What is involved in drug rehab?
If you are in the desperation of drug use (or you are a desperate family member who loves an addict) what will happen if you check into rehab?
First you will be assessed by a doctor to see if you require any medication and /or a detox. If you have an opiate addiction (heroin, tramadol, codeine, methadone) you will be prescribed a detox so that you do not have to go ‘cold turkey’. This might be on a reduction programme or you may be prescribed something that blocks the withdrawal symptoms (something like buprenorphine, sold as the brand Subutex). The detox may take 10 days if done through a blocker. If your detox is on a reduction programme it could take considerably longer.
Need a detox?
There is no detox medication for other drug addictions – such as cocaine, cannabis and ketamine addiction. These are more psychological addictions but it is possible that you will feel like you are withdrawing physically. It is possible that the rehab clinic will prescribe you some form of anti-anxiety medication to help you through the early days – such as valium.
All people attending drug rehab may be allowed certain other medications such as sleeping tablets in the early days, or anti-acid tablets if you get acid reflux.
Therapy
Alongside the detox, you will get therapy and counselling and this is where the hard work begins. Most rehab clinics will have programmes based on group therapy, which includes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and addictions counselling. You will experience something called process group in which all manner of things are discussed. Through talking about our own experiences and listening to the experience of others we gain a great deal of insight into our own issues and what we need to do to change.
You may be asked to write a life story so that you can gain insight into your own patterns of behaviour and so that the counsellors can also get to know you better – your personality and experiences that have led you to where you are today.
12 Steps
If you are attending a 12 Step Treatment Centre you will be taken through the 12 step programme. This is the foundation of many successful rehab treatment programmes and is also the basis of the programme on which AA and its sister fellowship group NA (Narcotics Anonymous) is founded.
The 12 Step Programme is total abstinence based which means that even though your addiction may be to drugs, you will be advised to abstain from all mood altering substances. If you do not, it will almost certainly need to relapse. This means you cannot safely drink alcohol (even if you do not have an addiction to alcohol nor abuse it) and nor can you take certain mood altering prescription medications such as codeine and tranquillisers / anti-anxiety medications. What you learn at the treatment centre should mean that you will not need these mood altering medications anyway as you should get the tools to learn how to cope with life’s ups and downs without needing to run away from your feelings.
The Haynes Clinic is a drug rehab clinic which can provide all of these treatments and advice. A free assessment is available there if you think you need help. If treatment in a private clinic is not affordable you will be able to get advice there as to how best get help for your addiction. Please tel 01462 851414.