Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Burgess Hill
While there is a strong link between chronic substance abuse and addiction, consuming a large number of drugs on a regular basis is not the only factor that influences addiction. We all know someone with an unhealthy relationship with substances, who somehow never ends up developing a dangerous addiction. So, why is that?
Firstly, there is a genetic component to substance addiction. Some people have no family history of addiction, and their genes do not increase their chances of becoming addicted to a substance. This means they may manage to avoid addiction despite using drugs and alcohol regularly.
Secondly, some people have never experienced significant trauma, and this keeps them away from addiction. Perhaps they do not lean on substances for comfort, and they do not suffer from bad mental health to the extent that they crave drugs and alcohol as a means of escape.
Finally, we are influenced by the habits of those around us. If someone is surrounded by people who use alcohol and drugs, but are not ruled by this behaviour, they may follow in their footsteps, rather than making substance use the centre of their life.
However, addiction is much more complex than this. You should not abuse drugs and hope that it will never lead to an addiction, as it is very common for drug dependency to evolve into drug addiction.
Furthermore, you cannot truly know which triggers affect you, as you will not know whether you are genetically prone to addiction, you may downplay any trauma you have experienced, and you could develop mental health problems at any time.
This means that we should all be sensible about drug and alcohol use regardless of our personal situation. No one is immune to addiction, so do not behave in a way that is conducive to addiction (i.e., relying on drugs and alcohol to cheer you up, spending time with people who use drugs frequently, and taking high doses of substances).
Start your recovery journey today by calling our expert team to access drug & alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill on 0800 088 66 86
Can You Reverse a Drug or Alcohol Addiction?
If you are suffering from a substance addiction, you can get high-quality treatment at drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill. After spending 28 days at rehab and then benefitting from aftercare, you could be completely symptom-free in terms of illness.
This means you could live a life that is free of addictive behaviours, and therefore you could have more freedom than you have ever experienced.
However, to be frank, you cannot reverse a substance addiction. Going to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill will help you to stop experiencing certain symptoms, and to stop engaging in the behaviour, but this does not mean that you will be able to stop suffering from addiction completely.
It is possible that you will still feel tempted to use substances, and if this is not under control, you could relapse. Many things make it difficult for you to resist temptation, such as a lack of motivation, cravings, isolation, and depression.
You will always have to battle this, and therefore you will always be at risk of falling back into addiction.
It is unfortunate that there is no cure for addiction, as it means that people in recovery have to put a huge amount of effort into staying sober and avoiding triggers. However, the journey to recovery does get easier as you learn to manage triggers, so you will have easy days alongside difficult days.
Why Do We Develop Behavioural Addictions?
The causes of behavioural addiction are mainly mental health disorders, genetics, and trauma, just like the causes of substance addiction. However, mental illness may be even more pertinent in behavioural addiction, as psychological symptoms are the only type of symptom that occurs.
When people are suffering from mental illness, they may try to cope with their symptoms by engaging in addictive behaviours, as this brings them the dopamine that they crave. It also distracts them from their mind, which can be healing in the short term. Here are some examples of how this pans out.
Someone with depression may start gambling as a way to find joy in their life, as they are tired and unmotivated otherwise. The more they gamble, the harder it becomes to stop, as they get used to the positive feeling they get when they make money, and they become addicted to the risk factor.
A client with ADHD may attempt to self-medicate their lack of dopamine by playing video games. Over time, it is possible that nothing else will please their reward system quite like gaming, so they keep returning to gaming until they are eventually addicted.
We can also be susceptible to behavioural addiction when we are raised by people who normalise this type of addiction. Perhaps our parents divorced and then had a constant string of relationships due to low self-esteem (love addiction).
This could cause us to believe that our serial monogamy is not an addiction, as we are used to seeing this behaviour.
Certain behavioural addictions are normalised by society as a whole, and this can make us feel as though our struggles are not valid. For example, work addiction is sometimes romanticised as it makes people more productive.
However, it can be just as damaging as every other addiction, and it keeps people trapped in an unhealthy cycle of addiction until they seek recovery.
Start your recovery journey today by calling our expert team to access drug & alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill on 0800 088 66 86
How Does Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Burgess Hill Help With Substance Addiction?
In the past, it was believed that keeping your mental health issues to yourself was the best course of action. However, the philosophy of drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill is the exact opposite of this.
Addiction specialists now believe that facing your problem and admitting to it publicly, is the healthiest thing you could do.
When you go to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill, there is no way to deny your substance addiction, even if this is your go-to coping mechanism. You will talk about your problem every single day in therapy, which will help you to normalise being vulnerable.
This is an important part of recovery, as you need to learn how to be honest about your feelings with yourself and others if you are going to be able to stay sober.
By going to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill, you are not jumping in at the deep end when it comes to telling people in your everyday life about your substance abuse issue. You will have group therapy every day, which involves discussing your addiction with people who are dealing with similar problems.
When you are ready to leave residential rehab, you will find it much easier to be open with the people in your life.
As well as facing the psychological consequences of your addiction, you will also confront the physical side effects by having a detox. This helps with substance addiction as it allows your body to heal from substance abuse, and it often reduces cravings.
How Does Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Burgess Hill Help With Behavioural Addiction?
The therapy that you will have at drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill is equally as beneficial for behavioural addiction as it is for substance addiction. As there will be many types of therapy available, you will get to approach your addiction from all sides.
For example, you could look at the causes of your problem, the impact on your relationships, your mental health, your physical health, your personal addiction triggers, and more.
Most therapies that you can have at drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill are suitable for behavioural addiction. You may get to experience: trauma therapy, family therapy, person-centred counselling, psychodynamic counselling, and individual therapy sessions.
There will be a key focus on behavioural therapies, as you experience difficulty managing your behaviours in a healthy way. The most common type of behavioural therapy is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (1).
This is commonly used for behavioural addictions, but it is also one of the most common treatments for substance addiction and most mental health disorders.
Start your recovery journey today by calling our expert team to access drug & alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill on 0800 088 66 86
FAQs About Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Burgess Hill
Do I need to see my doctor before going to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill?
No, there is no need to see your doctor before going to inpatient rehab. The only reason you should see your doctor is if you need immediate medical attention due to a physical or psychological symptom of addiction. In this case, you would need to get medical treatment before arranging to come to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill.
However, you do not need to go to your doctor for a referral. When you get in touch with Rehab Recovery, we will handle the referral, and we do not need a note from your GP. However, we will need to know about your medical history if you decide to accept a referral to private rehab.
Don’t worry about coming to us with a co-occurring disorder, as our chosen rehab centres perform assessments to ensure you are physically and mentally well enough to attend rehab. They will prepare treatments to ensure your co-occurring condition is taken care of, as well as your substance abuse problem.
Do I have to detox before going to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill?
No, you do not have to detox before going to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill. We accept many patients who are still using substances right before admission, as we understand that it is very difficult to get sober when you are dealing with severe withdrawal symptoms, including cravings and headaches.
As soon as you enter drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill, you will start to detox, whether you have been using drugs that day or you have been sober for weeks.
We will adjust the detox according to your drug and alcohol consumption, so don’t worry about being forced to quit cold turkey. The withdrawal will be gradual.
Perhaps you feel inspired to get sober already, and you would like to enter private rehab without being under the influence. We would never condemn this, as it is always healthier to be sober (as long as you do not quit cold turkey).
However, make sure you seek medical advice and do not rush into sobriety, as the consequences of doing this could be fatal.
You will usually not have to wait a long time before going to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill, so it is likely that you will still be using drugs when your referral comes through. This is because Rehab Recovery referrals are often actioned just days after our clients contact us.
Will I regret going to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill?
The main reason people claim to regret going to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill is that they relapsed when they finished treatment. We do not want to invalidate this experience, as it must be extremely disappointing. Yet, it does not have to make you regret going to rehab.
If you adopt this mindset, you could end up living with addiction for a long time, as you believe that relapse indicates an inability to stay sober. You need to understand that relapse is sometimes a normal part of a recovery journey, and you can get back to enjoying sobriety if you tell someone you are struggling, and you refer to the aftercare plan you have been given.
Another reason a client may regret going to rehab is that they were not ready for addiction recovery, and they feel as though they would have got more out of rehab if they waited a while longer before attending. Fortunately, this rarely happens to Rehab Recovery clients, as we make sure they are ready for treatment before we agree to make a referral.
We will be honest about everything drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill entails, including the good and the bad. If we feel that you need some more time before getting inpatient treatment, we will discuss other options with you without judgement.
Can someone come with me to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill?
If you would feel more comfortable travelling to drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill with a friend or family member, you can certainly do this. Some people are driven to rehab by a loved one, and they find that this helps them to build the confidence they need to go in on their first day.
However, you cannot have someone with you permanently at rehab. Your loved one is only allowed to drop you off, visit you throughout, and pick you up at the end.
It is important that you learn how to recover independently, as you will have to get to a place where you can choose sobriety every day, regardless of what the people around you are doing.
Going to rehab alone is also a great way to recover from any codependency issues you have. For example, if you are codependent with your spouse, and they often jump to your defence when someone is worried about you, you will have some time apart to consider how unhealthy this is, and to start advocating for yourself.
How can I contact Rehab Recovery?
There are many different ways to contact us. To speak to an adviser as soon as possible, we recommend calling us on 0800 088 66 86 for UK callers, and +44 330 333 6197 for international callers.
Though we have answered many questions here, we know that there is plenty more to know about drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill. That’s why we offer a free consultation for all new clients.
We will tell you more about this when you reach out to us. If you decide you are ready for drug and alcohol rehab in Burgess Hill, we will waste no time finding the ideal treatment centre for you.
Our clients are made up of people with many different types of addiction, so do not refrain from contacting us if you are not dealing with a common addiction.
We arrange referrals for people with prescription drug addiction, heroin addiction, alcoholism, gambling addiction, sex addiction, and more. We will not make a moral judgement on your addiction, as we are only here to help you as efficiently as possible.
References
[1] Overview – Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/overview/