Drug & Alcohol Rehab Bedfordshire
Quick Access
At Help4Addiction, we serve as a first step that you need to fight the influence and control that addiction may have on your life. Whether you’re struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, or you have a loved one facing that struggle, we can help. We do this by providing independent, free information and advice on drug & alcohol rehab options in Bedfordshire.
By helping you learn what’s available, which options suit the severity of your addiction and your personal circumstances, and which are most cost-effective, we hope to make asking for help all the easier.
What can you expect from rehab programs and the recovery process? Here, we’re going to begin with what is often the first step, helping you learn what you might face, and clearing up some misconceptions about detox and its role in treating addiction.
What is detox?
Detox is a process, often assisted with the supervision of a medical professional and the use of medication, by which the body is essentially flushed of the drugs and alcohol currently working as contaminants. These influences can often impede recovery, so getting rid of them is usually the recommended first step.
How the detox process works, specifically, can depend on which substances you are dependent on and how severe the addiction is. For instance, adverse reactions to medicated alcohol detoxification are rare due to an in-depth assessment process that best looks at your circumstances and needs. The process tends to take between 8 and 12 days, and some of the medications that may be used to treat you include Valium, Librium, Lorazepam, and Oxazepam. Following that, you may be provided with Zopiclone to help with sleeping patterns, while vitamins and minerals may be prescribed to combat the loss of nutrients to the body.
Alcohol and tranquillizers have the highest risk of dangerous side effects when doing into withdrawal and the help of medical professionals is highly recommended to ensure you go through it as safely as possible. For other drugs, like opiates, the withdrawal symptoms can be highly unpleasant, but they should not be threatening. There are home detox kits you can use to undergo the process yourself, but it’s best done with a helping hand and some supervision.
Most importantly, you should keep in mind that detox is not a complete treatment of your addiction. It’s a vital step but is best followed up by following one of the alcohol & drug rehab options available in Bedfordshire.
Personalised Support For Your Recovery
We provide personalised support and resources for addiction recovery. Take the first step towards a brighter future today.
What are the withdrawal symptoms?
When the brain becomes dependent on drugs and alcohol, it suppresses the production of neurotransmitters like noradrenaline. When you stop using the substances your brain has become used to, it can react by unleashing a flood of adrenaline and similar neurotransmitters, which is what leads to withdrawal.
How withdrawal works and what it feels like changes on a case to case basis, as every drug is different. Addiction to some drugs might not have heavy physical withdrawal side-effects, but may produce intense emotional reactions, as is the case with marijuana and ecstasy. Others like alcohol, tranquillizers, and opiates may produce a significant physical withdrawal. Here, we’re going to look at the broad range of symptoms you can potentially expect from withdrawal. It’s wise to go through detox with the help of a professional so you know what to expect and can be treated for the most severe of reactions.
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Social isolation
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Loss of concentration
- Poor memory
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Chest tightness
- Difficulty breathing
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Heartrate changes
- Heart palpitations
- Diarrhoea
- Muscle tension
- Shakes
Naturally, no one person is likely to go through all the different withdrawal symptoms during a single detox. As alcohol and tranquillizers produce the most severe withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to do them with the assistance and supervision of experts. They can help you wean yourself off your dependency gradually before detox or provide the right medical assistance to reduce your risk of the following dangerous symptoms:
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Hallucinations
- Grand mal seizures
- Delirium tremens
With the help of professionals, withdrawal can still be a highly unpleasant thing to go through, but it shouldn’t be dangerous or life-threatening, so make sure you’re not going through it alone.
How long does detox last?
There is no set answer for long the detox process lasts. It depends largely on what substance you are detoxing from and how severe your addiction lasts. For those who are fighting a more moderate addiction, it may take a little as two days. For others, it may take two to three weeks. Following the withdrawal symptoms mentioned above, you may still go through the post-acute stage, which can result in mood changes and swings, tiredness, disturbed sleep, and other side effects that may crop up for a couple of days at a time over a period of up to two years, too. It’s wise to manage your expectations and know that recovery is an ongoing process.
What comes next?
After detox is done and the first stage of your withdrawal is complete, the help of alcohol & drug rehab programs in Bedfordshire can be essential in ensuring your ongoing recovery. These can include learning more about the mechanisms of addiction, treating stress, anxiety and depression that factor into it, and discovering habits and techniques that can help you avoid relapse triggers and build a healthier lifestyle. Remember, detox is only the first step of a recovery plan. Following that, you still have the rest of the rehab process to go, which can take as little as a couple of weeks up to three months depending on the nature of your addiction.
The road to recovery can be challenging, often physically as well as mentally. Doing so with the help of qualified professionals and a caring support system that knows how to best face addiction can make it more sustainable. Get in touch with Help4Addiction and we will gladly help you find which alcohol & drug rehab options in Bedfordshire can best help you.
Help for Addiction and Rehab is available in all areas of Bedfordshire including:
- Arlesey
- Ampthill
- Astwick
- Barton-le-Clay
- Bedford
- Biggleswade
- Bromham
- Clophill
- Cranfield
- Dunstable
- Eaton Bray
- Flitwick
- Gravenhurst
- Houghton Regis
- Kemptson
- Langford
- Leighton Buzzard
- Linslade
- Lower Dean
- Luton
- Milton Bryan
- Newnham
- Potton
- Riseley
- Sandy
- Shefford
- Stotfold
- Toddington
- Wootton
Other related areas to consider for rehab
About Author
Nicholas Conn
Nicholas Conn is a leading industry addiction expert who runs the UK’s largest addiction advisory service and is regularly featured in the national press, radio and TV. He is the founder and CEO of a drug and alcohol rehab center called Help4addiction, which was founded in 2015. He has been clean himself since 2009 and has worked in the Addiction and Rehab Industry for over a decade. Nick is dedicated to helping others recover and get treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. In 2013, he released a book ‘The Thin White’ line that is available on Amazon.
Request A Callback
Receive a callback, we’re ready to help you get on the road to recovery.
24/7 Helpline Support
Don’t hesitate to reach out – we’re here to provide the support you deserve, anytime, day or night.
