Why You Need to Make Your Alcohol Recovery a Priority

Alcohol recovery is a lifelong process that will take you to your limits. What many patients make the mistake of is assuming the journey is over when they leave rehab. Drug rehab clinics are only there to start the journey. What they will not do is complete it for you. When you leave rehab, you have to take control of your life and make alcohol recovery a priority.

With the help of www.rehab-clinic.com we will demonstrate how to make alcohol recovery a priority.

What Does It Mean?

Making your recovery a priority means putting yourself before anything and everyone else. It means making it the central focus in your life. If there are other unrelated problems, they should be put to one side whilst you concentrate on beating your addiction. Make time for yourself and get those around you to respect this request.

Why is it Necessary?

In the beginning, you will notice that it is relatively easy to beat your cravings. You have recently left rehab and you are on the high of the treatment you’ve just received. Weeks later you will start to hit a wall. This is something everyone reaches. You will get to this point and you will realise that your cravings are starting to take hold. It is where you’ll need all your mental strength to overcome them.

You cannot do this if you’re not making your recovery a priority. If you are dividing yourself between different focuses, you’re going to find that you don’t have the strength to beat your cravings. By making alcohol recovery a priority, you are giving yourself the best possible chance of success.

How to Do It

Start by talking to those around you. Ask them to respect the fact you will be concentrating on your recovery. If they are respectful, they will keep their problems and stresses away from you during this difficult period. They will do everything they can to respect your wishes and enhance your chances of making a successful recovery.

What you also need to do is keep in touch with your counsellor. All rehab centres will come up with a comprehensive aftercare programme for patients who are leaving for the real world. You should make sure you have these connections ready in case you need them.

It is also good to take the initiative. Many people in rehab find it beneficial to keep in touch with people from their counselling sessions. Mutual support in this way offers an emotional sounding board for when things get tough.

Another way to make alcohol recovery a priority is to renew your commitment every day. It is not like taking an oath or constantly writing down your goals. It’s simply a matter of going out of your way to avoid your triggers. If it means taking a different route to work or declining to go out with your work colleagues, so be it. Everyone will have different needs.

Overall, making recovery a priority does not sound much, but it is one of the first steps on the road to accomplishing great things. Try it and see what you get in return!

What are the Main Benefits of Getting a Job after Alcohol Rehab?

Rehab centers can show you how to defeat your cravings and begin reclaiming your life again. What they cannot do is do the job for you. Speaking of which, you need to look into how you are going to spend your days during your recovery. One of the worst things you can do is sit around all day with nothing to do. When you have too much free time this is when your mind starts to wander towards relapsing.

Getting a job should become a priority for you. In this article, we are going to show you the main benefits of getting a job with the expert advice of www.rehab-clinic.com.

Time to Kill

Time is your worst enemy as a recovering alcoholic. Whenever you have an hour to spare, you are risking a confrontation with your cravings. This is a scientific fact. This is why you always find rehab clinics doing everything they can to fill up the time of their patients. You will rarely have a long stretch of time where you have nothing to do.

When you leave rehab, you are in the early stages of recovery. If you can keep busy, you’re increasing your chances of success because you’re taking yourself away from your cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Confidence Issues

Many alcoholics struggle with confidence. They see themselves as failures because they have reached a point where they’ve hit rock bottom. It can take years to get that confidence back again. One way to help regain this confidence is to get a job. It puts you in contact with real people in a real world setting. You need to get used to dealing with the outside world again.

Successfully completing a job will do wonders for your confidence. It demonstrates that you are a human being that is useful to society.

A Sense of Pride

Together with a lack of confidence, many alcoholics desperately struggle to find something they are proud of. This is especially the case if they embarrassed and degraded themselves whilst drunk. Getting a job instils a sense of pride. There is nothing like earning your own pay packet and being able to say you did a good job in the process.

Taking Responsibility for Your Recovery

Your counsellor will always reinforce the importance of personal responsibility within the recovery process. You caused yourself to end up in this position and you have the power to dig yourself back out again. Deciding to work is about taking responsibility. You are earning your own money. You are not relying on anyone else to make a living.

Taking responsibility in this way is essential in your overall recovery. Responsible people are more receptive to treatment and far more likely to broaden their horizons away from alcohol.

In conclusion, whilst getting a job can do a lot for your state of mind, it cannot complete the process. There’s no such thing as a magic key. Use employment as a tool to beat your addictions, but remember that it all falls down to you and your actions in the end.

www.rehab-clinic.com are experts when it comes to dealing with alcohol recovery and rehab clinics. They believe that acquiring gainful employment is crucial in anyone’s goal of recovery.

The Art of Taking Alcohol Recovery One Day at a Time

People always speak about alcohol recovery in the context that it is going to take a lifetime. This is the truth, but patients who have only recently left alcohol rehab clinics do not find this sort of talk helpful. And why would they? It presents them a massive challenge that they can only overcome with years of hard work. It is overwhelming and it only encourages people to drink again.

This is why we are going to show you the art of taking alcohol recovery one day at a time.

See Recovery in a New Light

To start with, you have to begin looking at alcohol recovery in a different manner. Start seeing it in a new light. Currently, you probably see it as a destination. When you can proclaim yourself as completely sober, you will say that you have recovered. Let us turn this on its head. Recovery is not the destination. Sobriety is the destination. Recovery is the process you go through to get there.

By seeing recovery as a process, you will start to see every successful day as a step towards your ultimate goal. Suddenly, the act of recovery does not feel so intimidating.

Set Smaller Goals

Recovery is extremely grand. What you will learn in drug rehab clinics is every success is celebrated. You need regular reassurance to get through the darkest parts of the process. Rehab centres will teach you to set yourself small yet manageable goals.

It does not have to involve anything major. You do not have to abstain from alcohol for a year to reach your first milestone. Decrease the size of the job by establishing goals like: staying sober for a week, walking past the bar without bowing to temptation, or getting through the day without any negative thoughts.

The chances are you are going to achieve these small goals, but they help to reinforce that you are a strong human being. You do not have to climb a mountain in order to prove your worth.

Write Down Your Daily Schedule

When we say take each day as it comes, we mean it. Ignore what is going to happen or what’s going to happen a week from now. It does not matter because it has not happened. Treat each day as your final day. Write down your daily schedule and focus on that and that alone. It does not matter what you have planned further down the line.

If you are going to take alcohol recovery one day at a time, literally take it one day at a time. Emphasise each day so you can put your best foot forward each and every time.

Learn Something New

Set yourself the goal of learning something new every day. Chart how you improve each day and you will look back on your recovery as something to be proud of. Nobody expects you to saunter through rehab without any problems. Your only priority should be to improve yourself day by day. When you wake up the next day, you want to honestly say that you are a better person than yesterday. That is all you want from this.

Returning to Work After Alcohol Treatment - What Should You Do?

Contrary to what the media thinks, not every alcoholic is an unemployed bum who sits in his or her house all day. The truth is most alcoholics have jobs just like everyone else. This presents a new challenge, though. If you have already gone to drug rehab, the chances are you are due to be back at work soon. How do you react? What will your co-workers say? How are you going to broach the difficult subject of why you were away?

What is the Common Reaction?

Our biggest fear is that we will leave rehab clinics only to return to a workplace filled with negativity and toxic thoughts. This is not the case. Even if you are not particularly fond of your co-workers, the fact is the majority of people are well aware of the damage alcoholism can cause. It is highly unlikely that you will encounter any hostility upon your return.

This is a common fear borne out of our own insecurities. For some people, it is so bad that they delay their return to work for days until they pluck up the courage to go back.

Do You Say Anything?

You do not have to make a big song and dance about why you were away. Nobody is going to expect you to get up in front of the group and admit that you are an alcoholic. In fact, many former alcoholics are shocked to find that when they return everyone is getting on with work as if you were never way.

What many people don’t realise is your average person on the street does not care about why you were away. All that matters to them is that you’re back now.

When you go back to work, walk in as normal, sit down, and do your job. You may have a brief discussion with your boss or manager, but this is unlikely to be invasive and you are not obliged to talk about anything you do not want to talk about. Your place of work is there to support you not bring you down.

What if Someone Asks?

So, let’s say that you have a work friend and they’re wondering why you’re away. Before you answer, think back to alcohol rehab clinics and what they preach. One of the first counselling sessions you participated in involved you admitting to yourself and the group that you are an alcoholic. Apply the same principles here.

There is no need to feel embarrassed about it. If someone asks where you were, tell them the truth. If people know you’re comfortable about where you’ve been, they will not ask again. Moreover, if you are working with people who understand what you are going through the chances are they will help you.

An Irrational Fear

Overall, the fear of returning to work because you had to take a leave of absence for rehab is an unfounded one. The majority of people are well aware of alcoholism. It no longer carries the stigma it once did. Be honest about your situation if someone asks, but do not feel like you have to defend yourself to anyone in the workplace.

How to Deal with the Pressure to Drink

There is no denying we live in a world where alcohol is easier to access than ever before. For social drinkers, this is great news, but it’s hell for anyone trying to deal with an addiction to alcohol. Alcohol rehab can teach you how to avoid your triggers, but they cannot prepare you for when you come under pressure to drink from both direct and indirect forces.

We look at how you can best deal with the pressure to drink.

Direct and Indirect Pressure

To begin with, it is important to know the difference between direct pressure to drink and indirect pressure to drink. Here are the primary differences between the two that we have established:

1. Direct pressure. This is simply someone asking if you want to drink. It can range from a simple request to outright aggression.

2. Indirect pressure to drink is appearing at a social function where everyone is drinking apart from you. It is about being surrounded by alcohol and feeling tempted to drink.

Undue Amounts of Indirect Pressure

Indirect pressure is the first type of pressure you need to address. Whenever you leave drug rehab, you are going to find yourself in a situation where indirect pressure will become your biggest enemy. You are less likely to experience direct pressure because people are being extra careful not to tempt you.

During this time, anything from a drinks logo to the sight of the local bar will convince you that you have to drink. Since you are so vulnerable, the best option is to avoid these triggers until you feel you have better control over your urges.

What about Direct Pressure?

Avoidance strategies will not work with direct pressure in most cases. Whenever you come under direct pressure, you have to say no. It may sound difficult, but there are ways to make it easier. In the beginning, you can use avoidance strategies to stay away from people and events where alcohol may be thrust upon you.

The best way to say no is to say it straight away without hesitation. By hesitating,you are prompting the other person to ask again, and that second question could just tip you over the edge.

If you feel like you are about to crumble under the strain of direct pressure use an escape strategy. An escape strategy can be anything from simply staying close to the door or pretending as if you have to make a phone call. It is literally a way of getting you out of a scenario where you may be tempted to drink.

It Gets Easier

Pressure is just the reality of dealing with an alcohol addiction. Rehab clinics will tell you this early on in your stay. It does get easier, however. With every refusal, you gain confidence and you get stronger. Over time, you will gradually start to recover and your willpower will increase in strength. The first six months are always the hardest when it comes to pressure.

This does not mean you should put yourself in harm’s way to test yourself. Just have your escape strategies ready in advance, for when the time comes.

What are the Benefits of Starting an Online Alcohol Recovery Blog?

If there is one thing we know, it is that beating an alcohol addiction is tough. The real challenge begins not when you enter the safe walls of alcohol rehab clinics. It begins when you go back into the real world again. The real world is a world of temptation and debauchery. It does not take much to swing someone in recovery into relapse.

This is where starting an online alcohol recovery blog where you talk about your experiences can do a lot of good in your life and the lives of others. Let uslook at some of the benefits of starting an alcohol recovery blog.

Filling the Void

Before you started looking for drug rehab clinics, you focused most of your energy into drinking alcohol and thinking about alcohol. With all that over and done with, you have a lot of spare time. You have to take this spare time and invest it in something useful to both defeat your cravings and begin the rebuilding process.

You can spend hours working on a blog. Many former alcoholics have described it as a labour of love that has taken them through the darkest of times.

Discipline and the Teaching Of

Maintaining a blog does require a certain amount of discipline from you. Moreover,that is what many people describe an addiction as. It is a lack of discipline on your part. By teaching yourself discipline again, you can take these lessons and apply them to your recovery. Discipline in blogging is simply about writing quality post after quality post and doing it on a semi-consistent basis. It is about making a commitment.

Release Your Feelings

Alcoholics have a lot more feelings to deal with than your average person walking the streets. They have a lot of trauma to deal with and a lot of conflicting thoughts about where they are in life. Letting these feelings fester is a toxic practice that can drive a recovering patient back into relapse and back into rehab clinics.

A blog is a positive and healthy outlet for your feelings. Going online to talk about what you are going through is a fantastic way of taking these thoughts from your mind and putting them elsewhere for later.

Helping Others

Believe it or not, blogs like this do help others. If you post about your blog in a chat room or on a prominent forum, the chances are you will begin to gather a small following. The goal is not to become a hit blog that goes viral. It is a place to get support from other people.

Even if you never meet or speak to your readers directly, you will know that your experiences have contributed to their recovery. For someone who does not have high levels of self-worth as a result of years of abuse, the knowledge that you have done good is extremely powerful.

Overall, writing a blog does not have to take much. You have all the tools at your disposal. Use your thoughts to both help others and aid in your recovery!

Running an Alcohol Recovery Blog - How to Do It

An alcohol recovery blog is a way for you to list your thoughts and empower yourself and others to beat your demons and move on with your life. Starting a blog is often the hardest part. You have to take those first bold steps if you are going to start the recovery process. It is not difficult to do, and you do not need any prior technical knowledge.

So with that in mind, let uslook at how you can begin sharing your own dose of alcohol rehab in a safe and secure online environment.

1. Start a Blog

Use a prominent platform like Blogger or WordPress to start your blog. They both have many free templates available for you to get started. You do not need a great degree of technical knowledge to get started with it. All you need is the ability to read a few guides and you are already good to go.

2. Post Consistently
Running a blog is about having a certain amount of discipline. Establish a posting schedule and stick to it. It does not have to be every other day. You define how often you want to post about your experiences. It can be as sparingly as once every two weeks. You know best how long it is going to take you to write a high-quality blog.

3. Honest Not Fancy

You are not writing a novel that you are about to send away to an agent. The beauty of writing about drug rehab is the focus is entirely on rehabilitation itself. It is not about coming up with lots of metaphors and similes. You are there to call upon a certain degree of honesty. Speak about whatever is on your mind, even if you feel like it is silly.

Your audience wants to get to know the real you.

4. The Goal

The goal here is not to market yourself and make money from your blog. It’s a cathartic experience designed to help you through the recovery process. Do not fret over things like traffic numbers. It can take months to build a following. Never let yourself get disheartened because other blogs are more popular than yours are.

Before you start writing your first blog, write down your primary goal. An alcohol recovery blog should be there to help you ultimately overcome your addiction. You do not have to worry about how well your advertisements are doing.

5. Engage

If you do decide to allow people to comment on your experience of rehab clinics, make sure you are strong enough to put up with potentially negative feedback. If you believe that you are not capable of dealing with this, turn the comments off. Most blogging platforms have an option where you can choose to disable comments from other people.

Do not limit your engagement to your blog. Visit chat rooms and alcohol and drug addiction boards. Speak about your blog there and promote yourself casually. You may just make some brand new friends simply from speaking to others about your experiences and your desire to use the online arena as your personal diary.

How Online Addiction Help Supplements Rehab Clinic Inpatient Treatment

Someone who is dealing with an addiction to alcohol may believe their only treatment options involve sitting in a circle and discussing their issues with others suffering from the same issues as them. This is not true. Most drug rehab clinics will always encourage you to look for additional help elsewhere.

It does not matter how you do it. All that matters is you find something that helps you to beat your addiction. With the help of www.rehab-clinic.com, we go through some of the reasons why seeking help online offers you a great way out.

Instant Help

Reading an inspirational blog in the middle of the night can help to turn you away from your addiction. One of the main problems people face is that they do not get the instant help they need. Addiction help services in the UK are stretched. It iswell known that sometimes you could wait for hours before someone is available to help.

Going online gives you an instant nugget of wisdom that can help you to beat your cravings.

It’s Free

Let’s say you have just finished a course of inpatient treatment, but you feel like you need some additional help now. You do have to pay for formal rehabilitation, but you do not have to pay to go online. Find a forum and start speaking to people who have also gone through alcohol rehab. This is the same as sitting in a counselling group and discussing your issues.

The best part is you can gain this sort of friendship entirely free of charge. You do not have to commit to any form of programme.

Passing the Time

An alcoholic’s greatest obstacle is time. When they have nothing to do, the cravings start to take hold. There is usually not a lot they can do about them other than to take a cold shower. This isn’t going to work all of the time, though.

Going online for addiction help will do wonders for passing the time and getting you through the difficult times. Can’t sleep? This is a danger zone because when you cannot sleep you have a lot of time until morning when the day starts again. Fight your addiction by going online and burning the midnight oil away.

All Help is the Right Help?

Understand that whilst reading a blog, visiting a chat room, or having a Skype call with someone you know and trust is a great help, it is not a substitute for proper treatment. Never trade it in for formal rehabilitation. Visiting an alcohol clinic will ultimately give you the tailor-made treatment you need to succeed.

Consider online help a supplement for your treatment and little else.

Speak to your counsellors and they will point you in the right direction of the websites that can help you. Make sure you stay safe online and that what you are doing really is helping, as opposed to enabling you. Do this and you will find it far easier to make it through your cravings and successfully become a clean and sober human being.

How Does Reading Alcohol Rehabilitation Blogs Help You?

The Internet has brought us many great things over the years. We have come from a place where we have to visit a local counsellor for treatment to a place where we can supplement our recovery through going online and speaking to people who have been through the same experiences. What you will find is many online alcohol rehab clinics.

No, they are not certified and they do not have any form of schedule. They are blogs filled with useful advice and real life experiences from people who have dealt with their demons and made it out alive. We recommend learning from the experiences of others and regularly keeping updated on their progress in order to inspire and educate.

So how does reading through blogs online help your treatment outside of drug rehab clinics?

Experience and Knowledge

Look at most rehab centres and you will see they place a great amount of emphasis on making sure you are learning from others. They regularly bring in previous patients to give inspirational talks and to speak about what they went through. Obviously, this sort of knowledge is not always possible to get access to outside of rehab.

A blog where someone speaks of addiction can give you this same level of experience-based knowledge. If you are wondering about how others have dealt with a specific problem, the chances are you can find someone online.

Inspiration

If you are wondering what you’re doing all this for, look to what other people have focused on. The average blog is not designed to act as a substitute for genuine medical advice. It is there to inspire people to recover and defeat their cravings. If you are ever feeling down in the dumps, a great way to inspire yourself again is to read about someone else’s journey.

This is the one area that often cannot be fulfilled by speaking to a counsellor. You need to connect with someone who has gone or is going through what you’re going through.

A Distraction

One of the arts you will learn in rehab will be the art of distraction. For most alcoholics, they will always hit a wall where they are tempted to drink again. This does not make anyone a failure. It is a natural part of the process. The body is rebelling against change and you need to have an immense amount of willpower to put it down and continue your road to recovery.

A distraction is always useful for ignoring cravings. Reading about alcohol recovery online and getting lost in someone else’s story is a distraction that can move you past the darkest of times.

What Should You Read?

There are no limits on what you can and should read. Most people need to find a blog that really speaks to them. This is why we recommend reading as much as possible. Bookmark any blogs that show promise. It does not have to be an active blog. There are plenty of useful blogs from years previously where the author has documented their journey.

In short, find a sweet spot and keep coming back when you feel like you need an inspirational booster shot. You will not regret it!

Do All Alcohol Rehab Clinics Have to Involve Religion?

One of the common stereotypes of alcohol rehab clinics is the position of religion within. If you believe half the things you see on TV shows and in films, you would believe religion-based spirituality plays a key role in the rehabilitation of alcoholics. This is not the case and you should not turn away from rehab because of it.

Let uslook at some drug rehab clinics and the real position of religion inside.

It’s an American Thing

For a start, this stereotype comes all the way from America. The fact of the matter is the majority of UK rehab clinics do not have any sort of faith-based programme. This is because the UK does not have the same level of religious fervour that America does. In America, it is not uncommon to see whole states with an almost complete evangelical population. This is what gives rise to the likes of the so-called ‘Bible Belt’ region.

In the UK, it doesn’t work like this.

So What about Spirituality?

Religion and spirituality are two different things. It is true that spirituality will find a place within counselling sessions. This does not necessarily mean they have anything to do with any form of God or higher power. Counsellors seek to kindle the human spirit towards a state of recovery. For most people, this is a matter of getting in touch with their inner selves.

We cannot really talk about exactly how they do this. It differs from clinic to clinic and from age group to age group. Everyone will have an individual programme tailored towards his or her specific needs.

What about Patients Who have Faith?

It would be easy to read this article and assume all clinics are separate from religion and that it cannot play a part. This could not be further from the truth. Recovering patients are encouraged to bring their personal faith into the clinic if it helps them recover. Counsellors and addiction experts have no intention of suppressing faith for the purposes of creating a secular society within.

In some cases, there are addiction clinics dedicated to people who believe in the role of faith in their recovery.

Ask Your Clinic!

Of course, you need to choose the right addiction help clinic to help you with this. It starts with proper research. Do your research and see if you can found out a bit more about the spiritual and personal advancement aspects of the programme they are running.

In most cases, it is best to get in touch with them directly to ask questions about how religious faith can play a part in your recovery. Most clinics will be happy to speak to you about this. In many cases, they will group people of the same faith together, during both inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment, in order to create a sense of camaraderie.

Overall, whilst religion is welcome within the recovery process, it is in no way forced upon anybody. You have a choice in the matter and you do not have to conform to anyone else’s beliefs in order to get the most out of your treatment.

There Is No Such Thing as a Harmless Addiction

What is addiction? It is a condition in which a person engages compulsively in certain kinds of behaviour despite knowledge that such behaviour is detrimental to himself. Addictions can come by way of alcohol, drugs, or certain types of behaviours. Regardless of the behaviour in question, there is no such thing as a harmless addiction. Just ask any worker at one of the nation's drug and alcohol rehab clinics.

The mistaken belief in a harmless addiction can be observed in a number of ways. For example, consider an individual who regularly abuses alcohol by binge drinking on the weekends. When confronted about his excessive drinking, he might respond by saying his drinking is harmless. He does not engage in drink driving, he does not get violent, and he recovers in time to go to work on Monday.

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction is also known as alcohol dependence or alcoholism. Like any other drug, alcohol creates an addiction gradually rather than immediately. Unfortunately, alcohol is the most abused drug in the UK by a long shot. Moreover, when abuse is ignored by the abusers, it's only a matter of time before they find themselves checking into rehab centres.

According to the NHS, 9% of adult men and 6% of adult women in the UK show signs of alcohol dependence. When you combine both men and women together, you get an overall rate of 7.5%. Each of these individuals is suffering the harm of alcohol addiction that can include medical problems, lost jobs, marriage breakups, and loss of children. Alcohol is not a harmless drug that can be used with impunity.

Drug Addiction

The nation's drug rehab clinics also find themselves filled with individuals who mistakenly believed they could use prescription medications or illicit drugs without any harm. However, they all found out too late just how harmful drugs can be. What started out as recreational use eventually escalated to the point where drugs were in control.

As you know, some drugs can be even more damaging than alcohol to one's physical health. For example, have you seen the pictures of methamphetamine addicts used in anti-drug campaigns? These are scary pictures indeed. They show addicts before they started using and after addiction was well established. You can clearly see that methamphetamine use is not harmless.

The big lie of drugs and alcohol is that you can use them without losing control. Nevertheless, it is simply not true. Drugs and alcohol are psychoactive substances that alter the way the brain works. And once those brain changes begin, it's nearly impossible to fix them without a complete and total separation from whatever substances are being used. Do not be fooled; there is no harmless addiction. Drug and alcohol rehab clinics are proof of that.

Drug Rehab Clinics: Sometimes Distance Is Good

When an alcoholic or drug addict is considering residential treatment, he is faced with a lot of different choices for drug rehab clinics. Making the right choice involves considering a number of different factors that will affect how well the individual actually responds to rehab. One of those factors is distance. Should the recovering addict seek treatment at a local clinic, or should he put some distance between where he lives and where he recovers?

Believe in it or not, sometimes distance is good. Recovering addicts are normally advised to seek treatment locally so they are still close to family, friends, and other support services. However, there are times when getting away from one's local area is more productive.

Here are two examples of real addicts who chose to use rehab centres located far from home:

Cynthia – Wife and Mother

Cynthia was a twenty-something wife and mother when she was clinically diagnosed as a heroin addict. She had been using opiates since her teens, never considering the damage her behaviour would cause years down the road. Nevertheless, the damage was very real. There came a point when Cynthia was no longer able to safely be in the presence of her children, let alone care for their needs.

When she finally agreed to seek treatment, Cynthia was told by the court that she would no longer be able to see her children until she recovered from her heroin addiction. If you are a mother, you know what this must have done to Cynthia at an emotional level. The desire to be reunited with her children became the driving force in her recovery. To make that drive even stronger, Cynthia chose a rehab centre far away from home. In doing so, she knew she would have absolutely no access to family until her recovery was complete. This was the just incentive she needed to get well.

Gary – Husband and Pensioner

Gary was an American husband and pensioner whose addiction was uncovered when he was in his mid-60s. He began looking at local rehab centers with the help of his family and a few close friends. It was quickly determined that because of Gary's age, his long-time associations within the local community would make it impossible for him to successfully seek treatment without going away. He chose a facility more than 500 miles from home.

For Gary, there were far too many connections in his hometown. He would have faced constant distractions that would have inhibited his recovery. By placing him in an unfamiliar environment, far from home, his family was able to ensure the right surroundings for Gary.

Both Cynthia and Gary successfully completed recovery despite using rehab centres far from home. For them, distance ended up being a very good thing.

Detox and Rehab: Two Separate Treatments

It has been said by many a public speaker that words mean things. The statement is used to express a sentiment that we need to be careful with the words we use. Without proper words and their appropriate definitions, it can be difficult to communicate a message clearly and effectively. A great example of this is in the area of drug and alcohol rehab. More specifically, it is noted in the terms 'detox' and 'rehab'.

The terms are used interchangeably without regard to the differences between them. It is probably a good idea to sort them out, because the two treatments are entirely different. One is a short-term solution while the other is long-term. Moreover, in order for the recovering addict to wisely choose alcohol or drug rehab he or she needs to understand what the two treatments are.

Short-Term Detox

Between the two, the short-term treatment is known as detox. This is a treatment that aims to break a person's physical addiction to drugs or alcohol by way of separation. The idea behind it is to allow the body to naturally repair as much damage as possible by forcing the individual to no longer use addictive substances.

Sometimes detox is offered on an inpatient basis, by the NHS and private clinics you might find by checking with websites like www.rehab-clinic.com. The inpatient model allows detox to be medically supervised so as to help minimise withdrawal symptoms and immediately deal with any potential complications. However, detox is also offered on an outpatient basis as well. Outpatient detox tends to take longer and be more difficult to complete if one has no accountability.

Long-Term Rehab

Drug and alcohol rehab is a long-term treatment approach that seeks to get to the root of the psychological and emotional issues attached to addiction. It starts with detox, but then includes 4 to 12 weeks of psychotherapeutic treatments and 12-step work. The key to rehab is encouraging the recovering addict to personally deal with his or her thoughts and emotions so that relapse can be avoided in the future.

Proponents of rehab insist that recovering from drugs or alcohol is more than just a physical problem. It also involves dealing with the psychological and emotional. As such, they believe a more thorough psychotherapeutic programme, combined with proper support services and counselling, are what is necessary for complete and total recovery.

Whether detox or rehab is the best option for any individual is a decision best left to medical professionals and the addicts they treat. One thing is for sure, some sort of treatment is necessary if the substance abuser is to overcome his or her problems permanently. Substance abuse and addiction are two things that will not simply fade away with the passage of time.

Is Cost Hindering Private Drug and Alcohol Rehab?

In 2012 the NHS estimated there were about 60 private rehab clinics in the UK assisting both alcoholics and drug users. The same estimate suggested that more than 30 clinics had closed across the country in the previous three years. That is a 30% decline in services – a decline that may be largely due to the cost factor.

So just who does the cost of private rehab affect? Both those who need help and the clinics themselves. When addicts do not have the money or insurance to cover the cost of drug or alcohol rehab, they are missing out on the valuable services offered by private clinics. When the clinics do not have enough patients to keep their beds filled, they find it financially difficult to remain open. It is a double-edged sword and a never-ending cycle, all rolled into one.

Government Responsibility

The government willingly took on the role of being responsible for the nation's healthcare when it established the NHS in 1948. Is it reasonable to assume part of that responsibility includes providing alcohol and drug rehab to those in need? Yes, it is. That is why the NHS provides free services by way of detox, counselling, and prescription medications. Nevertheless, some would suggest those services do not go far enough.

The biggest problem with NHS services is that they are not goal-oriented. In other words, NHS treatment providers do not set out a specific plan of action for recovery, with measurable results and a definite endpoint. GPs write prescriptions, recommend patients take advantage of support groups, and then leave it at that.

Making matters worse is the government funding that was cut from private rehab programmes over the last 10 years. It used to be the NHS worked with private clinics to offer residential rehab. That is no more. The loss of funding has meant the end for far too many private clinics that were doing good work.

The Next Step

As we continue to do battle with drugs and alcohol across the UK, we need to take a step back and figure out how to take the next step forward. The responsible policymaker should welcome an effort to analyse the results of private drug and alcohol rehab as compared to the results of NHS services. If it turns out private rehab is doing the job better, perhaps funding should be diverted away from unproductive NHS programmes and toward private treatment.

Above all, finding a solution to the problem has to rise above political differences. If cost is hindering private rehab, and it appears that it is, we need to find a way to make it affordable. It needs to be affordable to the recovering addict and financially viable for the private clinic. Otherwise, we can expect more of the same.

Beating Addiction: Is It Recovery or Conquering?

When two Americans founded Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1930s, they began what would eventually become the most successful alcohol rehab programme in history. Bill Wilson and Bob Smith established their organisation after failing to find the help they needed to overcome alcohol dependence. They based their treatment model on the idea of group support and fellowship that would enable long-term recovery for every participant. Thus, the 12-step recovery programme was born.

Alcoholics Anonymous became so successful that it was adapted for drug rehab as well. The whole idea of recovery by way of mutual support and accountability laid the foundation for the modern rehab clinics we are all familiar with today. Yet despite the success of the 12-step programme established by Alcoholics Anonymous, there remains some debate over the question of whether or not beating addiction is really a process of recovery. Some believe it is a process of conquering.

Recovering from Addiction

The recovery philosophy is rooted in the belief that addiction is a permanent problem that, once established, must be dealt with for a lifetime. Thus, the 12-step approach calls for ongoing counselling and support for the remainder of one's life. Some organisations include a spiritual component to recovery while others do not. In either case, recovery never ceases.

Of course, the idea of recovery has further led to the classification of addiction as a disease. Moreover, as a disease, curing it requires medical treatment. Yet the concept of disease requires addiction to be looked at from multiple angles. It must be considered not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Even when physical addiction is overcome, ongoing treatment is necessary to deal with the mental and emotional.

Conquering Addiction
An alternative philosophy of conquering addiction arose in the 1990s with the development of the SMART recovery programme. The SMART way of looking at addiction is to view it as a personal problem that can be permanently solved with the right solutions. This philosophy does not see overcoming addiction as a lifelong process of recovery.

The conquering philosophy is not one that has been adopted by drug and alcohol rehab clinics to the same degree as the traditional 12-step recovery approach. However, it is gaining traction. SMART programmes are now available through more than 1,000 support groups worldwide. These groups focus on analysing drug and alcohol problems, coming up with practical solutions, and then applying the solutions in order to conquer addiction.

At the end of the day, there really is no right or wrong here. It always comes down to finding the approach that works best for the individual. Some people will require the recovery philosophy to break the addiction cycle and avoid relapse. Others do much better approaching addiction from the conquering mindset.

The Difference between Outpatient and Home Detox

When an individual first arrives at a doctor's office or clinic looking for help with rehab, a doctor or nurse must assess the severity of the individual's problem. Where a full-blown addiction is diagnosed, detox is the first step in recovery. Detox can be administered under one of the following three treatment models:

1. inpatient detox
2. outpatient detox
3. home detox.

Inpatient detox is what you normally find with residential rehab centres operated by private entities. Outpatient and home detox can be provided by private clinics, charities and the NHS. We assume most people are familiar with inpatient detox; here is what you need to know about the differences between outpatient and home detox:

Outpatient Detox

Outpatient detox is the preferred choice among NHS doctors dealing with alcohol and heroin issues. It might be used for other sorts of addictions as well. An outpatient programme requires the individual to visit a facility on a daily basis throughout the term of treatment. Daily visits are necessary to monitor progress and administer prescription medications.

Some residential drug and alcohol rehab clinics also offer outpatient detox to those with less serious problems. The one downside to outpatient detox is that the individual continues to exist within his daily routine and normal life. The distractions and temptations of that life might be too much to overcome with outpatient detox.

Home Detox

The idea of home detox arose from the reality that there are some people in need of help who cannot get to an outpatient clinic or a residential rehab facility. Under this treatment option, detox is conducted in the individual's home, under the supervision of a registered nurse, and with the help of family and friends.

Home detox begins with a medical assessment by the nurse. He or she will then prescribe certain medications where appropriate. Throughout the course of the next 7 to 10 days, the nurse will visit the home to check the progress of the individual undergoing detox. The nurse will also administer the prescribed medicines.

Home detox is a very good option when getting to a local alcohol or drug rehab clinic is not possible. However, success requires a strong support system from committed family members and friends. An individual's family setting must usually be evaluated before he is approved for home detox.

Medical Supervision

We cannot stress enough the need for medical supervision where detox is concerned. Detox is considered a medical emergency due to the potentially harmful effects of withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, you should never attempt detox on your own. If you need help for an alcohol or drug addiction problem, make an appointment to see your GP or contact one of the many addiction referral services operating in the UK.

Three Reasons 12-Step Programmes Work

When the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous developed their 12-step programme back in the 1930s they probably had no idea how popular their unique approach to alcoholism would become. Within just a few short years alcohol rehab clinics all over the US began implementing the 12-step strategy. By the 1950s, the programme was being used for drug addiction as well.

Today the 12-step approach is a mainstay of alcohol and drug rehab clinics around the world. Moreover, while the approach does not work for everyone, it does work well for large numbers of recovering addicts. Here are the top three reasons this recovery programme works so well for so many people:

1. It Addresses the Spiritual Component

Whether or not we agree that the spiritual side of man includes the necessity of religion, most of us would agree that man is a being with three parts: body, mind, and spirit. The original Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step strategy was built around the idea that recovering alcoholics need to address spiritual side of man just as much as the physical and mental. Proponents of the 12-step programme still believe that today.

Some rehab centres approach the spiritual component in terms of a specific religious influence. Others are more generic in that they allow recovering addicts to address the spiritual in whatever way they know how. The point here is that addressing the spiritual component facilitates treating the whole individual, not just the mind and body.

2. It Demands Personal Responsibility

The biggest failure of progressive drug and alcohol treatment methodologies is that they do not demand personal responsibility from recovering addicts. That is a mistake. The truth is that no addict can ever fully recover until he is willing to take ownership of his own thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Demanding personal responsibility is one of the strengths of the 12-step strategy. No participant is able to blame external circumstances or other people for the condition he finds himself in. The individual must take responsibility for his choices; he must take responsibility for his recovery.

3. It Takes Advantage of the Group Dynamic

A staple of the 12-step recovery programme is the support group. Decades of alcohol and drug treatment have shown that the group dynamic is a very powerful motivator toward recovery. Support group participation provides mutual encouragement, goal setting and, most importantly, accountability. Even rehab programmes not integrating 12-step work in their recovery strategy still use group counselling and support for treatment purposes.

As previously mentioned, 12-step recovery does not work for everyone. And that's fine. There are other drug and alcohol treatment strategies better suited to those individuals. However, among recovering addicts that do benefit, the 12-step recovery programme might be the key to completely and permanently overcoming substance abuse or addiction.

Three Reasons Recovering Addicts Should Not Neglect Aftercare

When a recovering substance abuser attends residential rehab at one of the many drug or alcohol rehab clinics around the UK, the conclusion of the treatment programme is usually followed up with several months of aftercare services. Aftercare is a series of therapies and support services intended to help prevent recovering addicts from returning to their former lifestyles.

The interesting thing about aftercare is that it can last anywhere from three to 12 months, or even longer. It all depends on the needs of the individual. At any rate, recovering addicts should not neglect aftercare services under any circumstances. Here are three reasons why:

1. Relapse Potential

The most important mission of aftercare is to help prevent relapse. Moreover, statistics show it works. According to a 2011 study, recovering addicts who do not participate in aftercare are 10 times more likely to relapse within the first year after completing a residential treatment programme.

Aftercare picks up where residential treatment leaves off. It provides support and ongoing therapy by way of counselling, support group participation, and 12-step work. Whether it is three months or 12, aftercare goes a long way toward preventing relapse.

2. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Residential alcohol and drug rehab relies on the principle of confronting addiction issues daily for treatment to be successful. During a 12-week programme for example, residents spend three months doing little else but dealing with substance abuse and addiction issues. It is that concentrated focus that allows for faster recovery times. However, upon completion of the programme the 'out of sight, out of mind' principle kicks in.

Aftercare encourages recovery to remain at the forefront of the recovering addict's mind. In so doing, it helps to maintain a better focus in a way that keeps him working hard toward full recovery.

3. Group Dynamics

Group dynamics play an important role in many of the treatments today's rehab clinics offer. In a group setting, there is mutual support and accountability that helps each participant do better in his fight against substance abuse and addiction. That dynamic does not change once residential rehab is complete.

Aftercare services also depend on the group dynamic for things like support group participation and 12-step work. When recovering addicts do not participate in aftercare, they are choosing not to take advantage of the power of the group dynamic. That is truly a shame.

It should be noted that some recovering addicts continue to participate in group functions long after their aftercare services come to a close. They do so out of a desire to help others along their journey to recovery. The recovering addict just beginning aftercare services can reap a lot of benefits from the experiences of those who have gone before.

Legal Highs: the New Face of Drug Addiction

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) released a report in September 2013 showing that alcohol and drug addiction in the UK costs the country some £36 billion annually. Some believe that legalising certain drugs would help by allowing regulation and taxation to take place. However, that only solves one aspect of the problem. Raising money from the drug trade does not put an end to the human toll of abuse and addiction.

For evidence, one needs look no further than the new face of drug addiction: legal highs. The same CSJ report from last year suggests just over 8% of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 have used legal highs, also known as 'new psychoactive substances'. Rehab clinics are seeing a steady increase in the number of patients they are treating for addiction to these products.

A Shade of Grey

The UK has long had difficulty dealing with the flow of illicit drugs like heroin and crack. The CSJ report claims that the UK has the highest rate of opiate addiction in Europe and the highest rate of lifetime amphetamine use. Legal highs are only making the problem worse by occupying a grey area of the law that makes them much more difficult to control. That grey area can be found in the term ‘legal highs’ itself.

The substances we are talking about here are synthetic drugs that are manufactured to mimic the effects of illicit drugs while still being chemically different. The differences allow them to be legally sold on the open market because they are not classified has controlled substances. Nevertheless, there is a catch: the drugs cannot be sold for human consumption.

Manufacturers get around the restriction by labelling their products as plant food or bath salts. Head shops and other retailers operate the same way. Unfortunately, the nation's drug rehab clinics do not have that luxury. They are dealing first-hand with the effects of the new psychoactive substances on a daily basis.

Manufacturing and Sales

Getting a handle on the legal high problem requires us to address the manufacture and sale of the substances. This includes a robust online market that has made the postal service and unwitting partner in drug trafficking. Once again, the UK leads Europe in the online trade of legal highs. Yet one must ask, where are the financial benefits?

It is all well and good to say we should legalise parts of the drug trade in order to reduce the financial cost of abuse and addiction. However, if new psychoactive substances are any indication, legalisation only stands to make the problem worse. If we are going to legalise some illicit drugs, we should be prepared for drug and alcohol rehab clinics to need more funds for treatment – and that could wipe out any financial gain realised from legalisation.

Why Detox Alone Is Usually Insufficient for Addiction

Every year UK taxpayers fund NHS rehab centres at a rate of millions of pounds. Yet these facilities tend to be equipped with revolving doors, so to speak, as addicts continually come and go in a never-ending cycle of detox, relapse and detox again. Something is clearly not working.

An unbiased study of the evidence shows that one of our biggest problems is our view of detox. For too many policy makers, the belief that a 7 to 10-day detox programme is all that is required to overcome addiction is prevalent. However, reality bites. The truth is that detox alone is usually insufficient for complete recovery from addiction.

It is not enough to simply break a physical addiction through detox. It is even worse to condemn addicts to a lifetime of substitute medications under the guise of providing 'ongoing outpatient detox'. In order to conquer their demons once and for all, recovering addicts need to undergo comprehensive treatment at alcohol and drug rehab clinics specialising in addiction recovery.

Mind and Body

The very real problem of addiction is not just a physical one. It is also mental and emotional. When recovery focuses on detox only, all we are doing is dealing with the physical aspects of the problem. Then the recovering addict returns right back to the same life and circumstances that enabled his addiction to begin with. It is no wonder the rates of relapse among detox-only patients are astronomical.

On the other hand, treatments that also address the psychological aspects of addiction tend to be more successful. Take those private rehab centers that combine detox with psychotherapeutic treatments as an example. They start treatment by breaking the physical addiction, and then follow up by addressing the mental and emotional aspects.

Retraining the Mind

Why is psychotherapeutic treatment necessary? Because abusing drugs and alcohol alters the way the brain works. Addicts tend to have trouble thinking rationally about their substance abuse and the root causes of their misery. Without retraining the mind to think rationally, those incorrect thoughts and attitudes will continue. The first sign of any sort of pressure will likely result in relapse.

Combined detox and psychotherapeutic treatments do not work for everyone, especially among recovering addicts who do not genuinely want to recover completely. However, the combined treatments do far better than detox alone. They are a better option because they address addiction from every angle, rather than treating the problem as just a physical one.

Clearly, spending millions of pounds on programmes that focus only on detox is not accomplishing the results we are looking for. Yet we have been cutting funding for private rehab centers for a number of years. It is time we reverse that trend in the UK.

Addiction: Count the Cost before You Start

What do nearly all drug addicts and alcoholics have in common? They did not start out with a desire to become addicted. Rather, addiction is a gradual process that occurs without the individual even understanding what happening. The truth is that any of us could end up being the next client to check into the local drug rehab clinic if we are not careful.

Before you take that next drink or swallow that next pill, count the cost associated with addiction. If that cost is too high, and it is, do not use. Find something more productive to do with your time than taking drugs or drinking. If you need help coping with your problems, it is available all across the UK.

So, what is the cost of addiction? Consider the following:

1. Poor Health – Even the most socially acceptable drugs, like alcohol, can have devastating effects on personal health. Long-term alcoholics are likely to wind up with liver damage. Long-term cannabis users are at a higher risk for depression, memory loss, and cognitive issues. Cocaine users have a higher propensity for heart attack, stroke, and respiratory failure.

2. Premature Death – Along with all of the health issues of substance abuse comes the very real possibility of premature death. How many beds at UK rehab clinics remain empty because alcoholics and drug abusers die before they get treatment? The fact is that premature death associated with drug and alcohol use is a greater risk the longer you use.

3. Financial Ruin – The dirty little secret about addiction is that users can never get enough. They constantly need a higher volume of drugs or alcohol to feel satisfied. Moreover, more drugs or alcohol means more money. Addiction could mean the loss of your job; it could mean a total financial ruin that destroyers everything you worked so hard to build. You might even have to resort to stealing to supply your habit.

4. Broken Relationships – The worst of the consequences is that of broken relationships. Be mindful of the fact that addiction does not just affect the individual using drugs or alcohol; it affects the entire family. That is why drug and alcohol rehab clinics tend to offer family counselling services. Without treatment, you could destroy every personal relationship that is important to you. You could lose your spouse, your children, your extended family and every friend you have ever had.

Now that you know the cost of addiction, you must ask yourself whether it is truly worth taking the risk. We suggest it's not. Do not fool yourself into thinking you are the type of person who can drink or use drugs indiscriminately without ever becoming an addict. Lots of others have thought the same thing – and they were wrong.

Addiction Recovery: Conquering the Fear

For someone who has never personally dealt with a serious drug or alcohol problem before, it is hard to understand why an addict cannot simply quit using. Truth be told, it is not as simple as that. The long-term use of mind-altering substances physically affects how the brain works. In turn, this also affects how the addict thinks.

Almost every addict is riddled with fear. Some are terrified they will fail in recovery and find themselves in a worse place than when they started. Others fear disappointing family members and friends. By and large, many of them are terrified of life itself. The reality is that complete recovery requires overcoming fears in a way that prevents them from coming back. Detox alone usually does not suffice in this area.

Psychotherapeutic Treatment

Today's most successful rehab clinics take advantage of a number of effective psychotherapeutic treatments to deal with issues of fear. One of the more common treatments is something known as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It is a therapy originally designed to help patients coping with certain types of mental illness come to grips with what they are dealing with. However, researchers soon discovered it was effective for drug and alcohol treatment as well.

CBT is different from other counselling therapies inasmuch as it is not open-ended. It is a goal-oriented therapy with a definite conclusion. Goals are set by the therapist during the first session, and then gradually worked through with each successive session. Achieving one goal leads to working on the next. The average CBT programme can be concluded in 12 to 15 weeks.

The goal of the therapist is to help the client identify those things that trigger fear and the individual's response to it. Then the therapist teaches the individual how to deal with those fears in ways that do not involve drugs or alcohol. It is a very effective strategy that helps many of the residents attending drug and alcohol rehab clinics.

Other Treatments

CBT is but one tool at the disposal of addiction recovery therapists. Other tools include group support and counselling, life skills training, and therapies that challenge recovering addicts both physically and mentally. The key for alcohol and drug rehab clinics is to design bespoke treatment plans for each client. Customising treatment increases the chances of permanent success significantly.

If you are living with someone struggling with drugs or alcohol then it is important for you to understand that fear is a big part of what they are dealing with. Overcoming that fear will be necessary for complete recovery. As for how you can help, that is determined by doctors and therapists. Nevertheless, if you are willing to help, you can provide some of the support and assistance your loved one needs to conquer his fears.

When Alcohol Abuse Becomes Addiction

Alcoholism, alcohol dependence, or addiction; no matter what term is used to describe it, the condition is one that devastates both the individual drinker and his family. The good news is that it can usually be avoided by understanding the signs of alcohol abuse and how it progresses to a state of addiction. When alcohol abuse is recognised, proper intervention can prevent it from progressing to the next stage.

There are three types of alcohol-related problems generally recognised at the clinical level:

1. problem drinking
2. alcohol abuse
3. alcohol dependence (alcoholism, addiction).

The key to preventing dependence is to intervene while the individual is still in one of the first two stages. Unfortunately, today's alcohol rehab clinics are dealing with far too many individuals classified as long-term alcoholics.

Problem Drinking

The NHS recommends men limit their alcohol consumption to 3-4 units of alcohol per day; women should limit themselves to 2-3 units. Units are calculated by dividing the strength of an alcoholic beverage by its total volume, then multiplying that number by 1,000. The formula dictates that a small glass of wine with an alcohol content of 12% is equal to 1.5 units.

The problem drinker exceeds the recommended limits on a regular basis without necessarily getting drunk. He may adhere to the limits during the week, and then consume more on the weekends. Problem drinkers tend to drink in order to help them relax or deal with problems.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is defined as exceeding the recommended limits persistently and without worry. Alcohol abusers tend to be binge drinkers with a tendency to spend several days every month in a drink induced haze. As alcohol abuse continues to develop, it eventually leads to alcohol dependence. Unfortunately, the abuser who has been at it long enough may be just one or two drinks away from alcohol rehab.

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol abuse becomes addiction when an individual reaches a point of being controlled by alcohol. The addict is a person who constantly thinks about alcohol; he is a person who is worried he will not have enough alcohol to get through the day; he is someone who will go to extraordinary lengths to get a drink.

Rehab-clinic.com is one of the many organisations helping alcoholics overcome their issues by way of residential treatment. They say that it is common for clients to call them looking for help without knowing the extent of their problem. Many simply do not understand they are addicted.

The reality is that alcohol abuse will usually become addiction if left untreated. As a casual drinker, the best thing you can do is learn the signs of problem drinking, abuse and dependence, so that you are not caught off guard. If you recognise yourself as a potential problem drinker, get help now.

Three Things You Need to Know about Addiction Intervention

Family members and friends living with addicts often find themselves at a loss as to what they can do to help. They certainly cannot force a drug or alcohol addict to get treatment, yet they also have to be very careful not to be an enabler of addictive behaviour. It can be a difficult balancing act at times.

One of the strategies recommended by organisations like Rehab-Clinic.com is that of conducting an intervention. An intervention is a scenario in which a group of concerned family members and friends confront the addict about his problem. The idea is to motivate the individual to agree to treatment. An intervention can be conducted completely independently or under the direction of a professional counsellor.

Here are three things you need to know about the intervention if you are considering conducting one yourself:

1. Results Vary

An intervention is no different from the treatments offered in rehab centers in the sense that results will vary from one situation to the next. In other words, no one can force an individual to recover from addiction. That choice rests with the addict himself. Therefore, you may conduct an intervention only to find out that nothing changes. As good a motivational tool as intervention might be, sometimes you come up short. However, do not be discouraged. Wait a little while and try again. Sometimes it takes two or three interventions in order to get the addict's attention.

2. Different Approaches

Professional counsellors approach intervention from one of two angles. One group believes it is best to focus on the addict and the harm he is doing to himself. The idea is that making him aware of self-destruction will motivate change. The other group believes it is best to focus on family members and friends, and the harm the addict is causing them. They believe shifting the focus from the addict to those he is unintentionally harming is a better motivator. Neither approach is necessarily right or wrong; it is best to follow the advice of your counsellor.

3. Immediate Action

When an intervention is successful, family members and friends may have a small window of opportunity to act. That means they must be ready to admit their loved one to treatment right away. If they wait too long, he may change his mind. Getting information about available alcohol and drug rehab clinics ahead of time is a good idea.

Information about conducting an intervention is available from a number of online resources including counselling organisations, drug and alcohol charities, medical websites, and government portals. Individuals living with drug addicts or alcoholics should take advantage of the free information. It may turn out that conducting an intervention is the most helpful thing they can do for their loved one.

For More Information Visit http://www.rehab-clinic.com/

The Differences Between 12-Step and SMART Rehab

The 12-step approach to alcohol rehab has been around since the establishment of Alcoholics Anonymous back in the 1930s. It is an approach that has proved successful for not only recovering alcoholics, but also those recovering from drug and compulsive behaviour addictions. Yet it is not the only approach that works.

Another approach, known as self-management and recovery training (SMART) looks at the rehab equation from a slightly different perspective. Since its development in the 1990s, the SMART approach has given birth to more than 1,000 support groups around the world.

There are two primary differences between the 12-step and SMART approaches. The first can be found in the way the two approaches view addiction. The second is one of personal responsibility. Let us look at both differences in a little more detail for better understanding:

View of Addiction

The 12-step approach to alcohol and drug rehab sees addiction as a lifelong disease requiring a lifelong commitment to recovery. As such, this approach equips recovering addicts with certain tools and strategies they can use to avoid relapse permanently. The SMART approach sees things differently.

Rather than seeing addiction as a lifelong disease, advocates of the SMART approach see it as a personal problem that can be permanently solved by finding and applying the right solutions. Moreover, just like any other problem, once solved the former addict can move on with his life. Those who employ this approach do not expect to see the same people in support meetings for years on end.

Personal Responsibility

The area of personal responsibility is another one where the differences between 12-step and SMART programmes are stark. The 12-step approach is built on the belief that the recovering addict is responsible to a higher power. That higher power is not necessarily identified as any particular religious deity; rather, each recovering addict relates with the higher power as he understands it.

In the SMART approach, the only personal responsibility is to oneself. This view lays all of the responsibility for success or failure directly at the feet of the addict. As such, it is also the responsibility of each addict to find a solution that will work best for him. That's not to say he doesn't receive support and good ideas from others, it's simply to say that the ultimate responsibility for finding and applying solutions rest on him.

It is interesting to note that both approaches work fairly well. That should be no surprise, given the fact that addiction is a very personal struggle that cannot be defined as concretely as some would believe. In the end, it comes down to whatever approach works for the individual. As long as the demons are conquered, it matters not how one gets there.

For more Information visit http://www.rehab-clinic.com/

What One Can Expect From Detox?

You may have heard detox mentioned when reading about drug or alcohol rehab and are wondering what exactly detox is. Well simply put, it’s the process by which the addict gets all of the dangerous substance(s) out of their body.

Detox has to be carried out before rehab can begin; this goes for every type of drug addiction. The addict cannot go through rehabilitation with the drug still in his or her system; they must become completely drug free before moving on to rehab. Detox should almost always be carried out by professionals, for a host of different reasons.

Experts carrying out detox on a patient can monitor their health throughout the whole process, this is especially critical when dealing with drugs like heroin which can cause death from withdrawal. The patient must be kept safe throughout the whole procedure to avoid any complications that could arise. This leads onto the next important point which is that professionals can give the patient medication to ease the pain and symptoms associated with withdrawal. 

The body gets so used to a substance being present that it will panic in a response to not having the drug. This can often be symptoms like nausea, headaches, hallucinations, delusions and more which can be hard to deal with. Professionals offering medication can make or break someone overcoming their physiological dependence, so it’s naturally a better idea to detox in a qualified detox centre.

With the support of friends and family, along with everyone in your detox centre, you or your loved one can definitely get through detox; many do it in less than a week! After that it’s straight to rehab to begin counselling where you or your loved one will come to understand that they do not need drugs or alcohol to enjoy a fulfilling life. Many don’t actually know what detox involves and that can drive people away from it, this is something that needs to be addressed with more available information.

Detox can be difficult; we certainly know that, however it is not a place to scared or cynical about, quite the opposite. Know that detox is a very important part of the process of overcoming a drug addiction; it flushes out all the toxins in the body and liberates it from the clutch of drug addiction. We want drug rehab and alcohol rehab addicts to live a life completely free of the substances and to do that we must first get them to break off of the drug completely, only then can a rehab clinic get to the root cause of the drug addict’s problem behaviour.

Only Best Rehab Can Help Out To Recover Your Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction is a very big problem in the modern day as our binge-drinking culture in the UK can often be a springboard into alcohol dependency and then fully-blown addiction. Not only that, but with teenagers starting drinking at younger and younger ages, it only broadens the age range from which alcohol addiction can strike.

Alcohol rehab is where many alcohol addicts come to shake off their addiction problem that will not only be affecting them, but the people that care about them too. While the alcohol addict will often put themselves in danger by being irresponsible with their drinking habits, it is often overlooked that the friends and family of the addict will suffer as well. That’s why it is important to get the addict into an alcohol rehab as soon as possible.

In an alcohol rehab, of which there are many in the UK, the addict will be brought to realise the damage and distress they are causing to both themselves and their loved ones. Sometimes this is done in the form of an intervention which brings the whole family together, with the help of professionals, to let the addict know how bad their problem is. After the addict makes the right decision to enter rehab, they will usually go through a detox first.

In detox, the addict will be weaned completely off of alcohol with the aid and supervision of experts. Sometimes the addict will be given drugs which will ease the pain of coming off of alcohol due to the withdrawal symptoms, these come about due to the body not being used to not having alcohol in its system. After the detox session is complete, alcohol rehab can begin.

In alcohol rehab clinics, the addict will attend regular counselling and take part in activities to help them understand that they can function even better in life without alcohol. The addict will have one-on-one counselling sessions to dig deep into the bigger picture of why the individual began drinking in the first place. Maybe it was after a tragedy like a death of a loved one, if that was the case, the counsellor would help the individual get through the problem and show them that they do not need alcohol in their life.

The stay at alcohol rehab can be very refreshing indeed as the individual will not have to worry about outside life while in a residential rehab where everything is prepared for them. This usually includes nice and homely rooms, nicely prepared food and other people going through the same events which let the addict know they are not alone. Alcohol rehabs often have workshops and activities for the patients to take part in for recreational purposes and to practice different skills. As you can see, alcohol rehab is easily the best choice for getting an alcohol addict back on the rails to living a normal life again.

Get Complete Knowledge about Addiction and Spread It All Over the World

Addiction is a downward spiral which many people around the world unfortunately find themselves in every year. Whether it’s a legal drug like alcohol or hard illegal drugs like heroin, the effects can be devastating for the individual and his or her family and friends. That’s why it is important to understand what addiction is, how it comes about and what options there are available for the addict in question.

Addiction can usually be divided into 2 main camps, physiological addiction and psychological addiction. Physiological addiction is when the addict’s body feels like it needs the drug to function normally, not having the drug can yield painful symptoms and even death in some cases, this is known as withdrawal symptoms.

Psychological addiction is a little different; this is when the addict thinks they need the drug to continue their everyday life normally, whereas the body will not have any adverse effects from not indulging in the drug. The addict may have gotten so used to something like smoking cannabis every day to feel good that he or she think that they will feel terrible if they stop. Sometimes this is exactly the case, however they have to realise that relying on dangerous substances to feel good is not a healthy lifestyle at all and that they can find happiness in life without the drug.

In the UK, the number of people with a alcohol and/or drug addiction keeps rising every year which is a really big problem that many people don’t realise. With our binge-drinking culture, we’re finding more and more people of all walks of life are the victim of alcohol addiction and are in dire need of professional help. The silver lining however is that there are many, many facilities dotted around the UK and the whole world where a drug and/or alcohol addict can receive treatment and start the journey of recovery, ultimately with the objective of getting them back into enjoying life without dangerous substances.

Rehabilitation and Detox clinics are where the magic happens. An addict who makes the right decision will most likely start off in detox where they will shake off their cravings for the drug they are partial to. With the help and supervision of trained professionals, the individual can leave the detox with no traces of the drug in their system and hopefully no further want for the drug, however rehab usually comes after detox.

The individual will work through their problems with drugs or alcohol in the rehab clinics with a qualified drug counsellor. They’ll learn self-control along with uncovering why they ended up with an addiction in the first place. With the support of friends and family, it is hoped that the addict can then leave rehab with a bright and drug-free future ahead of them.

Addiction is a very real problem in today’s world, but we can overcome it by working together.

Drug Rehab Centers: The Only Way to Make Your Life Perfect

Drug rehab is the best possible place for a drug addict to end up, no matter what dangerous substance they have a problem with. From prescription drugs to hard illegal drugs like heroin, an addict’s life can spiral completely out of control and that comes with many big dangers to both them and their loved ones. The good thing is that there are drug rehab clinics on hand to help these people out.

Drug rehab clinics can be found all over the world and there are particularly many in the UK ready to treat those in need. If you yourself have a drug problem or someone you know needs help, you can easily search for a drug rehab clinic near you through the many addiction helplines on the web. You can find all kinds of drug rehabs that are suitable to you or your loved one’s needs.

The types of drug rehab vary quite a bit in terms of things like whether you can stay there overnight, how much one-on-one time you get and the activities available. It is generally believed that a private residential drug rehab is the best option for any addict. The fact that it is residential means that the drug addict can stay there and fully concentrate on recovery without the worries of the outside world. This also works as a deterrent against trying to procure their drug of choice again. Being a private rehab often means better care as they have the necessary funds to get the best facilities and staff available. Though the price may be higher than some other rehabs, private residential rehab offers the addict the very best chance of recovery and re-entering normal everyday life.

So what kinds of things can you expect at a drug rehab? Well drug rehabs are usually very relaxing and pleasant places to spend your time. If it’s a residential rehab then you’ll usually have a nice and homely room with comfy furniture. You’ll have your food prepared for you and there’ll often be activities for you to take part in, not to mention many drug rehabs have workshops for you to improve yourself in a range of different skills. When it comes to the help the addict will receive, you can be rest assured it is top quality for every patient.

Most drug rehabs will offer both group and individual counselling to help the addict see that they do not need drugs to live a happy and fulfilling life. They will also see that they are not alone in their journey to living a drug-free life. Getting to the root of the problem e.g. finding out and working past the reason the addict decided to take drugs in the first place is what a drug counsellor will help the addict achieve.

Check out some of the drug rehabs around the UK today, no doubt you’ll find many high-quality drug rehabs that suit you or your loved one’s needs.

Are You Drugs Or Alcohol Addicted? Do Join Rehab Clinic Today

Rehab clinics are where vulnerable people who have an addiction to something like alcohol or drugs come to overcome their addictive behaviour and prepare to re-integrate into everyday life without abusing drugs. With enough effort and determination, anyone can enter a good rehab clinic and come out a success.

Private Residential rehab clinics are generally considered the best option for an addict looking for help. This is somewhere they can stay overnight while receiving treatment which means they will have less outside distractions that may make them want to go back to drugs or alcohol. Also if anything was to go wrong there would be experts on hand to help the addict in any way they need, whether it be medication to ease the symptoms of withdrawal or psychological issues they need to work through like depression. There is much a rehab clinic can offer their patient.

One-On-One counselling is a large part of an addict’s stay at a rehab clinic. A drug counsellor will help the patient work through the root of the addiction, why it began and how to deal with feelings that normally would’ve been blocked out by taking drugs. Through this process, it is hoped that the patient will see that they do not need their drug of choice to enjoy life again.

Group Counselling is another important part of attending a rehab clinic. Hearing other people’s stories will show you that you’re not alone in finding treatment for your addiction, quite the contrary. Many people find themselves stuck in the rut of drug addiction but it’s certainly not impossible to get out, especially with the help of the experts in our rehab clinics.

Activities and workshops exist in most rehab clinics, these offer the patient a chance for recreation and skill-building to prepare for leaving the rehab clinic into the real world again. Overcoming addiction is a personal growth process within the individual and thus working on one’s self in all manners is part of the process.

Some rehab clinics offer more luxury facilities such as gyms, swimming pools or spas, however these tend to be the minority. Rehab is primarily focused on the individual overcoming their addiction to dangerous substances and that is exactly what can be achieved in the majority of residential rehab clinics.

We urge to take a look at some of the rehab clinics near you to see what facilities and services they offer an inpatient. We’re sure most, if not all, will meet your requirements. Ridding your life or the life of loved one, of drugs should be your top priority and residential rehab can help you achieve just that.