Addiction rehab is not a spa. It could save your life
There has never been a definitive and reliable guide to addiction rehab centres in the UK and it therefore makes choosing one a difficult task. It is important to recognise from the outset that you are choosing an addiction rehab, not a spa or a hospital. The rehab treatment aspect is extremely important. Addiction starts in the mind and without the counselling and therapy which will address the addict getting honest, recognising the harm they have done and changing their thinking, the addiction treatment will not work. Addiction can be a killer illness so choosing the right addiction treatment centre for your needs is vitally important.
Looking at addiction rehab reviews from other people
Generally, all residential addiction rehabs and detox clinics will have reviews left by previous people that have used their services and this is what potentially could be looked at first. However these reviews are usually very mixed (if they are not, be suspicious!) and it is recommended that you read the response to them, as it should put the reviews into context or be more factual about what really happened.
It is often the case that someone will leave treatment early, possibly relapse soon after leaving or not accept that their addictive thinking has been challenged by a qualified therapist. Few people enjoy this experience, at least in the early days before they can see that it is what is needed for them to get well. So, if they do not see the process through or cannot accept the truth, they will then turn their anger on to the addiction clinic and the professional staff and leave a scathing review totally out of proportion to what was actually being said or what happened. These sort of reviews can be extremely damaging and there is no form of censorship or confirmation of their accuracy before they are published on an addiction rehab’s website or, for that matter, any business website that the public has access to and uses.
In some cases negative reviews may be accurate but they should generally be treated with a degree of scepticism unless there is a consistent number of reviews highlighting the same problem or issue. Always remember that people in active addiction tend to be dishonest, resentful and angry!
Addiction rehab CQC inspection reports
A full professional review of any residential addictions rehab or detox clinic is carried out nationally by the Care Quality Commission or CQC which is a healthcare regulator. A complete and rigid inspection of every addictions rehab unit is carried out by the CQC before they are allowed to even open and then surprise annual visits can be made to check that the unit is maintaining professional standards in every area. If the addiction rehab centre is not, then the CQC can immediately close it down. Specific and up to date reviews of any residential addictions unit can be accessed and are available to download and read from the CQC website.
For example a residential addictions unit was closed after a CQC inspection in November 2022 in Liverpool. The CQC conduct professional inspections using qualified individuals and they determine the suitability of any rehab treatment centre in terms of it providing a safe and healthy environment (but they cannot determine the quality of the counselling which is a vital component of addiction rehab treatment). A few key issues that were found failing and necessitated the closure in Liverpool included:
- None of the management team had experience in delivering a medically managed detoxification service.
- Internal systems were not sufficient to ensure safe management of medication and users of the unit were exposed to serious risk of harm
- The service did not have enough nursing and medical staff working in the service to keep clients safe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Staff did not complete effective risk assessments for each client prior to admission and on arrival
- Inability to find normal procedural paperwork and policies and procedures to enable the safe daily running of the unit
- Lack of ongoing staff training
- The unit was not kept clean to an acceptable standard
So, it would be very fair to say that a CQC inspection is robust and usually produces a critical report on the suitability of any residential addictions unit within the UK. The CQC will not hesitate in suggesting and highlighting any areas that may need to be improved before the next inspection.
12 step addiction treatment centres
Approximately 95% of all residential addictions units in the UK are based on the Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, 12 Step principles as a way of finding Recovery from the condition of an addiction. One of the problems is that it is becoming more common for people to try a 12 Step support group, such as AA, Cocaine Anonymous (CA,) Narcotics Anonymous (NA,) and Gamblers Anonymous (GA,) and one of the first things that we hear, at The Haynes Clinic, on an enquiry telephone call is “ well they tried AA and the 12 Steps and it’s not for them!!”
One of the key components of any addiction treatment clinic is that they are able to provide a full daily structured treatment and therapy programme and part of the modality is that there is a grasp of the understanding of a 12 Step support group. The normal treatment period is for 28 days but if there are financial constraints then an option would be to consider being admitted for 14 days. During that time there will be the attendance at 12 Step support groups but the big difference is not only an understanding of how they work but also that they do work and that they become part of an ongoing personal Recovery plan for when we leave treatment.
Some units offer 12 months of ongoing Aftercare for those that have successfully completed 28 days of treatment. Aftercare is another vital component as it offers ongoing support, help and direction once a week, for a whole day, either at the addiction clinic or, if there is a distance to travel, then via Zoom meetings. This weekly support is facilitated by professional therapists that people know and have come to trust whilst in treatment.
Addiction treatment centres offering a medical detox
It is very common for people with an alcohol or drug addiction to try and stop or cut back on their daily consumption of alcohol and drugs. The body is used to having a high daily intake of a drug and, when reduced or stopped, the body will start to go into withdrawal, symptoms of which can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, anxiety, insomnia, cramps and potentially life threatening seizures associated with stopping alcohol. So, with certain drugs and in particular alcohol, there is the need for a medically assisted detoxification using medication prescribed for that individual by a Doctor.
It is therefore, important as part of the initial enquiries to ascertain the level of care being offered during this detox period by the residential addiction rehab centre and the amount of times a Doctor will attend the clinic each week as, whilst in treatment, the individual should come under the care of the addiction treatment centre’s Doctor for the entirety of their stay.
Private addiction treatment centres or addiction rehab funded by local service providers?
For immediate help the only option is a private residential addictions unit. A hospital will rarely block a bed with someone with an addiction (unless they are extremely unwell physically) so there is not much point attending A and E hoping to be admitted . Your own GP is now unable to provide a “ home detox” as the medication they are legally able to prescribe is far less than in a residential addictions unit and the person will experience withdrawal symptoms and usually drink whilst still using the medication. Local Drug and Alcohol teams throughout the country seemingly have poor budgets for the number of people that they could be helping and there is extensive waiting time for residential addiction treatment. More of their funding is centred on maintenance such as providing methadone, needle exchanges and water.
Private addiction treatment varies hugely in cost, with a particular well known clinic offering 28 days residential addiction treatment for over £22,000 but a more realistic figure would be in the region of around £10,000, with no hidden extras and a highly professional and effective service included.
Local addiction treatment?
There may not be an addiction rehab centre close to where you live and, even if there is, it is sometimes better to extend the search further afield in order to find that addiction clinic that is going to offer that bit more. When making a choice, take into account the staffing and the structured addiction treatment programme as these are more important in the end than luxury accommodation (though of course it is good to be comfortable during addiction treatment which can be mentally challenging and draining).
A suggestion would be to actually telephone and make an appointment for a free assessment with an addiction rehab centre that you have initially chosen and to then visit and see if it matches what it details on its website and your expectations.