in between these sessions, to help you to collect your thoughts and get some rest, as therapy of any sort can be tiring.

Your therapy sessions will usually last all afternoon, and you are then given some down time in the evening.

Again, you will be prepared a healthy meal and encouraged to go to bed at a decent time so that you get a good night’s sleep, ready for the next day.

How do I break the news to my family?

Revealing that you need to attend a drug and alcohol rehab centre to recover from an addiction to family or friends is always hard. In fact, admitting you’ve got a problem in the first place is often the hardest step.

However, sitting down with your family and friends and having an open and frank discussion about your recovery needs is the best thing you can do. You might even find it liberating.

The idea of breaking the news to your family that you’re going to be attending a rehab centre is daunting and overwhelming, which is why we’ve created a step by step guide on how to do this.

Step 1 – Pick your moment

You should try to pick your moment well, making sure that you’re in a private and calm environment. Make sure that everyone is calm and there is no drink or drugs around or involved.

Step 2 – Admit you have make mistakes

Next, be open and ready to admit that you have made mistakes and that you need to make changes in your life. Try to apologise for any mistakes you’ve made, as this will go a long way, but make sure not to blame anyone else for your addiction.

Step 3 – Educate them on what an addiction is truly like

It might be that your family or friends have never had exposure to addiction or rehab before. This is why it is always a good idea to educate your family on the ins and outs of addiction so that they understand what you are going through and what you need to recover.

Step 4 – Keep them in the loop

It’s important to keep your family or friends in the loop with what happens next. If you have an admissions date, make sure you tell them about it.

Tell them where your rehab centre is and how long you are likely to be there for. You could even work with them to make plans on how they can support you once you leave the rehab facility.