Will I meet the stars? Or will I be better than the other people in the drug and alcohol clinic?
There are two extremes of thought here. Some people think that if they go to an addiction rehab clinic, they are likely to meet a lot of stars and will in effect have the opportunity to hobnob with the celebrities. Others assume that alcoholics and addicts are like down and outs, so they will be mixing with people ‘far beneath them’.
All types of people go to drug, gambling and alcohol rehab – including successful business people
The reality is that all sorts of people need to go to an addiction rehab clinic. Addiction can affect anyone. It does not matter if you are super intelligent and very successful in business. You may use alcohol to relax and relieve the stress of the day. Or maybe after work, you are with colleagues and there is ‘peer pressure’ to have the odd line of cocaine. Before you know it, the occasional drink and line has become a habit, and then it becomes a need and before you know it, your use has become destructive. Addiction can easily get a grip on successful business people.
People of any age may need addiction rehab
What about young people? Surely they cannot become addicted in their teens? The sad answer is yes, they can. Some will have a predisposition to addiction and some will drink heavily and use drugs from an early age. These young people could have had – to all intents and purposes – a very loving family background. However, maybe they will ‘get into the wrong crowd’ or ‘rebel’, leading to early trial of alcohol and drugs. We have had young people in The Haynes Clinic recently addicted to cannabis or ketamine or even diazepam (which can be quite easily sourced in huge quantities on the black market). Many come from what would be considered ‘good’ families.
At the opposite end of the scale, some people do not get into active addiction until much later in life. These people are more likely to get into trouble with alcohol than recreational drugs. It may be that they have always enjoyed a drink but have kept any addiction at bay by being distracted by work and a structured routine. Retirement or losing a partner can bring on loneliness, boredom and sanctuary in the bottle.
Even if you practise a religion, you can still need an addiction clinic
Religious belief and being an honourable person is no protection from addiction. People with a big, generous heart, people who are kind and thoughtful, who have faith in a God and go to church, the synagogue, temple or mosque regularly can all become addicted. We have Christians (all denominations), Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, people of a Jewish faith, agnostics, atheists and people of no faith attending rehab. Their faith has been unable to save them, even if they are regularly practising. At The Haynes Clinic, we have even had priests and other religious leaders, come in for treatment. The Twelve Step Programme is a spiritual, not a religious, programme. Rehab itself is not a religious cult!
Wealthy people as well as people of limited means will go into an alcohol and drug detox clinic
Not all addicts are poor down and outs. People from very wealthy backgrounds, as well as those who struggle to afford rehab fees, come in for help. People with titles can become addicts. The only difference between them and the rest of us is that, if our addictive behaviour becomes known outside our own four walls, it can attract media attention. Those in the public eye are likely to have to deal with additional notoriety.
There are alcoholics and addicts throughout the world
People of all nationalities and faiths can become addicts. At The Haynes Clinic we have many people come from the local area, some come from further afield throughout the UK (from Scotland, Wales, Ireland and throughout England), and some come from across the world. We have had clients from Hong Kong, the Middle East and even New Zealand!
Alcoholics and addicts tend to have characteristics in common
The thing that most alcoholics and addicts have in common which makes us have more in common and transcends our differences, is that we have low self worth, are often depressed, isolated and lonely. Common traits for alcoholics can be arrogance – contradicting the low self esteem but nonetheless something we tend to display as a public face – selfishness and being stubborn. Addicts can be angry, emotionally volatile and full of self pity. We all lie – to defend our habit and to not upset those we love by admitting that we have had a drink or used again. We will be in denial of the extent of our addiction. The people who love us will be affected by our addiction and want us to get help, usually before the alcoholic or addict want the help.
Addiction can affect anyone
In summary, alcoholism can affect anyone at all. So can addiction. People can even get addicted to prescription medication such as diazepam, pregabalin, gabapentin, legitimately prescribed by their GP for an appropriate purpose. However, these are addictive medications and people can develop a tolerance for them or a need for more. They can either get their doctor to prescribe more or turn to the black market in order to feed their dependency.
People can get addicted to behaviours such as gambling, eating (overeating, undereating or binge eating and being bulimic).
All addictions are about running away from our feelings, not dealing with real life and escapism. We are running away from ourselves and not dealing with our sad feelings. Ultimately our addiction makes everyone worried, anxious and fearful for us. It is a family illness as it affects everyone who loves the alcoholic or addict. It can sadly be a killer if help is not sought.
Addiction Rehab Centre fees can be high – usually around £10,000 for a 28 day programme. Many cannot afford to pay for it but there is very little drug and alcohol rehab available for free (though AA and other addiction fellowships are free of charge). However, sometimes family and friends will club together in order to save a life.