New to addiction treatment? Clinic programmes and options for private addiction help can be confusing. Many aren't aware of the right questions to ask, and how to compare more than one centre.
Our comprehensive guide includes guidance on how to compare providers when shopping around.
Step 1 - Get Clear On Your Needs
At the bottom of another binge it can feel all too easy to quickly commit to the nearest clinic offering a fast detox. Get off to the right start by deciding first what you need - detox, rehab, or both?
Detox Only, Or A Complete Recovery Programme?
Whilst most follow the conventional programme of detox, then rehab, then aftercare, it's possible to do only one of these. But is it right for you?
- Have you been detoxed before? It's important to be clear on this.
If you've completed previous treatment and have a good understanding of self already, the full programme may not be required. But if you don't have supports in place, the detox-only option may not be enough.
Treatment Near Norton
Caught up in the need for detox, many will commit too early to a clinic as close as possible to home, without thinking ahead.
But there's more to consider, in your long term sobriety journey, than the clinic next door.
Detox can be found in many places, but a strong rehabilitation programme with excellent therapy can mean much greater progress in the long term. It pays to shop around here.
See all the locations Abbeycare serve, here.
More Than One Previous Detox?
You should know: your progress in treatment can depend heavily on the strength of the clinic staff around you, and the support of your peers.
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 clinic team over the phone should be able to give a rough indication of how they'll approach your treatment.
Getting reassurance that the provider is not only ready to detox you based on your needs, but has done so many times for others in the past, is important.
KEY QUESTIONS
- In your experience, would someone with my detox needs be better suited for hospital detox?
- What addiction experience do your prescribing professionals have?
- If there are unexpected issues during my detox, what happens?
Step 2 - What Does A Stay In Rehab Actually Involve?
How does admitting to rehab work?
Private rehab clinics are centres where all the normal addiction treatment options like detox, therapy, and relapse prevention, are provided in a private setting, all under one roof, with specialists in the field. With your own room, and seclusion away from the addiction triggers in normal life, you have a chance to truly recover.
Since every individual is different, and needs can vary widely, (even two people consuming the same amount of alcohol or drugs can need very different timescale and treatment) - a personal assessment is usually needed, before admission to a clinic can go ahead.
The Plan For Treatment
Clients are normally encouraged to actively monitor their progress towards recovery treatment goals and outcomes.
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.
Be sure to take an active part in this, to avoid having standardised goals laid out, that don't match your preferences or personal situation. It's worth making the effort here.
KEY QUESTIONS
- To what extent is my care and management planned and mapped out?
- How do I know if I'm on the right track, during treatment?
- Do you take account of my history of addiction when making treatment care plans?
- How is my treatment regimen communicated between staff members?
What Actually Happens Inside A Clinic?
What's the daily routine, inside a rehab, during treatment?
It can be tricky to discern exactly what happens each day in treatment, as the routine can vary.
Since residential rehab is a group environment, most clinics provide each client with a daily agenda, every night for the following day. This schedule will be your guide for day to day life in the clinic, as you move through the stages of treatment in your care plan.
The time it takes to feel better at the initial stages of treatment is personal to each individual. Detox could last just a few days. Sometimes, detox will last much longer. This variation is natural.
Call the clinic's admissions team to arrange to look around the inside of the centre before completing any paperwork. This can give you a real feel for how the day to day looks and feels.
KEY QUESTIONS
- How can I see what's inside the clinic, online?
- Do I take part in daily activities even during detox?
- Is it possible to arrange a pre-admission visit, to look around? Is there any charge attached?
- When do you expect me to start taking part in the therapy process?
Addiction Treatment & Covid-19
Recovering from addiction is a group-oriented exercise.
Those in long term recovery achieved it, only by accepting help from others, and helping them, in return.
But doing so safely, in the age of Covid-19, means ensuring the clinic you choose has provisions in place to guard against risk of infection.
Step 3 - Rehab On A Budget
Whilst private clinics offer fast access to specialist help, financing the stay in treatment needs planning.
Public services are accountable to the tax payer, and seldom offer more specialist interventions.
Automatically choosing the lowest price provider can lead to poor care levels inside the clinic, detrimental to your recovery progress.
Double check standards of care and therapy provided for lower cost providers - you may be surprised. Opt instead for a middle-tier clinic, with a better balance of cost to care levels provided.
By calling and comparing a few treatment providers against each other, this step should give you a sense of what rehab will cost.
Other Avenues For Help
Mutual Aid Support
Even since covid-19, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups are still available, although most have now adopted online platforms to hold meetings, these can still be a rich source of support.
Sadly, community aids like this are unable to help with the most acute phase, needed at the start of recovery - detox.
AA, NA, and the big book groups have millions of followers and attendees, and have been very successful over the years. But at the early stages, it's important to get safe and comfortable professional help to detox.
Public Healthcare For Addiction
Whilst the NHS do have addiction keyworkers in different regions, they’re normally overrun with enquiries and demand on resources, meaning obtaining funding for a rehab stay is unlikely.
This is not a question of lack of intention to help, but more of resources and strain the healthcare system experiences, under heavy demand.
Aggregating funds together, between friends and family, can be a good approach to securing private treatment instead, where the individual can't finance it themselves.
Step 4 - Get Impartial Consumer Reports
Opinions on different clinics' standards of care are ten a penny on the internet, but how do you know who to trust?
Enter The Care Quality Commission (E&W) and The Care Inspectorate (Scotland).
These two regulatory bodies inspect rehab clinics on a regular basis (usually annually) and produce written reports on their findings.
Service providers receive a full report on the watchdog's findings.
Important - Regulator Inspections
On paper, a visit by regulators to a clinic can be "Announced", or "Unannounced" - the former means the clinic knew about the inspection in advance, the latter means they didn't. Hence, "Unannounced" inspection reports are more likely to provide a real-world picture of clinic conditions and service levels.
Step 5 - Choose A Clinic
It's now time to decide on one of the clinics you've looked at.
Expect to go through a few questions initially, when you call the provider you've chosen - this is normal.
A telephone assessment might last up to 30 minutes, after which the provider will likely request you to pay a deposit towards treatment, so that they can progress further with your admission.
It's a good time at this point to also sort out any payment by insurance policy, or other means.
Step 6 - Paying For Rehab
As mentioned, an initial deposit payment is usually expected.
Expect to pay anywhere from £1,800 to £4,000 to book a place in a treatment provider's clinic.
You won't find many clinics offering payment options directly, unfortunately.
Ask for an email confirmation of booking, and get clarity on when the admission details will be finalised, and your date of admission confirmed.
The Remaining Funding
Treatment providers will expect payment for the remainder of the balance of treatment, upon arrival the clinic.
Pay this on time to avoid surcharges that could quickly mount up later.
Step 7 - Admit to treatment
Now it's time for the practical stuff of admitting. Double check you have a note of your confirmed date and time your due to admit to the clinic.
You'll usually be asked to bring certain essentials with you:
It's worth checking usage policies re internet and wifi, and devices, as you may be disappointed if the clinic you've chosen asks you to hand them in, before your stay begins, without prior warning.
Treatment centres must co-ordinate their clinical and medical teams availability for your arrival - so being on time matters. Try to arrange your transport to the clinic, ahead of time, to make sure things run smoothly.
And of course, enjoy your recovery!
Print Our Cheatsheet To Easily Compare Providers
Thanks for reading our guide.
Abbeycare have provided this guide free of charge, to help you make the right decision when considering addiction rehab treatment options.
Abbeycare operate UK clinics providing help for alcohol or drug addiction for those in the Norton 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 need transport arranged to get here, we can probably help with that too.
Check our independent inspection reports, available on our clinic pages for Scotland, and Abbeycare Gloucester.
Our admissions team can advise on what options are available.
The Abbeycare medical team can help you detox comfortably.
Our therapists are ready to help you get the insights you need, to stop the pattern of addiction, and reclaim your life.
Our clinic team are ready to help you get started.
Are you ready for recovery?
To get your questions answered, or to get started in recovery, our team can help, on 01603 513 091.
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