There are different types of addictions. Some people aren’t able to hide their habits, whereas others are able to do so very easily.
There are people who will stop going to college or work, stop supporting the family or looking after themselves. On the other hand, there are those who are able to maintain high-pressure jobs and run a household while using substances.
Whatever your addiction looks like and how it’s affecting you and the people you care about, seeking help is important. Finding someone who you can be completely open and honest with, though, is usually difficult.
Although family and friends might want to be supportive, there are so many feelings involved it can be hard to remain objective. There is also the issue of knowing who to talk to for the best advice on how to return your health to a better state of being.
For a conversation about your addiction and what you want from your future in terms of recovery, contact us on 0800 326 5559. OK Rehab can tell you what treatment services are available in Lewisham.
Is going to rehab the only option to treat addiction?
This is a difficult question to answer because each person’s circumstances are so individual. There are, however, factors that need to be taken into account.
The level of your addiction, what your lifestyle responsibilities are, and your budget come into play. However, there is also the practicality of what has proven to be most effective when treating people who are living with substance misuse problems.
In the UK, as well as in other countries, private clinics where people stay as residents to be treated in a fully comprehensive way are proven to have more successful outcomes.
This is because people participate in a range of treatments and therapies and benefit from individualised input.
There are other options too. Some people might be better suited to outpatient services. This means being a patient of a rehab clinic while living at home.
It involves having a timetable of activities and therapies prescribed for you by the staff and you attending around your usual daily life.
This approach can be very successful for some, especially where a mild addiction exists. It’s also useful for people who have completed a residency stay and who want to maintain lighter input into the future.
If I go to rehab, how long will I have to stay?
It really depends on what is advised. When you call OK Rehab, one of our advisors can carry out a pre-assessment for you.
This enables us to understand how the addiction is affecting your life and what treatments you need. It will also reveal how much input is needed from a clinical team.
We’re usually able to discuss options with you. A stay that includes detox, as well as psychological and alternative therapies, can last anywhere from between seven and twenty-eight days.
Some people might even choose to have a few more weeks.
It’s important to bear in mind that the aim of rehab is to support you to become sober, provide therapy to enable long-term recovery and equip you to return to your usual life without the worry of returning to drugs and alcohol.
What happens after I leave rehab?
There will be an aftercare plan in place to support you for twelve months after you leave rehab. This will outline advisory steps to take that will make staying sober and healthy easier.
It will include a relapse prevention plan. There will also be tips on how to create lifestyle changes that include attending support groups such as 12 Step sessions.
Where necessary, ongoing counselling might be advised and outpatient services might be put in place.
It’s really important that you use everything you learned at rehab to ensure change when you return to regular life. It takes determination and focus.
In the initial few weeks, it might be really useful for you to maintain regular contact with rehab services and especially to attend local peer groups.
What happens if I don’t go to rehab?
A life without accessing support means continuing on the path you’re on now. Lots of people who have addictions feel as though they want to quit the addiction without help.
Although this might seem noble, it’s not realistic and becomes the opposite of noble through the fact that there is a lack of awareness of the real situation.
Addiction is a serious illness. Like any other illness, it needs to be treated by doctors. Being that this is a condition that affects the brain and body, you need doctors and clinicians, as well as therapists, who are able to treat both.
Long-term effects of substance misuse
Without accessing rehabilitation services in the Lewisham area (or other regions in the UK if you’d prefer), you’re increasing your likelihood of serious ill health.
There is a huge chance of developing illnesses related to the brain, lungs, stomach, pancreas, liver, and heart. Chronic illnesses go on to become diseases.
People with addictions are much more likely to develop heart conditions and various types of cancers. There are also conditions related to mental health that are very extreme when addictions are at their worst.
Of course, ultimately, addiction results in death whether directly or indirectly.
How do I prepare for rehab support?
There are a few things you can do to help prepare yourself for rehab support. Initially, you have to think about the fact that true healing can only occur if you’re prepared to be open, honest, and make changes.
Sharing and talking can be difficult for people, but this might be even more challenging for a person with an addiction. In these circumstances, rest assured that for now, it’s one step at a time. Focus on the now.
Sharing with the right people is important and that means doing so with people you can trust and who can help.
Staff at rehab clinics will support you in this area and at the right time, it will become easy for you to open up. This might be through traditional therapies, or you might find another space in which to do this, such as through art therapy.
In the first instance, you can have a conversation with an advisor from OK Rehab on 0800 326 5559. All you need to do when you call is say you want to find out more about rehab services in Lewisham.
From then on, just be patient with yourself and open to suggestions.
