If you're looking for drug or alcohol addiction help - you'll have already realised the myriad of options on offer. It's easy to end up paying too much for a treatment clinic that underdelivers.
Before taking the plunge, here's everything you need to know when shopping around for addiction help in Brackla.
Step 1 - What Do You Need?
At the bottom of another binge it can feel all too easy to quickly commit to the nearest clinic offering a fast detox. But considering first, what your treatment needs truly are, can help you pay for rehab just once, and not twice.
Detox & Rehab: Short Term .v. Long Term
A normal stay for alcohol or drug treatment would include the three stages of detoxification, rehabilitation, and aftercare planning. But there's no point in spending more than you have to.
- Have you been detoxed before? (Be honest).
You could go for a detox-only programme, but run greater risk of future relapse if other supports are not in place.
When Is Close To Home, Too Close To Home?
Thinking of treatment nearby? It's a natural response when feeling low.
But there's more to consider, in your long term sobriety journey, than the clinic next door.
Detox beds can be found in hospitals, and virtually any clinic. But does their long term support match your needs in the longer term? We're getting to the real questions here about standard of care delivered, instead of just the bare minimum.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
More Than One Previous Detox?
Like many things in life, the quality of your experience in a rehab clinic can come down to the breadth and depth of experience of the staff you're working with.
If you've been detoxed in the past, and are looking for recovery afresh, it's a good idea to check on exactly what detox you'll get.
The medical team at a given clinic have the final say of course, but the admissions team for a provider should be well-versed enough to give you an idea of how your detox will proceed.
Likewise for therapeutic help, what specialist qualifications in addiction do the team have? Ask here about issues that have been sticking points for you in the past, and their suitability to help.
KEY QUESTIONS
- In your experience, would someone with my detox needs be better suited for hospital detox?
- Do you have specialist addiction medics prescribing detox?
- Are there suitable staff in the clinic who are equipped to handle detox complications?
Step 2 - Behind The Scenes In An Addiction Treatment Clinic
What is day to day addiction treatment inside the clinic actually like?
For in-patient treatment stays, you'll have your own room in the clinic, where you stay, live and sleep, for anywhere from 7-84 days or more (28 days is the average stay).
Before admission, you should expect to complete an initial assessment over the phone with admissions staff, whose job it is to co-ordinate the information you provide with specialists inside the clinic, and ensure their facility can meet your needs.
Keeping Track Of Getting Better
After admission to a clinic, staff will usually look to plan out your care in the clinic, and how that will work, for you personally.
If staff do not offer to help draw up a personalised care plan of action for your clinic time, and longer recovery journey, you've chosen the wrong provider.
This document will be used as your yardstick to measure progress and keep track. It's worth making the effort here.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Do I get an individualised care plan that I have input into?
- Do you have a one size fits all approach to treatment, or do you work with each individual's needs?
- What input do I have in planning my care?
- How is my treatment regimen communicated between staff members?
What Actually Happens Inside A Clinic?
What Is Day To Day Life Like, In Treatment?
It can be tricky to discern exactly what happens each day in treatment, as the routine can vary.
Every day new clients enter treatment and previous ones leave. Although everyone is at different stages of treatment, providers must keep everyone on track. This means preparing and issuing a daily agenda. This lays out the timetable of events, and what's expected.
Factors such as previous detoxes, history of relapse, amount and duration of intake, and others, will determine how long the detox stage of treatment takes. Detox could last just a few days. Sometimes it will take longer than this to get a clear head again. Clinic staff understand this.
Always enquire about having a look around the clinic, by visiting first, before committing. Most clinics don't have an open-door policy, but will happily let you see inside, by arrangement.
KEY QUESTIONS
- Is it possible to see internal photos of the centre, before admitting?
- Give me an idea of how each day is structured, whilst in treatment?
- Is it possible to arrange a pre-admission visit, to look around? Is there any charge attached?
- When do I get to start taking part in the therapeutic help inside the clinic?
Addiction Treatment & Covid-19
Recovering from addiction is a group-oriented exercise.
Overcoming old patterns of self-isolation is normally a big part of getting better.
Achieving recovery in a covid-19 world, however, means making some accommodations along the way.
Step 3 - What Budget Is Available For Treatment?
Getting funds together for rehab in Brackla takes planning, for most families.
There are few half way house providers that exist generally, between public providers, and private treatment, so get clear from the start on which you need.
Like most things in life, it's tempting to go for simply the cheapest cost provider.
Cheap providers often involve minimal rooms or living conditions, and poor therapy. Look instead for smaller providers, with more personal attention.
Without committing yet, get in touch with at least 3 potential treatment centres and ask about costs and your needs. You'll also get some insight here as to how much attention each provider pays and their levels of care.
Other Avenues For Help
Support In The Community
Most cities and towns across the world play host to mutual aid style meetings locally, like the 12 step driven groups of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
If you're just starting out in recovery though, detoxing comfortably first, will undoubtedly be the priority.
Community support is invaluable, at the right stage in the process. But initially, it's important to get professional help to detox safely, and comfortably.
Public Healthcare For Addiction
Immediate help to detox from NHS services is usually not possible. It's more common to receive a referral to a local Drug/Alcohol support team, and begin weekly meetings with a keyworker.
This is not a question of lack of intention to help, but more of resources and strain the healthcare system experiences, under heavy demand.
In reality, where the need for detox is urgent, we often see families and groups of friends pooling funds together, to help a loved one access treatment faster, from a private provider.
Step 4 - Get Impartial Consumer Reports
Assessing a provider's standard of care is important - but can be tricky for the layman.
Enter The Care Quality Commission (E&W) and The Care Inspectorate (Scotland).
Inspectors from these organisations visit private clinics nationwide, and check they comply with minimum standards of care, producing reports which they publish on the world wide web.
Clinics are graded across multiple areas of care, including support standards, management, and clinical environment.
Clinic Inspections - What You Need to Know
When looking for CQC or Care Inspectorate reports, always look for those stating the visit was "Unannounced" instead of "Announced" - this means the provider was not aware the inspection was occurring, and hence is most likely to provide most insight into genuine standards of care.
Step 5 - Decide On A Provider
Now is the time to come to a decision about where you're completing treatment.
When you call the admissions team for the clinic you’ve chosen, expect to go through an initial telephone assessment, and pay a deposit towards treatment, as explained above.
You can normally complete the necessary steps over the phone in 20 minutes or less, and then make an initial deposit towards treatment, that's used to hold the room in your name, until you arrive at the clinic.
Any additional financial issues, such as paying via insurance policy, would normally also be sorted out at this stage.
Step 6 - Deposits & Paying For Treatment
As mentioned, paying a deposit secures your room in the clinic, prior to arrival.
Most clinics will expect a deposit of £2,000 or more.
A few offer payment plans to help spread the cost of rehab, although nowadays this is less common.
Be sure to get a written confirmation of receipt for your deposit, and confirm with the provider any admin fees due, in the event of admission delays, or even cancellation, due to unforeseen circumstances.
The Remaining Funding
The provider will likely ask you to settle the remainder of the treatment balance due, after arrival at the clinic.
It's a good idea to pay this promptly, to avoid excess charges.
Step 7 - Admission
Did you get a booking confirmation, containing the practical details, like date and time you're due to arrive for treatment? If not, request one now.
You'll need to bring a few basic necessities with you:
Check your booking confirmation for advice about mobile phone usage, internet access, visits, leisure facilities, and any special arrangements for covid-19.
Do you have transport to the clinic organised? Making sure of this will help avoid any potential extra charges levied for late arrival.
From this point on, your recovery journey has begun!
Asking The Right Questions
Thank you for reading the ultimate guide to finding the right rehab treatment for Brackla.
You've completed our guide on finding the right rehab near Brackla!
Abbeycare operate UK clinics providing help for alcohol or drug addiction for those in the Brackla area.
Thousands have already joined Abbeycare to overcome addiction, from every corner of the globe.
In our 15 years, we've worked with even the most complex detoxes, needs, and issues.
Even if you're not local, we can still help with transport into treatment (full transparency - some costs do apply).
Our inspection reports from the regulators, are available on our clinic pages, here: Abbeycare Scotland, Abbeycare Gloucester.
Our admissions team are ready to listen to your needs.
Detox is possible, safely and comfortably, with the help of our medical team.
The Abbeycare therapy team are specialists in helping you identify and work through the underlying triggers behind addiction.
The Abbeycare clinic team are ready to help you co-ordinate everything.
The only thing left is - are you ready?
We'll help get things moving. Ring us direct, on 01603 513 091.
