Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Havering

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Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Havering

Many experts and healthcare providers have noted that since COVID, more and more people have turned to heavy drug and alcohol consumption as a way of coping.

The resulting spike in cases of substance addiction has affected most UK communities, particularly urban areas and London boroughs such as Havering.

Whether young or old, rich or poor, black or white, addiction can affect anyone in the community and cause an array of social and economic problems.

Battling a substance use disorder can cause sufferers to lose their homes, damage their relationships, and even carry out criminal offences in their desperation.

While cities such as London are often burdened by criminal activity, the rising presence of illicit drugs and the demand for them has created a worrying, community-wide situation.

In 2020, research from The House of Commons Library revealed that the total number of drug offences in London has increased by 16%: from 47,806 in 2019/20 to 50,901 in 2020/21.

Moreover, only 7 out of the 32 London boroughs have recorded a fall in drug offences since 2019/20. In Havering specifically, 1,194 drug offences were recorded between 2020-2021, marking an intense, time-sensitive need for harm reduction in the area.

While drug-related crime remains a significant problem in the London area, it highlights another concern: the number of addicted individuals that aren’t getting the treatment they need.

Although 230 individuals in Havering presented themselves for addiction treatment in 2020-2021, many more are slipping through the net and continuing towards self-destruction.

In their report discussing the effects of alcohol misuse in London, the city’s local government estimated that around 300,000 residents were dependent on alcohol.

Moreover, the same study estimates that around 2,400,000 Londoners consume alcohol at levels considered hazardous to their physical and mental wellbeing

Sadly, this has caused many alcohol-related hospital admissions in Havering hospitals, as revealed by NHS statistics. In Havering, around 250 people per 100,000 are admitted to hospitals for alcohol-related cancers, as well as mental and behavioural disorders caused by chronic drinking.

In London overall, it’s thought that around 30% of hospital admissions are related to alcohol or illicit substances, with instances almost doubling on a weekend.

It’s clear that in these communities, too many people needing the help of a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering simply aren’t receiving treatment promptly, and are suffering dire consequences because of it.

For more information and support on drug and alcohol rehab in Havering, please contact Rehab Recovery today on 0800 088 66 86.

Is Addiction a Disease?

For centuries, debates on whether addiction is an illness or lifestyle choice have raged within both scientific communities and the mind of the general public.

While the popular opinion was once that substance addiction is self-inflicted, many people are realising that this condition requires comprehensive care at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering or elsewhere.

Rather than simply a lack of willpower, addiction is now known to be a condition that shares many features with illnesses such as cancer and diabetes.

Once solely referred to as “addicts”, “alcoholics”, or “smackheads”, sufferers are now recognised as having a disease of the brain known as Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

Chronically consuming drugs or alcohol causes the brain to produce more of the feel-good chemical known as dopamine into the system. Once an individual sobers up, the brain essentially tells the body it must repeat the same behaviour to feel the same euphoria as before.

However, the more an individual uses drugs or consumes alcohol, the less dopamine is produced: causing them to take ever-increasing doses to chase the high they once enjoyed.

This changes the brain’s reward pathways in a way that creates psychological cravings and a habitual loop of using a substance to feel normal.

However, not everyone who takes a substance will become addicted: with cognitive changes representing just one element of this disease.

Some individuals are more prone to SUD due to a range of social or environmental factors. They might have been exposed to substances from an early age, or suffered trauma that causes them to lean on drugs or alcohol.

Nevertheless, once the brain has been altered by substance use, it will do whatever it can to prevent the individual from feeling the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit. Intense cravings, followed by intense physical and psychological symptoms, create a condition of chronic relapsing.

Attempting to abstain can cause all manner of symptoms to manifest: affecting both the body and mind. Those suffering from opioid use disorders or alcohol addiction are particularly vulnerable to the physical effects, which include vomiting, flu-like symptoms, migraines, and seizures.

Victims may also experience psychological distress when they try to quit as the brain tries to establish some form of chemical balance. Early symptoms of psychological withdrawal include emotional numbness or overreaction, anxiety, depression, insomnia, hallucinations, and paranoia.

Diagnosing Substance Use Disorder

Because substance addiction is now recognised officially as a brain disorder, proper diagnostic procedures have been put in place.

To ensure you receive the best treatment for your unique substance use history and state of well-being, it’s important to receive a diagnosis via a doctor or clinician at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

However, it’s rarely the case that someone will transition straight from their last drink or dose of a drug into a doctor’s office for a diagnostic evaluation. They may need some extra help coming to terms with their potential condition and might want to get an idea of how severe their situation is.

Fortunately, there is a number of self-assessments and screening tools that can be used in the home to make the pre-diagnosis stage less overwhelming. Many of these have been designed by medical and psychiatric authorities as a user-friendly preliminary step in addiction recovery.

Authorities such as The World Health Organisation (WHO) have created succinct self-assessments that can be used in the home by those who are questioning their relationship with alcohol or illicit substances. If you’re struggling with alcohol over-use, for example, you can take The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) easily and quickly without having to leave your own home.

AUDIT is a questionnaire-style screening tool for alcohol use disorders that poses 10 questions to respondents. These are designed to gauge roughly how much you’re drinking, what impacts your drinking has had on your relationships and social life, and whether you’ve experienced any withdrawal-like side effects.

You’ll be asked to choose from a selection of pre-designed answers, each of which has a corresponding number.

At the end of the test, your answers are reviewed to provide you with a score, with the number indicative of your severity.

The AUDIT manual states that respondents receiving between 0-4 shouldn’t be concerned, while anything from 4-8 indicates a mild dependency, and upwards of 8 requires clinical attention.

A number of psychologists, clinical psychiatrists, and addiction specialists also use the DSM-5 criteria when diagnosing substance use disorders. While a formal classification of all mental disorders, this criteria includes a manual specifically for addiction, with user-friendly self-assessments for patients to use.

The DSM-5 symptoms for addiction take into account the multifaceted nature of this condition: grouping side effects into behavioural, social, and health-related categories. By reading through the criteria, subjects can pinpoint the symptoms that most correspond to their behaviours, including those related to physical dependence, impaired control, risky use, and more.

For more information and support on drug and alcohol rehab in Havering, please contact Rehab Recovery today on 0800 088 66 86.

Pros & Cons of Private Addiction Treatment

While the idea of receiving free addiction treatment is an attractive concept, for many individuals, their condition is simply too severe to warrant waiting for NHS treatment.

Fortunately, SUD victims and their families have the choice to go down the private treatment route, with many affordable programmes available at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

While private rehab clinics have many desirable features on the surface, such as modern accommodations and idyllic locations, it’s the quality of treatment that makes them stand out.

From the day of their arrival till the years following their residency, patients receive personalised treatment tailored to each stage of their recovery.

When tailoring treatment modalities to suit a patient’s needs, professionals working at private clinics take myriad factors into account. Programmes are designed based on someone’s substance use history, co-existing disorders, additional requirements, and unique recovery goals.

Moreover, the less restricted budgets enjoyed by private clinics means they can offer fully residential care to each client. They’ll stay overnight in secure, comfortable accommodation with access to professional staff whenever they might need them.

Completing detox on-site and completing therapy in the same setting has been shown to greatly reduce the chance of relapse.

Patients considering drug and alcohol rehab in Havering will also benefit from accelerated rates of admission. While waiting times are to some extent dictated by the severity of someone’s SUD following their assessment, patients can access a bed within 48 hours in most cases.

In spite of all this, many addicted individuals and their loved ones worry about the cost of potential treatment, and these concerns aren’t unfounded. Some luxury rehab centres charge their clients thousands per week, which equates to tens of thousands each month.

However, more budget rehab centres are appearing each year, and many clinics have adjusted the costs of their programmes. Nowadays, recovery programmes can cost upwards of £1,000 per week, with many centres offering payment plans on a sliding scale basis to help patients pay for treatment.

Rehab For Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) In Havering

Crippling alcohol addiction has the power to tear families apart, as well as cause a range of inescapable long-term health issues. To keep long-term health risks at a low level and help victims reclaim their lives, bespoke treatment should be accessed via a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

Depending on the patient’s current alcohol intake and corresponding dependency, programmes can last anywhere between 30 and 120 days, with the opportunity to extend if needed. Our partner rehab centres here at Rehab Recovery have the resources and trained staff needed to treat AUD from every possible angle.

The first major step towards the end goal of long-term sobriety is detoxing from alcohol. Detox describes the natural process that occurs in the body as it removes alcohol and associated toxins.

Oftentimes, AUD recovery programmes are split into two phases: treating the patient’s physical alcohol dependency before tackling their psychological addiction. Initially, alcohol-dependent patients must undertake a medicated detox to give them the best possible start to their recovery.

The term “detox” simply described the process of naturally letting the body rid itself of alcohol, but due to the risk of severe withdrawal symptoms, this must be a structured process involving tapering measures and Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT). While the alcohol leaves their system in a controlled manner, patients receive constant medical supervision and various bespoke treatments.

To prevent the development of Delirium Tremens (DT), a life-threatening alcohol withdrawal complication, patients are often prescribed anticonvulsant medications to reduce the risk of fatal seizures and stabilise the nervous system. Additional symptoms such as restlessness and tremors can be quelled through the use of anti-anxiety medication, which can also help individuals sleep better.

Once their physical alcohol dependence has been dealt with, patients will enter a rigorous therapeutic programme to help them heal from the causes of their addiction and develop a relapse prevention plan. This is typically a fusion of behavioural interventions, collaborative counselling sessions, group therapies, and holistic strategies.

CBT is often combined with Acceptance and Commitment therapy to help patients re-train the way they think and behave around alcohol, while also helping them to accept their condition for what it is. In between these sessions, group workshops are implemented to encourage pro-social behaviours and help patients form lasting relationships with those who have been similarly diagnosed.

For more information and support on drug and alcohol rehab in Havering, please contact Rehab Recovery today on 0800 088 66 86.

Rehab For Cannabis in Havering

Also known as marijuana, weed, pot, and grass, cannabis is one of the world’s most popular drugs: used for the feelings of relaxation or giddiness it produces. Though many people can smoke or ingest cannabis occasionally and not become addicted, others may come to depend on its effects: leading to a diagnosable condition known as Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD).

Because CUD sufferers won’t be able to stop using cannabis without disruption to their daily lives, it’s important to tackle the physiological addiction and mental aftermath at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering. While long-term cannabis users may require residential treatment to recuperate fully, those who are less severe can continue treatment as an outpatient following an inpatient detox.

It can be particularly important for those with co-occurring disorders or an unstable home environment to detox at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering. Detoxing at home without professional support can lead to many distressing withdrawal symptoms, including extreme anxiety, migraines, cravings, sleep disruption, and mood swings.

To get these unwanted side effects under control and curate a relaxing detox environment, patients are monitored by professionals and offered emotional support. They’ll also have a personalised taper schedule designed for them to ensure the brain and body continue functioning properly.

Cannabis detoxification usually lasts between a few days and one week, after which individuals will remain in rehab as an inpatient or transition to outpatient care. Both forms of treatment include therapy sessions to assist patients in learning how to identify and avoid situations that trigger their cannabis use.

Cognitive therapies help those in recovery rewire their reward system to cope with cannabis cravings, while behavioural therapies encourage them to develop healthier habits and new hobbies. Alongside these methods, community reinforcement programmes and support groups such as Marijuana Anonymous help patients reduce social isolation and build recovery goals.

Rehab For Heroin in Havering

Originally developed to deliver pain relief, heroin is a type of opioid frequently abused for its intense high caused by a suppression of the central nervous system. Because heroin provides a temporary reprieve from the user’s internal and external troubles, many people are tempted to repeat doses and will ultimately become addicted.

Heroin Use Disorder is characterised by debilitating cravings and a high risk of overdose, making it crucial to enrol at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering or elsewhere. Within the safe confines of their chosen clinic, patients can begin their recovery with the aid of a pharmacologically assisted detox.

Depending on the duration of someone’s heroin misuse and the dosage their body is accustomed to, withdrawal symptoms can begin within a day of abstinence and linger for up to 3 weeks. This makes it important to have a taper schedule put in place by rehab professionals and a course of MAT if needed.

While recuperating in private, modern accommodation, patients are slowly weaned off of heroin using a method known as substitution or replacement therapy. Methadone displaces heroin from the brain’s opioid receptors to stop withdrawal symptoms, while buprenorphine blocks the effects of other opioids to prevent cravings.

In addition, patients may be offered other medications to help stabilize the brain and reduce bodily discomfort. For those undertaking detox without opioid replacement therapy, clonidine can be used to alleviate anxiety, restlessness, cramping, and muscular aching.

After they’ve been given a clean bill of mental and physical health, patients can start progressing through planned therapy at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

During bespoke sessions, counsellors teach patients new ways to handle emotional distress and make healthy life choices, while uncovering the causes behind their addiction.

While behavioural counselling and psychotherapies have a commanding presence in treatment programmes, victims of heroin use often benefit from alternative therapies, too.

Holistic Therapy programmes can help them improve their quality of life by facilitating their participation in new hobbies and routine exercise.

Rehab For Cocaine in Havering

Abused for its ability to make the user feel energised and confident, many people forget about or choose to ignore the negative effects of cocaine. With repetitive use, individuals may suffer from debilitating physical and psychological dependencies that are best treated at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

The amount of time spent enrolled in a treatment programme for cocaine depends on the duration of use, dosage potency, and the presence of co-occurring disorders. Individuals with a severe addiction require medical oversight and intensive therapeutic action: meaning they’ll need to stay in rehab for between 30-120 days, or more.

Even if an individual’s risk of withdrawal is considered low, a recovery journey must begin with a professional detox. This allows the body to rid itself of cocaine and toxins in an environment free from other cocaine users or relapse triggers.

Part of successful stabilisation may involve the use of certain medications. While individuals battling cocaine addiction aren’t in danger of life-threatening withdrawal, it’s possible for psychological symptoms to emerge: including paranoia, hallucinations, and agitation.

Neurotransmitter agents such as Tiagabine, Topiramate and Baclofen are often used to prevent cravings: another uncomfortable symptom associated with cocaine detox. However, if the need for medication isn’t present, patients will be given a safe space in which to let milder symptoms pass and focus on beginning therapy.

For the remainder of their bespoke treatment, patients at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering work with therapists to implement positive behavioural changes. While each individual may suit different therapeutic combinations, effective programmes for cocaine use include CBT, DBT, group skills sessions, and alternative therapies.

For more information and support on drug and alcohol rehab in Havering, please contact Rehab Recovery today on 0800 088 66 86.

Co-occurring Disorders & Addiction

When a substance addiction occurs alongside a psychiatric condition, this phenomenon is known as a co-occurring disorder: previously described as dual diagnoses and dual disorders. Unlike individuals with just one health condition, those suffering from both addiction and illnesses such as depression or anxiety may have additional treatment needs.

Because both conditions are often intrinsically linked to one another, targeted psychotherapeutic treatment must be sought at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering. Mental health interventions and SUD treatments must be integrated into ways that are fully personalised to the individual, following a thorough diagnosis.

Patients at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering are screened for a variety of disorders before their treatment programme is designed.

Such evaluations are conducted by professionals with expertise in treating both substance addiction and mental health concerns. If they think a dual diagnosis needs to be made, the next step is to ascertain how both illnesses converge.

Many substances have the power to change our brain chemistry and cause various cognitive issues, such as drug-induced psychosis. However, chronic drug or alcohol use can also lead to anxiety, low mood, and paranoia, which may become its own diagnosable condition over time.

However, in the majority of cases, individuals with long-standing mental illnesses will turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with their symptoms. While drinking alcohol, for instance, might temporarily relieve symptoms of anxiety, such chronic use often leads to the byproduct of addiction.

During rehab treatment tailored specifically to their needs, patients with co-occurring disorders work to reduce maladaptive thoughts and learn coping skills. Behavioural modification therapies, particularly DBT, can help patients process past trauma and manage their psychiatric symptoms.

Therapy Styles at a Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Havering

While detox is an important first phase of addiction treatment, what follows is just as, if not more important. At a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering, therapeutic methods are introduced to aid patients in making positive emotional and behavioural changes: helping them maintain their abstinence sustainably.

Therapies have the power to engage people in ongoing treatment and provide incentives to remain abstinent, all while teaching them ways of coping with high-risk situations.

The behavioural therapies below can change the way you view substance use, motivational incentives can strengthen your sense of self, and alternative therapies can give you a new lease on physical and emotional health.

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a traditional talking therapy from which many other psychotherapeutic interventions have evolved. As a communication-based method, it involves a patient and therapist discussing SUD-related behaviours, identifying recurring problems, and finding solutions to current difficulties.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is therefore an invaluable phase of inpatient treatment at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering. Rather than treating the visible symptoms of SUD, such as withdrawal and nutritional deficiencies, CBT tackles the underlying cognitive distortions at the root of someone’s addictive behaviour.

Working with the concepts of behaviourism (the actions we take) and cognition (our inner thoughts and feelings) CBT therapists pay close attention to their patient’s feelings, thoughts, and perceptions. Throughout sessions, they’ll work with their client to manage these negative thought patterns and help them break free from the cycle of drug or alcohol abuse.

Furthermore, CBT teaches addicted individuals new coping skills to use in their lives after rehab: including ways of dealing with relapse triggers, stress, and cravings. Sessions help patients optimise their enjoyment of hobbies and socialising, as well as learn breathwork, mindfulness, and behavioural activation techniques.

2. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

When it comes to recovering from SUD, many people think that they need to fight the negative feelings that come with this disease to overcome it. Unfortunately, this method of coping can lead to increased mental distress when negative feelings come back worse than before: a state of mind which can lead to eventual relapse.

To help SUD sufferers curb ineffective coping mechanisms, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was introduced to the psychotherapeutic scene: combining commitment, behaviour change, acceptance, and mindfulness techniques. This is often beneficial for patients at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering who are battling experiential avoidance, which is the process of trying to avoid the things causing us distress.

Within ACT’s framework, therapists help patients reconnect with their intrinsic morals and the aspects of morality they find desirable. Then, the therapist will help them commit to making healthy, constructive changes with the involvement of positive daily activities.

In conjunction with this, ACT workshops help patients to increase their psychological flexibility by reducing their struggle to control unwanted emotions. Being present, also referred to as mindfulness, is one way of doing this: allowing subjects to shift their attention away from traumatic thoughts and into the present moment.

In addition to practising mindfulness and reconnecting with values, 4 other components of ACT can be used to optimise efficacy: commitment, cognitive defusion, acceptance, and self as context. Cognitive defusion, for example, links other ACT strategies together by allowing patients to view their thoughts as fleeting inner experiences that will soon pass.

3. Contingency Management (CM)

Effective in treating addictions characterised by intense cravings, Contingency Management can help re-wire the brain’s reward system. Often referred to as “the prize method”, CM uses positive reinforcement as a way of eliciting continued sobriety and is implemented at many a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

In CM programmes, motivational, often tangible rewards are established for the completion of different treatment goals, benchmarks, and evidence of sobriety. Attendance to therapy sessions may be measured for outpatients in addition to negative toxicology tests.

For inpatients, rewards are often given based on how long they’ve remained in treatment, and any personal recovery goals they’ve accomplished.

Moreover, certain clinics might utilise a bonus system whereby the value of the reward increases with the accumulation of positive behaviours. Other rehab centres might choose to withdraw positive reinforcement and take away privileges if the patient displays negative behaviours.

Two popular incentive methods are prize incentives and voucher-based reinforcement. In the former CM strategy, participants have the chance to receive a cash-based price, with the number of draws increasing each time they present a positive behavioural change. In the latter, patients will receive a voucher and can redeem it for entertainment, specific foods, or gym memberships in the outside world.

4. Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

Often placed within the same bracket as CBT, it’s useful to think of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy as a modified version of the former therapeutic method. DBT helps patients at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering manage and work through uncomfortable emotions through a range of mindfulness-based techniques.

Learning to accept who we are, while also changing the way we perceive ourselves and the exterior world is the core hypothesis of DBT. The word “dialectical” means to fuse 2 opposing concepts so that they co-exist productively, which in this case is acceptance and change.

With this at the heart of the overall DBT strategy, sessions are divided into 4 modules, with 2 based on acceptance and the other 2 on implementing changes. During each module, DBT therapists help their patients accept the things they can’t change, such as difficult emotions, and change the things they can, such as healthy ways to handle negative feelings.

This process is optimised through a series of psychotherapeutic techniques, such as teaching distress tolerance, ways to emotionally regulate, interpersonal effectiveness, and how to transition from being out of control to being in control. The long-term goal is to help those with trauma or depression at the basis of their SUD to move beyond feelings of despair into a healthier emotional range.

5. Family Therapy (FT)

Family-centric therapies used in SUD treatment are a lifeline for many individuals who have inadvertently damaged their relationships through addictive behaviours. Many patients enter a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering having damaged the trust of their friends and relatives: making Family Therapy a crucial element of their recovery.

By coming together in group therapy sessions either once or bi-weekly, family members can learn to heal the damage caused by their addicted loved one, while also helping them through their treatment. The safe space provided by family therapists allows the SUD sufferer to come to terms with the impact their addiction has had on those around them while beginning to rebuild this important support network.

Depending on the needs and dynamics of the familial unit, some sessions may be offered to loved ones without the addicted individual present, and others to the SUD victim in a one-to-one environment. This allows participants to discuss the underlying causes of family tension and addictive behaviours with a therapist, and decide how to address these in group sessions.

During the intrafamilial sessions, FT therapists focus on healing a variety of issues and problems with the way loved ones are communicating with each other. Workshops may focus on coping mechanisms, re-establishing boundaries, problem-solving, past trauma, family power dynamics, and more.

6. Holistic Therapy (HT)

Holistic treatments were originally trialled in addiction treatment programmes to complement psychotherapies, and their success has been tangible. Oftentimes, HT is rooted in bodywork and mindfulness practices to strengthen recovery through uniting mind, body, and soul.

To understand HT and its contribution to SUD recovery, it’s useful to note the origin behind the word “holistic”. Deriving from the Greek word “holos”, meaning “whole”, Holistic Therapy is based on the idea that until our mind, body, and soul are operating on the same level of wellness, we cannot fully heal.

With the concept of unison as its guiding principle, HT programmes at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering include a variety of activities for patients to try. To maintain balance and awareness in the body and mind, pursuits such as yoga, reiki, nutritional therapy, and pilates are offered to patients.

Mind-body therapies are some of the most commonly utilised HT methods for addiction, particularly beneficial for those with co-occurring anxiety or depression. Breathwork, for example, teaches patients how to regulate stress naturally and can be performed in myriad situations outside of a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

Other mind-body, spiritual, and nutritional therapies used in HT include acupuncture, tai chi, hypnosis, biofeedback, and guided imagery sessions. Participants are also encouraged to take up new hobbies through creative workshops, equine therapy sessions, and cooking classes to help them work towards a healthy, enjoyable lifestyle.

7. 12-Step Facilitation Therapy

While the 12-step programme is over 70 years old, it is continuously being adapted in new, research-led ways to help addicted individuals stay sober for years to come. Despite the well-known benefits of attending a 12-step community like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), many individuals are sceptical about attending one of their local fellowship groups.

It’s in these cases of scepticism that methods such as 12-Step Facilitation Therapy are most beneficial. This active engagement strategy involves talking to a therapist about any reservations you might have about 12-step groups after completing treatment at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

Certain pre-conceptions can stop those in recovery from learning more about what 12-step programmes have to offer. A predominant concern among agnostic or atheist individuals is that AA groups are religious communities, with many of the 12 steps referring to a “higher power”.

In reality, many AA and NA groups encourage a nuanced approach to the 12 steps which involves interpreting their message in accordance with your own beliefs. This means that any individual in recovery regardless of their religion, beliefs, and view on the world can benefit from the overall messages of the 12-step philosophies.

During 12-Step Facilitation Therapy, counsellors explain the programme’s most important concepts to their patients, which include surrendering to their condition, and making a fearless moral inventory of themselves. From here, the counsellor can answer questions, reassure the patient, and ensure that they choose a group that aligns with their beliefs and specific substance issue.

8. Motivational Enhancement Therapy

As a short-term counselling option, Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) aims to inspire a quick burst of motivation rather than guiding patients through many sessions. To evoke rapid change, MET works with the principle that positive change comes from the individual’s internal world and less from their external surroundings.

MET at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering hopes to engage individuals in treatment by using motivational psychology techniques. These involve the therapist rolling with resistance from the patient, helping them to realise their potential, and creating a safe space through reflective listening.

These psychotherapeutic techniques are utilised within a two-phase strategy. After an initial assessment, these phases involve building self-motivation for change, through handling ambivalence, and strengthening commitment to change through planning and goal-setting.

During the first phase of MET, therapists ask their patients to describe the problems they might have with undergoing formal treatment. Then, they’ll reframe these issues in a positive light by eliciting self-motivational statements and sincere affirmations.

In the second stage, patients are invited to discuss the consequences of inaction vs action when attempting to recover from SUD. Strengthening their patient’s commitment to sobriety is achieved through discussing plans for change.

By doing this, it’s hoped that MET participants will let their internal motivations morph into tangible ways that they can begin changing.

For more information and support on drug and alcohol rehab in Havering, please contact Rehab Recovery today on 0800 088 66 86.

Staging an Intervention for a Loved One to Enter Addiction Treatment

As previously explored, the brain of a SUD sufferer is altered in ways that make them prioritise their consumption of a substance. All too often, this all-consuming emphasis on drug or alcohol consumption leads them to deny the very existence of their addiction and refuse care at a drug and alcohol rehab in Havering.

Family members and friends may have tried to help their loved one overcome this denial, but to no avail: leading to a loss of hope. Fortunately, loved ones have the option of staging a professional intervention to help the SUD victim come to terms with their addiction and the need for treatment.

This involves a structured meeting wherein a group of people intervene on behalf of an addicted individual refusing professional help. While an intervention provides a chance for loved ones to communicate how someone’s addiction has affected them, it should also be delivered with love and compassion.

Before holding the intervention, a team of between 6-10 people should be formed: consisting of those who have a positive influence on the addicted person’s life. The number of participants should encompass the people most important to the SUD sufferer, and shouldn’t be so large as to overwhelm the SUD sufferer.

During meetings, participants should express specific examples of their loved one’s destructive behaviour to break through their barrier of denial. If the hoped-for outcome of treatment acceptance is reached, the family should have a recovery programme arranged for their loved one to enter immediately.

As can be surmised, the intervention process requires a great deal of planning: from gathering an appropriate team to deciding where, when, and how to stage each meeting. With this in mind, our team at Rehab Recovery suggests seeking the help of an intervention specialist or recovery consultant to help lighten the load and optimise the process.

These addiction treatment specialists have all the training, resources, and years of experience needed to plan, prepare and optimise your intervention. Alongside logistical components, the job of an interventionist is to coach family members on the best ways to communicate with an addicted individual: providing crucial insight into SUD as an illness.

To ensure the process is personalised to accommodate each participant and the familial unit as a whole, interventionists may use a specific method. Two frameworks hailed for providing families with stability and expert knowledge are the ARISE and CRAFT modalities.

The Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) method differs from traditional interventions by focusing on self-care and harm reduction. Some of its goals include using positive communication methods, teaching self-care tools, understanding the SUD sufferer’s triggers, and implementing positive reinforcement when needed.

While similar to CRAFT in many ways, the ARISE method, standing for A Relational Intervention Sequence for Engagement focuses more on educating family members.

It promotes empowerment and healing for both the addicted person and their loved ones as a cohesive whole, teaching them about the impacts of SUD and the damage caused by enabling behaviours.

Get Help Today

For more information and support on drug and alcohol rehab in Havering, please contact Rehab Recovery today on 0800 088 66 86.

References

[1] Drug Crime: Statistics for England and Wales https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9039/

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

[3] Tackling Alcohol Misuse in London https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/health/tackling-alcohol-misuse-london

[4] NHS Statistics on Alcohol, England, 2021 https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-alcohol/2021/part-1

[5] Dynamic Pathways to Recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder: Meaning and Methods https://books.google.co.th/books?id=rA9NEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=alcohol+use+disorder&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiR0MKsrLf5AhWT3jgGHaDmAb0Q6AF6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=alcohol%20use%20disorder&f=false

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

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

[7] Cognitive, Clinical, and Neural Aspects of Drug Addiction https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Cognitive_Clinical_and_Neural_Aspects_of/MpvJDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

[8] Bipolar Disorder and Addiction https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/dual-diagnosis/bipolar-disorder-addiction

[9] AUDIT https://auditscreen.org/

[10] Alcoholism and Alcohol Addiction https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addictions/alcoholism/

[11] DSM-5 Criteria for SUDhttps://www.addictionpolicy.org/post/dsm-5-facts-and-figures

[12] Rehab Recovery: Outpatient Addiction Treatment https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/outpatient/

[13] Private Alcohol Rehab https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/alcohol-rehab/private/

[14] Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (2nd Ed.) https://books.google.co.th/books?id=mtMdJ3qqSnQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=addiction+treatment&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiDlMP3zob3AhXiwjgGHYJtDZ8Q6AF6BAgDEAI#v=onepage&q=outpatient&f=false

[15] Residential Alcohol Rehab https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/alcohol-rehab/residential/

[16] Cannabis Rehab and Addiction Treatment https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/drug-rehab/cannabis-rehab/

[17] Heroin Rehab and Detox: Treatment, Therapy, and Aftercare https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/drug-rehab/heroin-rehab/

[18] Cocaine Rehab https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/drug-rehab/cocaine-rehab

[19] Rehab Recovery: Dual Diagnosis, Alcohol and Schizophrenia https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/dual-diagnosis/alcohol-schizophrenia/

[20] 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

[21] Rehab Recovery: ACT For Addiction Treatment https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/act/

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

[23] Rehab Recovery: Family Addiction Counselling https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/family-therapy/

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

[25] Rehab Recovery: Motivational Enhancement Therapy https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/motivational-enhancement-therapy/

[26] Rehab Recovery: Addiction Intervention https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/intervention/