It can feel hopeless when you are alone battling a drug or alcohol addiction– but you do not have to be alone, and there is always hope.
With us here at OK Rehab, you can hope to reach a full and long-term recovery, either via outpatient treatment or via a residential rehab programme in a drug and alcohol rehab in Pendle. We take over the difficult part of searching for the right treatment facility and methods, whilst making sure we are also perfectly matching whatever we recommend to your personal and specific needs.
We also recognise how delaying treatment by being pushed onto a long waiting list can cause more harm than good, so we speed through the admissions process with simple assessments that get right to the heart of what you require from treatment. This way, you are admitted to a rehabilitation facility or outpatient centre that is most beneficial to you, before your condition can worsen.
To get started with your enquiry – or to begin one for a loved one who you believe may be struggling to cope with a drug or alcohol addiction – you can call us today on 0800 326 5559.
Alternatively, you can submit your details and some information about your addiction into our online form, or send over a quick email.
The importance of a detox
The purpose of a detox is to help rid the body of the toxins and chemicals that have been left behind from your substance use and to also manage any adverse withdrawal symptoms that may occur during this adjustment.
Over time, substance use can make quite an impact on the body. With each use of whichever substance you use, your body and brain will come to expect and soon depend entirely on the chemicals they receive from the drugs or alcohol – and the brain will eventually cease production of these chemicals, relying purely on the substance.
This is what makes an addiction and the cycle of such so challenging to break out of, and why a detox is so important to control the substance’s entry into the body.
A drug or alcohol detox involves slowly tapering off the substance over a week or two, at a pace that ensures the body has ample time to adjust to the lack of the expected chemicals, and therefore time to begin producing them itself once again.
If detox is rushed, is done incorrectly at home without professional help, or is done without the proper medical knowledge (different substances require different detox methods), it can be detrimental not just to your recovery journey, but also simply to your physical health. In some severe cases – usually involving self-detoxes from more high-class drugs such as opioids – a detox gone wrong can even be fatal.
This is why a full drug or alcohol detox is so important, and why it is also necessary to undergo one under the care of professionals in a drug and alcohol rehab in Pendle.
How long will a detox last?
The process of a drug or alcohol usually takes between 1 to 2 weeks. However, this is entirely dependent on the severity of the addiction, the person undergoing the detox, the length of time the individual has been using for, and what exact substance – or multiple substances – this person has used and is detoxing from.
During a drug or alcohol detox, it is incredibly common to experience a number of side effects as you withdraw. These are referred to as withdrawal symptoms and can range from mild to more aggressive – again depending on many factors of yourself and the circumstances of your addiction.
Some of the mild symptoms of withdrawal you can expect during your detox include nausea, headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, dizziness, and shaking. If you have used for many years, have tried to withdraw before and failed, or use a higher-class drug, you may experience more serious withdrawal symptoms during a detox, such as tremors, hallucinations, an irregular heartbeat, and, in some rare cases, delirium tremens.
This withdrawal symptom should begin to slow down and subside within the first week of your detox, but some mild symptoms can linger for a few months.
Some clients may also experience Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, or PAWS, which is the ongoing impact of a detox from drugs or alcohol. PAWS may last for up to a year, and involves more psychological and emotional related symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, depression, and an impaired ability to focus.
PAWS is a temporary condition, but the symptoms of such can be the root cause of a relapse, so it is important to always stay in touch even after you leave your chosen drug and alcohol rehab in Pendle.
What is dual diagnosis?
Mental health is one of the leading root causes for substance and behavioural addictions, but it can also work vice-versa, and an addiction can be the driving factor in a mental health disorder forming or becoming worse.
The existence of both an addiction and a mental health condition is often referred to as dual diagnosis. Clients who are experiencing a dual diagnosis will inevitably require much more detailed treatment plans throughout rehab, in order to effectively meet the needs of both issues at hand.
Common mental health conditions that are linked to substance dependence include: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
The signs and symptoms of dual diagnosis can obviously differ from person to person, just as the symptoms of individual addiction and mental health conditions can vary between individuals. Some common signs of dual diagnosis to look out for include: A sudden lack of care for personal hygiene and health, a dip in performance at school or work, suicidal actions or mentions of suicide, erratic or unusual behaviour that is out of character, and issues socialising and managing money that were not present in the individual before.
If you believe you are battling a dual diagnosis, rest assured that we can accommodate you regardless. We will be able to find you a suitable rehabilitation facility that will offer the necessary and integrated treatment which addresses both your addiction and your mental health disorder as interconnected issues.
If you believe someone you know may be battling both a drug or alcohol addiction as well as a mental health disorder, you can contact us on their behalf and learn more about the professional intervention services that we offer for loved ones.
Call us today on 0800 326 5559 to learn
