Alcoholism can affect anyone
At The Haynes Clinic, we generally get a family member who will telephone and ask us for information about alcohol rehab for a friend or family member. Not that long ago, there used to be a stigma attached to anyone with alcohol addiction and if you generally asked people how they would describe an alcoholic they would say it was typically the person sitting on a park bench drinking cheap cider.
Alcohol addiction has no boundaries on race, age, sex, if we have a job or not, if we have money or not or even if we have a good or a bad childhood. You can be the local vicar, a teacher or a chairman of a FTSE 100 company or the young person just starting out in life, there is no such thing as a typical alcoholic or someone with an alcohol problem. The only common denominator is the way that alcohol has started to negatively impact on an alcoholic’s life, which also becomes evident to all those close to them.
Cutting back on drinking
Generally, the person with alcohol dependency will try all sorts of ways to cut back on their daily consumption, including changing the time of day that they start drinking to switching to different (lower) strengths of alcohol, to even trying to go a few days without a drink. Also, at The Haynes Clinic we have known family members try to help by administering lower doses of alcohol each day. Over a period of time, an alcoholic’s body will become more tolerant to the effects of alcohol, and they will need to drink more. Family and friends cannot believe the quantities that we become accustomed to drinking daily so their helping us cut back is one of the most dangerous things that they unwittingly can do. Apart from the withdrawal shakes, nausea and headaches, around day three of this reducing regime we will possibly have a fit or seizure as our body reacts violently to the lack of alcohol in our system.
Medically assisted detox
None of these methods will work and the only way that anyone who is alcoholic can genuinely and safely stop is to have a medically assisted detox.
Legislation has changed around the availability of an alcohol detox. It was not that long ago that a GP could prescribe a 7-day home detox. The problem was that as it was being carried out “at home” then they could not prescribe a sufficiently high daily dose to fully stop withdrawal symptoms and invariably the alcohol detox would fail as the individual would start drinking during it. This was thus deemed unsafe practise and was stopped.
A hospital will not block a bed to offer an alcohol detox and, if admitted, and they find that there is a dependence on alcohol, will normally just hydrate the individual and discharge them from treatment within 24 hours.
Each county in the UK has a local Drug and Alcohol team and they can help with providing a funded route to a detox in a rehab or residential clinic. However, they are vastly underfunded, and the waiting list is such that it could be many months before there could be a chance of treatment.
A rehab for alcohol addiction is the only route that provides immediate access to help and a medically assisted detox. The alcohol detox itself usually lasts for 7 – 10 days. The medication is tapered off over this period of time and there are few or no alcohol withdrawal symptoms, regardless of the daily amount being consumed prior to being admitted.
What happens in rehab?
Throughout the UK there are a variety of alcohol rehab centres that are recognised as being able to help alcoholics and the fees for a 28-day residential rehab stay will vary enormously. Not only do they all vary in price, but they also vary in what else they offer other than an alcohol detox.
At The Haynes Clinic, following being seen by our doctor and then being admitted for residential alcohol rehab treatment you would normally start therapy within 24 hours, and addiction therapy will play a big part in the 28-day rehab treatment. You will be allocated your own bedroom and come under the care of our clinical and therapy teams for the duration of your stay. The recommended period of residential rehab treatment is recognised as 28 days. For those just seeking a detox, this tends to be insufficient time away, in a safe environment, and there is an incredibly high relapse rate as you get no understanding of the changes that need to be made, on returning home, with our thinking and behaviour.
Therapy for 28 days will usually give you that understanding, together with a familiarity with the 12 Step programme. 99% of all alcohol rehabs in the UK are 12 Step based because to date, the 12 Step Programme has been the most successful way to not just get sober, but more importantly to remain so.
One fact that not many people know and that is important is that when you are admitted for treatment in a residential rehab you will have a consultation with a doctor. It is the doctor that then prescribes your detox medication. You come under the care of that doctor whilst you are in the care of that alcohol rehab. The medical notes that are made during your stay, at the addiction rehab, are not shared with your own GP, unless requested, and therefore never need go on your medical record.
Care Quality Commission Regulated Clinics
Undoubtedly, an alcohol rehab needs to be an all-round safe environment, and all alcohol rehab centres and addiction clinics are fully inspected and graded by the Care Quality Commission. Their reports that are then published for every unit and access to these reports can be found on the internet with an online search.
Family help for alcoholics
Whilst the individual is in treatment at The Haynes Clinic, family and friends are not forgotten and we run a family programme to assist them to also understand the changes that will need to be made. Also, for those completing a 28 day residential rehab stay there is included in the costs a 12-month period of weekly Aftercare and a once a week Zoom meetings for those that live further away.
Can you be forced to stay in rehab?
Anyone who gets admitted to an addiction rehab is free to leave at any time. They are not obligated or forced to stay. However, should anyone leave then all rehab treatment centres have a different policy on a refund of monies for treatment not used and you should be very sure what that is, especially if you have any doubt about your commitment to going to addiction rehab in the first place. Sometimes, people are not accepting that their illness is that bad and sadly, they need to unnecessarily suffer longer before it is their time to accept the help on offer. Sadly some of them do not make it – alcoholism is a killer illness as those of us who have had contact with it can testify.
In addiction treatment you will meet people who are similar to yourself as they have gone on a similar downward alcoholic journey. The power of the group can be very strong and this association that our behaviour and thinking has been similar to others is all part of the process of getting well that starts within the addiction rehab environment.