Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Preston
If you are seeking treatment for alcohol and drug rehab in Preston, but don’t know where to start, here we will discuss the process of going into treatment and the options you have.
In 2017, the government revealed there were almost 300,000 people over the age of 18 in drug and alcohol treatment services.
Of these numbers, 52% had a dependency on opiates, followed by alcohol. [1] However, during the 2020/21 period, there were nearly 9000 alcohol-specific hospital admissions recorded across Preston, recording higher than the national average. [2]
Here, we will discuss the journey for you or your loved one to begin their road to recovery and begin a healthier and happier life:
Identifying your situation
It can be frustrating and challenging to try and help a loved one who struggles with addiction; they can be defensive and in denial, believing they don’t have a problem and are unwilling to seek treatment. That is where an intervention can be helpful.
Addiction has been described as a complex, chronic and sometimes fatal brain disease involving both brain circuitry and behaviours deemed dysfunctional.
The disease of addiction can impact both physical, mental and emotional health and disrupts a person’s ability to function in everyday life.
There are many signs and symptoms of addiction that can vary from person to person:
- Diminished self-esteem and self-worth
- Increased Temper
- Agitation
- Poor performance at school/work
- Inability to focus
- Losing interest in things that once brought them joy
- Memory problems
- Secretive or dishonest behaviour
- Withdrawing from socialising
- Paranoia
- Feelings of hopelessness.
While there are many other symptoms, the best way to understand if you or your loved one is afflicted with addiction problems is using a tool known as CAGE.
This questionnaire measures the severity of your problem. It is deemed that if you answer ‘yes’ to two or more questions you should seek professional medical help in Preston.
The four CAGE screening questions surrounding alcoholism will follow the idea:
- Have you ever felt like you should cut down on how much you are drinking?
- Have you ever felt annoyed when another person has criticised your drinking habits?
- Have you ever felt guilty or ashamed of your drinking?
- Have you ever resorted to drinking first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or relieve a hangover?
If you choose drug or alcohol rehabilitation in Preston a medical professional may ask you
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to further understand the severity of your problem.
Interventions
The Hollywood-style interventions you might have seen can be unhelpful in real life. Your loved one could feel attacked, tricked and become even more unwilling to face their truth.
Therefore an intervention that includes consultation with a doctor, licensed alcohol and drug councillor or an intervention professional might be preferred.
We suggest a style of intervention called Community Reinforcement and Family Training or CRAFT.
This approach is family-oriented, teaching those who have a loved one with addiction problems to communicate better, making the environment more supportive. It focuses on your family taking care of themselves while learning to interact with one another to increase the chances of making real change.
CRAFT works in a way that makes sober behaviour more rewarding than continued substance abuse by teaching you strategies like:
- Using positive communication (even when things get tough)
- Applying positive reinforcement to parts that are working and allowing the bad stuff to happen.
- Making yourself a priority in your own life and developing a real awareness of self-care.
Studies show that families who embrace the CRAFT option feel much better overall, whether or not your loved one chooses to go into treatment.
By learning what motivates your loved one, positive changes in your life, and their life, can occur quickly. Research also shows that through the CRAFT approach, your loved one has a higher rate (65-75%) of choosing treatment. [3]
Home Detox
You may feel that you or your loved one would benefit more from detoxing at home. However, it is not recommended for long-term recovery.
You face the temptation of returning to active addiction while going through withdrawals. It is important you be in contact with your GP when attempting a home detox as they can help facilitate it.
Home detox is an individual approach, meaning there is no right way. As detox from certain substances like alcohol can be dangerous, it poses a dangerous risk for medical complications. There is also a high risk of continual relapse.
Rehab in Preston
1. The admission process
If you decide alcohol rehab in Preston is the right option for your addiction treatment, we can get to work searching for the most suitable facility for you.
If you or your loved one decide that going to a drug or alcohol rehab in Preston is the right option for you, then you will first go through an admissions process.
Here, the rehab will perform an initial assessment where they can gain information about your situation and your substance abuse.
You or your loved one will discuss aspects of their addiction like seriousness and length alongside what was used while in active addiction. You may also be asked about certain personality traits.
When you then arrive at your treatment facility, you will undergo a second assessment by a medical professional. They will further examine your physical and mental health and discuss your treatment plan.
2. The cost of rehab in Preston
Unfortunately, as of right now, there is no such thing as a ‘free NHS rehab’ available in the UK. However, there have been circumstances where you can secure funds for detox and rehab through your local authority.
Money should not put you off from seeking help for yourself or your loved one.
Rehab has the reputation for costing thousands of pounds, especially those endorsed by celebrities. In reality, the average cost per day at a private UK inpatient facility is £495, or around £14,000 for a 28-day stay.
Even so, some private clinics can charge as little as £1000 or as much as £10,000 per week so it is important to look around for a place that is suitable for you. [4]
NHS rehab funding is hard to come by these days, due to dramatic cuts to drug and alcohol services throughout the UK.
However, your GP is a good place to start the discussion for you or your loved one to seek treatment as they can open up options or refer you to your local drug services.
Some health insurances cover rehabilitation centres, so it is important to reach out to your providers for more information. For example, BUPA offers long-standing members of their health insurance help with the treatment of drug and alcohol problems.
Everyone’s situation is different and help is available for those who want it, so don’t let money disarm you from seeking help.
While treatment on the NHS is available, you will face the pain of long waiting lists, not a lot of choice in location or treatment plans and how long you attend. While taking the route of private treatment offers:
- Immediate and in some cases same day admissions
- Full medical detox within the rehab
- Treatment of occurring like depression and anxiety
- Bespoke treatment; traditional rehab, holistic approaches or a mix of both
- Involvement of your family throughout the treatment process
- Luxury, if you so choose
- No admission criteria, other than the willingness to tackle your substance abuse problem
By paying for your treatment, it could be more likely you or your loved one will take it more seriously, especially if you know you can only afford treatment once. The more you put into your rehabilitation, the more you will get out of it.
You will be provided with more choices surrounding your treatment plan; a treatment facility that gives you the freedom to shape your recovery around your best interests and your future goals.
Ultimately, it is up to you, however, you are investing in potentially life-saving treatment, so you want it to have an effect and not be a waste of money or time.
3. Inpatient or Outpatient treatment
If you or your loved one have decided to undergo treatment, it can be difficult to know which type will be most effective overall for your lifestyle.
Addiction rehab in Preston falls into two categories: outpatient, where you live at home and attend a variety of appointments throughout the week, usually over a long period.
The other option is inpatient, where you temporarily move into a residential treatment facility and follow a routine and structured treatment plan hosted by the rehab.
Outpatient rehab involves daily treatment like counselling, therapy and group sessions at a clinic or facility. This option allows you or your loved one to stay at home while they undergo treatment, take care of family, keep up with their jobs or attend school.
Outpatient care usually costs less than inpatient, however, many factors mean outpatient may not be for you.
Things to consider:
- If you or your loved one experiences strong urges or cravings to use, inpatient facilities provide 24-hour care that outpatient cannot.
- You find it difficult to show up for appointments or group sessions on your own. Outpatient requires responsibility and autonomy for your recovery and depends on you to regularly attend and participate in the sessions.
- You need medical attention for ongoing mental health issues as some outpatient facilities are not able to administer medications or offer complicated recovery programs for multifaceted addictions.
Outpatient could be right for you, however, it is important to understand the advantages of an inpatient or residential rehabilitation centre. Here, you live at a rehabilitation centre for a short period.
The average full stay is around 28 days, however, some facilities offer a two-week program. Inpatient facilities can be effective by completely removing you from your life and allowing you time to fully detox under 24-hour medical care, avoid temptation and influences in your life and encourage a healthier way of living.
If you or your loved one suffer from other medical problems or mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or eating disorders, this may be the stronger choice.
Inpatient usually incorporates three phases during their stay: detox, reflection and growth. This is why it is preferred to do the full 28-day program as it gives you time to work each phase to its full effect. Here you will focus on all aspects of your addiction through a highly structured program.
Your loved one will undergo an array of group therapy, individual therapy, counselling, and holistic therapy to encourage them to rethink how they cope with everyday life and promote a healthier worldview.
Types of therapies on offer in Preston rehabs
As previously mentioned, whether you choose inpatient or outpatient treatment at an alcohol rehab in Preston, you or your loved one will undergo therapies to understand the root of your addiction and how to begin their road to recovery.
There are plenty of different therapies available and your treatment could reflect what you respond best to during your treatment episode.
1. Cognitive behavioural therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT is one of the most well know and most used forms of therapy surrounding not only addiction but other mental health issues.
This talking therapy helps you or your loved one manage problems in their lives by recognising how your thoughts can affect both your feelings and behaviour. It aims to break down sometimes overwhelming situations which may trigger you to use or drink into smaller, more manageable parts.
2. Dialectical behavioural therapy
Much like CBT, dialectical behavioural therapy or DBT looks to help those who experience very intense and sometimes uncontrollable emotions. Also a talking therapy, DBT is designed to help manage these emotions, learn to accept them, regulate them and thus change any behaviour in your life that is unhealthy or harmful to yourself or others.
3. Brief interventions
As we discussed earlier, you or your loved one may be unwilling ur reluctant to find help with their substance abuse. Brief interventions allow you or your loved one to attempt not to use on their own and encourage you to attend self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous.
This research-proven procedure works for individuals with less serious behaviours and can be effective when performed by specialist drug and alcohol councillors.
4. Motivational Interviewing
The idea surrounding motivational interviewing is acting on those who understand the negative consequences of their addiction or behaviour. Your loved one could be in a stage of readiness to attend treatment but needs help taking the next step to attend a treatment facility.
Motivational interviewing therefore uses therapy to overcome the ambivalence or slight reluctance to face treatment by increasing your motivation to get help.
5. Holistic Therapies
Once thought of as unneeded, holistic therapies are fast becoming a highlight of recovery. Equine therapy, art therapy, music therapy and adventure therapy are all examples of how rehabs are incorporating traditional and holistic treatments together to achieve greater success.
The thought behind it is that a focus on the mind and body allows for complete healing for you or your loved one.
Yoga and meditation, among other aspects, allow you to reconnect with yourself, meaning you see improvements not just in recovery but in your overall welfare. Therefore, a holistic approach not only tries to facilitate the addiction itself but what set of factors plays a role in the development of addiction in the first place.
6. Group Therapy
Seen as the classic form of rehabilitation for addiction, group therapy remains one of the most popular forms of therapy in any rehab. Humans have a natural pull toward congregation, meaning group therapy can be powerful for those suffering from an addiction.
Your loved one will have experienced isolation and loneliness during their use, therefore allows your loved one to witness others who also experience the same issues as them, treating problems that often accompany addiction like shame, isolation and depression.
Group therapy provides benefits including peer support, encouragement from others, feedback from those who have experienced the same issues, relearning social skills and instilling a sense of hope that ‘if they can make it, so can I.’
7. Individual Therapy
Talking therapy dates back as far as ancient Greece, however, it was Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung who brought the psychotherapy we know today into the limelight. Individual therapy allows you or your loved one to find the root of their addiction and therefore help them modify their behaviour, and how they deal with emotions or process significant issues in their life.
Using the likes of CBT, individual therapy allows you or your loved one to open up about how they ended up seeking help, what triggers them and how they can learn to overcome problems they may face in their everyday life.
8. Family Therapy
Family therapy focuses on the relationships within your or your loved ones’ life, aiming to validate and understand the experience of all family members. The main goal of family therapy is to bring clarity to these relationships and maybe repair bonds that could have been broken.
Anger, anxiety, frustration and worry could have afflicted your family, so family therapy hopes to address challenges in these cases and facilitate a safe environment to tackle them.
9. Co-dependency treatment
Co-dependency is an affliction that usually runs alongside those who suffer from addiction and can sometimes be described when you become addicted to another person.
Mixed with substance abuse, your closest interpersonal relationships can become unhealthy. You may find that you have become co-dependent on your loved ones as you need them to survive, so you behave differently to appease them.
Nevertheless, being co-dependent does not mean you are the cause of someone else addiction. Co-dependency and addiction are two issues that can become entwined and form a string of unhealthy behaviours rooted in destruction.
Similar to other co-occuring conditions, co-dependency and addiction need to be treated simultaneously.
10. Twelve-Step Facilitation Therapy
Twelve-step facilitation therapy or TSF is a form of therapy strategically designed to increase the likelihood you or your loved one will actively engage with the 12-step programs. These programs, mostly used by self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous promote abstinence from using.
Three areas dominate this train of thought:
- Acceptance, that you or your loved one’s addiction is a chronic, progressive illness that you have no control over.
- Surrender, giving yourself over to a higher power and accepting the fellowship around you.
- Active participation and involvement in the 12-step program and related activities.
Alcohol Detox and Rehab in Preston
When you choose an alcohol rehab in Preston, you will go through your first phase almost immediately: detox. During this time, your body is flushed with alcohol and you begin to withdraw. Alcohol is a depressant that your body begins to rely on over the course of your drinking, whether that’s months or years.
Therefore, when you stop drinking, it takes time for your body to adjust to sobriety, causing common withdrawal symptoms like:
- Headaches
- Fever
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
Individuals who have suffered through heavier drinking periods are more likely to develop more serious withdrawal symptoms:
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Disorientation
- Delerium tremens (in rare cases)
Most of the time, you will complete detox immediately so you can then focus on other areas of your rehabilitation like therapy, group sessions, holistic sessions and gentle exercise.
1. Medication
When in an inpatient rehab facility, you may be administered different medications to assist you as you go through uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Medications work by keeping yours or your loved ones’ body’s chemicals in balance, lowering the chance of serious complications.
The benefit of having onsite medical professionals is that if you react negatively to the medication, you can receive assistance immediately.
Types of medication used could be benzodiazepines. These can come in the form of Librium or Diazepam, which are used to help calm your central nervous system and may be used to treat symptoms like insomnia and anxiety.
Another type is Naltrexone which helps to reduce cravings for alcohol during the detox phase. However, this medication can stimulate withdrawals so can be used sparingly.
Rehabs for Cocaine in Preston
Rehabilitation for cocaine abuse is similar to other substance abuse disorders. However, unlike other substances, cocaine is not physically addictive.
Cocaine and its partner crack is a psychologically addictive drug so while there is no such medical procedure for a cocaine detox as there would be for alcohol or opiates, it requires a change of behaviour and thought processes to tackle the ongoing dependency.
In an inpatient cocaine rehab, patients are monitored around the clock as they experience their withdrawal symptoms.
Like alcohol, medications may be used to provide a more comfortable process, particularly if you or your loved one experiences co-occurring mental health disorders.
Common cocaine withdrawals include:
- Feeling irritated
- Severe anxiety or depression
- Suicidal ideations
- Paranoia
- Disturbed sleeping patterns
- Extreme lethargy
After detoxification, you will be able to engage with a combination of individual and group therapy which allows you to process your emotions and work through past experiences or trauma in your life that may have become factors in your addiction.
This is an opportunity to increase long-term recovery. By developing healthy coping mechanisms without substances.
Rehabs for Heroin in Preston
Like alcohol, coming off heroin or other opiates can be highly dangerous. At rehab in Preston, you or your loved one will have to go through a full heroin detox before you can fully engage with rehabilitation.
Inpatient facilities are equipped to handle this with 24-hour care and a safe, comfortable environment to detox.
Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance taken from the seed pod of various poppy plants grown in South Asia.
If you or your loved one has experienced addiction to opiate medications like codeine, morphine, and oxycodone, you will generally follow the same detoxification process. While withdrawal symptoms from heroin and other opiates may not be generally considered life-threatening, symptoms of the medical and psychological traits can be serious:
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Paranoia
- Depression
- Severe cravings
- Irritation
- Sweating
After detox, you will experience rehabilitation through a structured routine based on healing, working through past trauma and emotional boundaries.
Through group therapy, individual therapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy you or your loved one will understand what factored into their addiction and how they can now cope healthily.
With the support of your peers in rehab, you will gain new relationships with those around you, build your confidence and begin to experience life more healthily.
Rehabs for Cannabis in Preston
Due to societal alleviation, cannabis seems to be the most socially acceptable drug available today.
However, if you feel like you have a problem with cannabis, you are not alone. When you are surrounded by friends and influences who openly use cannabis it very quickly can become normalised and it can be harder to see you have a problem.
While cannabis isn’t physically addictive and can’t kill you as alcohol or opiates can, it is psychologically addictive. Although the consensus is that cannabis is not addictive, almost 55,000 people in England checked in to receive treatment for cannabis dependence in 2017-18. [5]
Detoxing from cannabis doesn’t produce severe withdrawals so you will be able to fully focus on the psychological aspect of recovery. A combination of individual and group therapy alongside holistic therapies means you can begin to challenge your negative thought patterns and destructive behaviour.
You will develop healthy coping strategies which will be important for you in the long run.
It is important to understand that there is no shame in seeking treatment for cannabis dependency. You or your loved one may be feeling reluctant to get help. Cannabis is one of the most socially accepted illegal drugs in the UK, and there will be many others who feel the same as you.
Do not let fear and shame stand in the way of your recovery.
Aftercare
Before you begin treatment, you will be prepared for your endeavour and guided through the process. This doesn’t change after you leave rehab. It can be scary and unnerving to go back into the world after rehab, however, do not be worried.
You or your loved one will still be a client, receiving personalised treatment and an aftercare plan to help you when you leave treatment.
In rehab, you will have gained knowledge and learnt about how to cope with a life without substances and continue on a road through recovery.
You or your loved one will have grown dependent on the substance over your time of using, so they may not feel ‘normal’ when they don’t have the drug.
This can lead to cravings and thus a return to active addiction. This is called a relapse and is, unfortunately, a very common occurrence for those who suffer from addiction.
There are plenty of groups that will support you through recovery that are not dedicated to a specific rehabilitation clinic but may use aspects of their ideals. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous have been running for decades and have helped facilitate the recovery of millions all over the world.
They use the 12-step process that is based on abstinence. Al-Anon is a group for families who have a loved one who struggles with addiction and provides support to those who need it.
Understandably, not everyone connects with this program, however, don’t be alarmed, there are other groups you or your loved one may connect with like SMART Recovery.
Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) is a programme which provides tools to help people change their problematic behaviour. More problem-focused, this program advocates personal choice.
If you are seeking treatment for addiction in Preston, but are unsure of your options, OK Rehab may be able to help in your search.
Below, we list six key ways we are able to help you or your loved one overcome your addiction:
1. Identifying your situation
Many individuals dealing with a drug or alcohol addiction are confused as to what help they may need. Do I need rehab? Can I recover at home? Is an addiction actually what I am suffering from, or is it an abuse problem, or even something else? How serious does my situation need to be to warrant professional intervention?
Some people refuse to acknowledge that they may need help at all, or believe that they are in complete control of their addiction.
By calling us today, you could gain a clearer image of your current condition and what support you are in need of. We can discuss the various signs and symptoms of an addiction or abuse problem, help you to understand what it is you may be dealing with, and offer advice on what your next steps should be, whether that be a drug and alcohol rehab or some other form of treatment.
2. Help for loved ones of those suffering
If you are here not for yourself but for a friend or family member that is struggling with an addiction, you are not alone.
We offer intervention services for you and your loved one. All of our highly trained, professional interventionists have experienced addiction personally in the past, so they are the best equipped to get involved at this fragile time, and are the most understanding of your and your loved one’s situation.
Call us today for more information about our intervention services, and how we can support you as well as your loved one.
3. The admission process / Assessments
When you decide rehab is the right option for your addiction treatment, we can get to work searching for the best and most suitable facility for you.
During the admissions process, we will perform an initial assessment of you to gain information about your addiction that will help us narrow down your options. This assessment takes place over a free-of-charge phone call, and any data we gather from the call remains 100% confidential.
We may discuss aspects of your addiction such as the seriousness and length, and the substance/substances you have used. Details about your personality and character may also be considered when finding you the perfect treatment in Preston.
When you arrive at your chosen rehab centre, you will undergo a second assessment performed by a doctor. This will further examine the state of your mental and physical health, and again will contribute to the decisions made about the treatment you receive during your stay.
When deciding your personal treatment plan, any budgetary concerns you may have will be taken into account. No matter your circumstances back home, we will strive to get you the help you need.
There are also no long waiting lists with OK Rehab, so you can rest easy knowing that you will be placed in the finest rehab as soon as possible, ensuring that you are on track to a full recovery in no time.
4. Bespoke treatment
The two assessments undertaken during the admissions process allow us to create personalised treatment plans for all of our clients.
Having the opportunity to receive completely bespoke treatment rather than a blanket one-size-fits-all method of care is extremely beneficial when recovering from an addiction.
It means that you are given a higher chance of recovery, and you are more comfortable with the treatment and therapies you participate in – for example, individuals that thrive in one-on-one therapy sessions will not benefit as much from group therapy, and because we take small details like these into account when deciding what clients will partake in, the rehab experience as a whole is improved for everyone.
These bespoke treatment plans mean a speedier recovery for our clients who are willing to undergo treatment with an open mind, and they mean that a recovery is more likely to last even after they have left our care.
5. Help before, and help after
Before your stay in rehab, we ensure that you are prepared and ready for the experience ahead of you, and are on hand at all times to answer any questions you may have.
We understand that the unknown can be daunting and that there are many misconceptions about what occurs in rehab. OK Rehab is a safe space where no query is judged, so feel free to ask as many questions as you need in order to feel more comfortable about the prospects of rehab.
When you eventually leave our care, you are still our client, and we do not cut you off from our services. You will receive a personalised treatment and aftercare plan to help you through life without drugs or alcohol back home, but during rehab, we are sure you will have gained all the necessary knowledge and learned new coping techniques to keep you going with your improvement.
Getting in touch
If you do require any further care or treatment, our 24/7 helpline, and the doors to our clinics across the country will be open.
Contact us today to see how else we can help you, or a loved one, deal with an addiction. Just one call could change your life for the better. You can reach out to us on 0800 326 5559.
References
[1] https://www.preston.gov.uk/article/1206/Drug-and-alcohol-misuse
[2] https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/lancashire-insight/health-and-care/health/lifestyle/alcohol/
[4] https://www.okrehab.org/rehab-questions/how-much-does-treatment-cost/
