When you compare our country’s health services to what is available around the world, you can see that we are lucky. We are lucky that no matter your background, income or social status, every single person is entitled to free healthcare.
The NHS is a jewel in our country’s crown and will always be cherished, especially during difficult times that have come to pass during the last few years. People have flocked to them for help, and they do receive it. Eventually.
First of all, at OK Rehab, we don’t want anyone to think we are critical of the NHS as a whole. We would never want to discourage anyone from getting medical help because of some shortcomings.
But it is important to remember that when you have a system that is caring for everyone and their budget is designated by those that don’t need to rely on their services, you will see how widespread problems may arise. Especially for those like yourself who are looking into Drug and alcohol rehab centres in the Bexhill area.
If you have no other option, the NHS-run rehabilitation services are wonderful. But suppose you do have the means to look at other places. In that case, it is essential that you know the difference between the NHS and a privately run drug and alcohol rehab centre.
Differences Between NHS-Run Rehabilitation and Private Rehab
The differences can be simplified into a few key factors. You have the problem with wait times in any NHS facility that is only getting worse as mental health services are being cut more and more. Then you have the staff themselves, they are hard-working, but they are also underpaid and overworked. They are stretched thin, so they don’t have the luxury of offering personal one-to-one care.
You also have the issue of proving you need their services, something that can be a very long and stressful process that may end with you still not getting the help you need. And finally, you have to consider the strain all this will have on your mental health during what will already be a very difficult time in your life.
When you are living with a drug or alcohol dependency, and you make the decision to seek treatment for your substance abuse, then it is incredibly important you are offered the help you need as quickly and as efficiently as possible. It is essential that you feel like a person and not just another patient.
You must be provided with the tools to help continue on your recovery once you leave the drug and alcohol rehab centre. So you can one day achieve long-term recovery.
1. Wait times
The NHS is famous for its long wait times.
To be fair to the good people who work there, they are caring for everyone and anyone who may need it, so they have no choice but to prioritise and leave everyone else to wait their turn.
However, it is not uncommon for this wait to be upwards of 15 hours, even in an accident and emergency. Many people who are living with a drug or alcohol dependency will seek treatment after attempting to go without abusing substances for a while.
This means more often than not, they will arrive in the hospital waiting room in the early stages of a withdrawal.
During this, you can experience:
- Migraine
- Fatigue
- Chills
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Hot flashes
- Muscle pain
These are incredibly uncomfortable, but as they are not life-threatening, you will likely be left to wait for hours. Suppose you are experiencing a later stage and more severe symptoms. In that case, you will likely be prioritised as they include hallucinations and seizures, and you would pose a danger to yourself and others.
However, you will be expected to wait and struggle alone until you are deemed in enough danger to help.
Now you must remember not to attempt to work through your withdrawal symptoms alone. If you do experience any of the symptoms, you must go to a medical facility as soon as possible. But if you use a private drug and alcohol rehab centre, you will be a priority.
You will be cared for during your detox which allows you to safely and much more comfortably work through your withdrawal symptoms. Also, unlike the NHS which can leave you waiting months for an appointment, all you have to do is call us. We will have you in a drug and alcohol rehab centre as soon as possible.
Call 0800 140 4690 today.
2. The staff
The NHS staff are wonderful people who are doing their best with what they have.
The problem is that while we value them, the government doesn’t. Especially with mental health nurses and doctors, there simply are not enough resources to give people the personalised care that they deserve.
Nowhere is less valued by the government than the mental health sector, which is given less and less money each year. This has forced the NHS to cut back on their staff, leaving the ones that remain overworked and overtired.
In a private drug and alcohol rehab centre, the staff are well paid and, most importantly, have a reasonable shift length.
You can rest easy knowing that the staff caring for you are also looked after and valued. They can spend time with you as an individual and help you with your treatments in a way that simply isn’t possible for an NHS nurse or doctor.
3. Proving you need help
The best indicator that you need drug and alcohol rehab services is that you are wondering if you need their help. No one that doesn’t need their help will try to seek it out. Yet again, due to the limited resources, the NHS is forced to prioritise only the most severe cases.
They do this through a very long and stressful process, during which you will be expected to attend various appointments and interviews, which can stretch over months. You will have to show them that you are struggling and that you need their help.
It is easy to feel dehumanised during all this. That they don’t see you as a person that needs their help. We know it feels cruel, but they are doing the best they can.
The sad truth is that after months of work interviews therapy sessions and phone calls, you may still not be offered a place in a rehab centre. Even if you are, it most likely will be an outpatient facility that is outside of the Bexhill area, forcing you to travel in forever sessions.
When you call us at 0800 140 4690, we simply have you complete a short free initial assessment that allows us to match you with the perfect rehab centre in the Bexhill area that can cater for your needs.
We don’t need proof, and we don’t keep you waiting. We just want to help you get into a rehab centre as soon as possible.
Your mental health
This won’t be an easy time for you. The journey to long-term recovery is a long and hard one. However, one of the most difficult things you will ever do is take that first step to getting the help you deserve. We wish that it was easy to get help from the NHS, but until the government values it as much as we do, that simply won’t happen.
So we are here to offer you a more manageable and stress-free alternative.
Let us do the work of finding you a rehab centre. First, we will create a profile for you. Your wants and your needs. We can then find a drug and alcohol rehab centre in the Bexhill area with the facilities to cater for them.
You are our priority, and we will do everything in our power to help you through this challenging time so that one day you can live a happier and healthier life. All you have to do is give us a call and be ready for your new life to begin here.
For more help and information, call 0800 140 4690. We can’t wait to hear from you soon.
