Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Edmonton

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Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Edmonton

Located in North London within the borough of Enfield, Edmonton suffers from many of the same substance-related issues as the wider capital city.

In these urban areas, the post-pandemic demand for illicit substances has led to a surge in substance use disorders and drug-related crime.

In their yearly statistical document on crime, Trust For London [1] revealed that 8,221 drugs and weapons offences were recorded in the city’s most economically deprived areas.

In the least deprived areas, 3,533 crimes of a similar nature were recorded: proving that drug-related problems affect all areas of the capital city.

While crimes involving drug trafficking remained level in the past decade, this has changed in the past three years.

 Only 7 out of 32 London boroughs have seen a decrease in drug-related crime since 2019, with the Edmonton area recording 1,525 drug offences in 2020-2021.

Edmonton has also seen an increase in the number of residents presenting for addiction treatment [2], particularly in the realm of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD).

While 365 people entered treatment for AUD in 2021, many more require the help of a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton to stop them from continuing the cycle of addiction.

What is Drug and Alcohol Addiction?

While many people are aware that addiction is classed as a disease, they may not realise the extent to which the brain is affected by this condition. In fact, SUD victims are battling a disorder of chronic relapsing that has essentially hijacked their brain’s reward system [3].

This is known throughout the psychiatric community as the disease model of addiction. The model outlines that by taking drugs or consuming alcohol repeatedly, an individual’s brain will flood the system with dopamine to make them feel good.

Problems arise when, with repeated use, the brain becomes accustomed to the effects of a substance: needing higher doses in more frequent quantities. Our bodies will eventually need drugs or alcohol to function with any semblance of normality, and it’s at this stage that a dangerous dependence has developed.

Because they need the substance to function normally, they’ll experience intense cravings if they can’t get it for any reason. Alongside cravings, they’ll start feeling a range of uncomfortable side effects affecting their mental and physical health, which are known as withdrawal symptoms.

Symptoms of Drug and Alcohol Addiction

SUD is a condition that comes with a long list of withdrawal symptoms: a term referring to the mental and physical shock the system undergoes when consumption stops abruptly.

While substances such as heroin cause flu-life, mainly physical symptoms to manifest, other substances such as cannabis produce largely psychological withdrawal symptoms.

Bodily symptoms are perhaps the easiest to identify as their manifestation cannot be put into question. Physical withdrawal often includes vomiting, diarrhoea, trembling, tremors, sweating and seizures that can be fatal.

Alongside these worrying symptoms, many individuals are at risk of developing a condition known as Delerium Tremens (DT) [4].

The Physical effects of this syndrome include irregular heartbeat, shaking, sweating, tremors, and shivering. DT victims may also experience psychological symptoms such as confusion, hallucinations, and paranoia.

In contrast, psychological symptoms are somewhat hidden, manifesting as depressive episodes, anxiety, hallucinations, psychosis, and intrusive thoughts.

Because many individuals suffer from a combination of psychological and physical distress during withdrawal, the temptation to relapse can be overwhelming.

For their safety, many addicted individuals are required to undergo medically supervised detoxification. These bespoke strategies can be accessed with ease at a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton.

Admissions Process into a Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Edmonton

The process of entering a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton can quickly become all-consuming, particularly if you’re already dealing with the damaging consequences of addiction.

Fortunately, this isn’t a process that you have to go through alone: dialling the number 0800 088 66 86 [5] will put you in touch with a knowledgeable, non-judgemental member of the Rehab Recovery team.

They’ll help you to navigate the entire admissions process, from the moment you make the call to the point you enter the clinic of your choice.

During the initial phone call, they’ll answer any queries you may have and re-assure any concerns regarding addiction rehabilitation. Then, they’ll organise your free health evaluation wherein a consultant psychiatrist learns more about your unique situation.

For a duration of around 15-20 minutes, you’ll chat with a consultant about your treatment options, unique budget, and answer some questions about your health: both mental and physical.

They’ll be able to use this information to select a treatment centre local to Edmonton that best suits your addiction and situation.

Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders in Rehab

While many people battle addiction without the presence of other disorders, just as many individuals seek treatment under a dual diagnosis [7]: meaning the co-existence of SUD and another mental illness.

Within the bracket of co-occurring disorders exist numerous combinations, such as alcohol use disorder and anxiety, drug addiction and schizophrenia, and so on.

Due to this phenomenon being so common, with over 60% of patients in the UK presenting for treatment under a dual diagnosis, many programmes specifically designed for concurrent treatment exist, including at a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton.

At their chosen treatment centre, patients will receive an accurate dual diagnosis and bespoke therapy to tackle both conditions.

Because psychiatric illness and SUD can exacerbate one another, patients must receive treatment as inpatients so that their needs are met: especially during detox.

Medicated Detox at a Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Edmonton

Upon entering a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton, patients must spend between 5-10 days eliminating substances and toxins from their system.

They’ll withdraw from drugs or alcohol in a risk-free, comfortable environment with the help of specialist staff and Medicated Assisted Therapy (MAT) to help limit withdrawal symptoms.

To help high-risk patients prevent seizures, as well as other common, less severe symptoms, a range of pharmacological interventions [8] are utilised.

As part of their bespoke medical detox protocol, patients may receive drugs such as benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, or Subutex to reduce the risk of seizures and calm the nervous system.

Alongside medication, patients will receive vitamin supplements, and nutritional support, and have access to high-end facilities throughout their stay at a private treatment centre.

After they’ve completed the process and stabilised, patients can start moving through various therapeutic interventions at their chosen drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton.

Therapeutic Treatment at a Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Edmonton

Arguably the most important element of treatment at a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton is therapy and receiving the correct therapeutic strategy for your needs.

Because such a wide range of addiction severities, co-occurring disorders, and unique personality types exist, there are myriad therapy options available to inpatients at rehab [9].

The following therapeutic strategies are some of the most popular modalities used by professionals today in the field of SUD recovery.

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy [10] (CBT)

CBT is perhaps the most utilised therapy in the field of mental health treatment: used to tackle a huge range of issues including depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, and substance addiction.

Patients undertaking CBT do so to change the negative thought patterns and cognitive distortions that play a part in their SUD: developing healthier coping mechanisms to carry them through their recuperation.

2. Dialectical Behavioural Therapy [11] (DBT)

This form of behavioural therapy operates similarly to CBT but is designed to benefit patients suffering from trauma and other intense emotional disorders.

DBT sessions at a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton assist patients in developing ways to manage distress, stay in the present moment, and heal from trauma by accepting their feelings.

3. Holistic Therapy [12] (HT)

The efficacy of Holistic Therapy in addiction recovery shows that not all treatments have to involve medical components.

HT programmes take care of someone’s spiritual, mental, and physical health: offering a range of relaxing, positive activities that can be completed daily. Examples of HT activities include aromatherapy, meditation, yoga, pilates, martial arts, and many more.

4. Family Therapy (FT)

Receiving the support of loved ones is often just as important in SUD recovery as psychotherapeutic treatments.

Patients at a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton are offered Family Therapy to reinforce this pre-existing support network and regain the trust of their loved ones.

In FT, Concerned Significant Others (CSOs) receive emotional counselling to help them heal from their loved one’s addiction, and education to help them understand SUD.

5. Motivational Interviewing [13] (MI)

Oftentimes in addiction recovery, patients must strengthen their motivation towards other forms of therapy in their bespoke programme.

MI helps patients in their quest to overcome the mental blocks and emotional obstacles that could be getting in the way of their treatment engagement.

With their MI therapist, patients discuss what motivates them, and build obtainable recovery goals.

Aftercare at a Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Edmonton

Upon completing their treatment at a drug and alcohol rehab in Edmonton, patients are offered an aftercare programme to suit their recovery goals. This allows them to continue working on their recovery, which is ultimately a lifelong process that cannot be achieved automatically post-rehab.

Moreover, an effective aftercare programme isn’t a standardised procedure; rather, each programme is customised to suit the patient and how their treatment was performed in rehab.

By furthering their recovery journey as an outpatient, individuals can continue therapy in a flexible manner allowing them to regain their independence.

Alongside continued individual counselling, patients are given access to many fellowship programmes as part of their aftercare plan, including Narcotics Anonymous [14], Alcoholics Anonymous [15], and SMART Recovery [16].

References

[1] Crime and Income Deprivation, Trust For London https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/data/crime-and-income-deprivation/

 [2] National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS), Adult Profiles, Edmonton https://www.ndtms.net/ViewIt/Adult

[3] The Brain Disease Model of Addiction https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/education/bcr/addiction-research/brain-disease-model-ru-316

[4] Delirium Tremens https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Delirium_Tremens/UwzAzQEACAAJ?hl=en

[5] SAMHSA, Co-Occurring Disorders and Other Mental Health Conditions https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/medications-counseling-related-conditions/co-occurring-disorders

[6] Rehab Recovery: Help for Myself https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-help/myself/

[7] Rehab Recovery: Residential Addiction Treatment https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/residential/

[8] Rehab Recovery: Medications Used for Alcohol Detox https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-detox/alcohol-detox/medications-used/

[9] Addiction Counselling Competencies: The Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes of Professional Practice https://books.google.co.th/books?id=7UVgsB4tJH4C&pg=PA213&dq=addiction&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiCmr60lIL3AhUkxDgGHSa2AJEQ6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&q&f=false

[10] Rehab Recovery: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Addiction Treatment https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/cognitive-behavioural-therapy/

[11] Rehab Recovery: DBT For Addiction Treatment https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/dbt/

[12] Rehab Recovery: Alternative & Holistic Therapies for Addiction https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/alternative-holistic/

[13] Motivational Interviewing in the Treatment of Psychological Problems https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Motivational_Interviewing_in_the_Treatme/y67sDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=motivational+interviewing&printsec=frontcover

[14] Rehab Recovery: What is Narcotics Anonymous? https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/narcotics-anonymous/

[15] What Is Alcoholics Anonymous? A Path From Addiction To Recovery https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/What_is_Alcoholics_Anonymous/qpVHDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

[16] Rehab Recovery: SMART Recovery, What Is It and How Can It Help? https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/smart-recovery-what-it-is-and-how-it-can-help/