Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Stourbridge
Addiction is a disorder that can often make sufferers feel isolated – that no one around them would understand, or that they could even be judged. But what they don’t realise is that they’re far from alone in their struggles.
It’s so much more common than a lot of people think. In fact, from 2018 to 2019, studies show that there were around 7,376 hospital admissions for drug misuse in the UK.
Those numbers are all very well and good in showing you how common these problems actually are, and that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. But now you might be wondering how you specifically can deal with your addiction.
The truth is, it can’t really be fully cured, only managed. But, with the right help and support within a recovery plan that’s suited to you, you can control it. And in doing that, you can start to get your life back on track.
Here at OK Rehab, we’re always on hand to give advice about drug and alcohol rehab in Stourbridge or anywhere else. We have more information on various aspects of the recovery process below and specifically, information on how to get help.
How do I reach out for help?
It may seem like something incredibly daunting, but getting help for addiction is actually a lot easier than you think.
If you call OK Rehab on 0800 326 5559, as we said previously, we’ll be able to give you all the help, support and advice that you need. There are various treatment types you could go for (more detail on that later) and if you’re unsure, you can always talk it through with us.
Once we’ve established your specific situation, the next stage depends on what you need. Some people are more suited to residential rehab, whilst others do better being treated at home in what’s known as outpatient treatment.
In either scenario, we’ll need to find an organisation that can provide the kind of treatment you need, get you in touch with them and then you can finally begin to heal.
In general, residential rehab is designed for those with moderate to severe dependencies (which is a majority of the people who come to us), whilst outpatient treatment usually suits people who have less severe problems.
What should I expect from rehab?
As for the process of rehab itself, you’ll probably end up with a mix of treatment. There’s more specific detail on what kinds of treatments are usually available below, but for now, let’s talk about the environment of residential rehab.
The reason why it works so well, especially for people with more severe addiction issues, is that it’s a very safe, supported environment. You’ll have continual access to treatment and a majority of facilities also have recreational areas, so you can relax during what can be an incredibly hard process.
Structurally, most recovery processes tend to diverge based on the specific needs of the person recovering, as we said previously. However, there is one exception, as nearly all outpatient and inpatient treatments start with some form of detox.
The intention is to physically get rid of addictive substances or alcohol from your system, so you can then make a good start on getting rid of it in your life as a whole.
However, a word of warning: we would never suggest that you attempt to detox alone, as withdrawal symptoms can become very severe in certain circumstances. They could even be life-threatening.
How do I know if I’m ready for rehab?
If you feel like you can’t stop consuming something or participating in some kind of addictive behaviour, no matter how much it hurts you and those around you, then you’re at a stage where you need help.
The good news is that, by reading this page, you’ve already made it past the first stage of getting said help. One of the hardest things for someone suffering from addiction to do is to admit that they have a problem and to get help for it.
If you’ve kept your problems bottled up and now you’ve put it out there, through research, through talking to someone in your life or by talking to us, then you’re ready for rehab.
On a more practical note, first of all, it’s a good idea to prepare for rehab by doing as much research as you can. Scour the website of each place you’re considering going to or each organisation you’re considering recovering with. Read online reviews, find out what kind of treatments they offer, where they’re located, what their rules are.
To add to the point about rules, many places will have specific guidelines on what you can and can’t take with you. Items that often make the “allowed/recommended lists are a notebook and a pen, sentimental jewellery, clean clothes and toiletries and the names and phone numbers of anyone you’d like to contact during the process.
Of course, the main items on the banned list are primarily drugs, alcohol and any other substances that could be misused, such as nail polish. Most places have a specific list on their own website, so be sure to look out for it!
In terms of learning about the process overall, this page is a good start. But it’s always a good idea to do more independent research after you’ve finished reading it and have learned everything you can from us.
What kind of treatments are available?
We’ve already discussed the distinction between inpatient and outpatient treatment and we’ve looked at detoxes: now lets’ look at some of the other most common kinds of treatment.
Various kinds of therapy and counselling are usually both staples of the process. It may seem like a daunting concept but it’s a case of directly confronting everything going on in your head, including any traumas that may be weighing you down.
That can be one of the most freeing parts of the recovery process for a lot of people. There is actually a difference between therapy and counselling. Counselling is more general, whilst therapy is more specific and specialised.
Some popular kinds of therapy, counselling and other mental health treatments are:
- Talking therapy – what you’d most likely think of if you heard the word “therapy”. This is the type where you simply sit down and talk to a therapist, as the name would imply.
- Motivational interviewing – from one of the most common kinds of therapy to one you may not have heard of. Motivational interviewing is a technique where you’re asked a series of non-judgemental questions, which encourage you to re-examine your behaviour and to make change in your life.
- Group therapy – this is similar to support groups, which we’re going to talk about in a bit. Group therapy gives you a chance to connect with people in the same circumstances as you and allows you all to get better together.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy – this is a kind of therapy that attempts to tackle cognitive distortions, which are the toxic thinking patterns that often drive addictions.
To move away from therapies, support groups may seem like a cliché to some people, but they’re also highly effective. This is primarily because they allow you to feel less alone and allow you to heal with people who understand exactly what you’re going through. In addition, they allow you to share your story and hear other people’s stories in return.
Physical treatments like massages are also often used to lift the mood of those recovering, which then helps the process to become easier overall.
Finally, one of the ways that rehab helps people attempting to recover, is that it sets you up with the skills to manage their addiction once treatment ends. In line with this, many residential facilities offer workshops. The topics of these workshops can range, but generally, three big focuses are health, addiction (of course), and nutrition.
