Can I Do Rehab At Home?
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Substance abuse and addiction can be dangerous, having lasting effects on your physical health. Addiction is known as a chronic illness that can impact your life in many ways, from your relationships to your finances.
If you think you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, it’s important to address your addiction and seek treatment.
There are a range of options when treating addiction and substance misuse – and you may wish to complete rehab from home. This may be the case if you wish to carry on your life as usual – attend work and care for your children.
But is it possible to complete a rehab program at home? And what do you need to consider before doing so? That’s what we’re going to explore on this page. Read on to learn more about drug and alcohol rehab, and whether you can complete rehab from your own home.
Key Stages of Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment
The drug and alcohol rehab process, regardless of where you complete your sessions, typically follows three key stages – detoxification, therapy, and aftercare. Read on to learn more about these three stages.
Detox
Detoxification is the process of cleansing your body of a substance. During a drug or alcohol detox, all access to drugs and alcohol will be cut off. Although it’s possible to detox ‘cold turkey’, we never recommend quitting alcohol or drugs suddenly without assistance.
Withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous – and the general rule of thumb is that the more severe the dependence, or the longer you’ve been addicted to a substance, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms will be.
If you wish to detox at home, you should check if you are eligible for an at-home detox kit.
Some people will choose to undergo a detox alone, whereas, at Help4Addiction, we usually recommend that you undergo a drug detox or alcohol detox as part of a larger rehab program.
This is because detoxification only addresses the physical aspect of addiction – physical dependence. It does not address the psychological and social aspects of addiction. This is something that is addressed in the next stage of rehab; therapy.
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Therapy
Upon detoxing from drugs and/ or alcohol, you may proceed to receive therapy treatment. Different clinics will have different options available – and one size does not fit all when it comes to therapy.
Some forms of therapy in rehab include CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), counselling, interpersonal therapy, DBT (dialectical behavioural therapy), group therapy, family therapy, and many more.
Therapy can not only help you if you have a dual diagnosis (an existing mental health condition such as anxiety or depression alongside substance use disorder) but can help you in all aspects of your life.
Addiction therapy can teach you effective coping strategies that can help you to manage and prevent relapse, and give you a further understanding of yourself and your addiction.
Many people will receive therapy on an outpatient basis. Outpatient therapy involves living at home as usual but attending regularly scheduled sessions. However, there are becoming more options available to attend rehab therapy sessions online.
Online rehab therapy can take place on video calls or messaging software – you’ll have access to a qualified counsellor who can treat you throughout your course of therapy.
Aftercare
Aftercare, also known as secondary treatment, occurs on an outpatient basis. Although in some cases, you’ll be able to receive secondary treatment from home, in most cases, you’ll be required to travel to attend your sessions.
For example, if you were to attend peer support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.
However, it’s possible to receive ongoing support in the form of online support or telephone support – meaning you can receive aftercare from the comfort of your own home.
When Would I Need Medication-Assisted Treatment?
If you have a severe addiction, we usually recommend inpatient rehab – whether it be a cocaine addiction, heroin addiction, alcohol addiction, or prescription drug addiction.
This is because generally speaking, the more severe the addiction, or the longer you’ve been addicted to a substance, the more difficult the withdrawal process will be.
Medication-assisted treatment is when you are given medication during the detoxification process to streamline the process. Detoxing from a substance can be hard, and sometimes, for your own safety, detox medication may be administered.
For example, when withdrawing from alcohol, you may be given alcohol detox medication such as Benzodiazepines, Acamprosate, or Disulfiram.
Some medications may be to ease the withdrawal symptoms, whereas other medications may be used as a deterrent to help you stop taking a substance.
Managing Severe Withdrawal Symptoms
You may need medication-assisted treatment in order to successfully detox from a substance. Detox medication such as Acamprosate may be given as part of your treatment to help manage the severe withdrawal symptoms.
This form of addiction medicine works by stabilising certain signals in your brain that are affected by substance withdrawal – altering GABA levels, and ultimately easing alcohol cravings.
Like alcohol withdrawal, opioid withdrawal can be particularly unpleasant. If you have a severe dependence, medications may be administered such as Buprenorphine or Clonidine.
These can provide relief from certain physical withdrawal symptoms. You may also be given an opioid substitution to ease yourself off the substance.
What To Consider Before Doing Rehab at Home
Before you decide to complete rehab from home, it’s important to consider certain factors. At-home rehab is not for everyone – and as we’ve established, if your addiction is severe, we always recommend that you check in to a residential rehab/ inpatient rehab facility.
Be sure to inform your primary care doctor before attending rehab from home – including before you attempt to detox from drugs or alcohol. The withdrawal process can be difficult and sometimes dangerous, so it’s important that your doctor is aware.
Another thing to consider when detoxing from home is temptation. Be sure to remove all access to drugs or alcohol, and ensure that the people you surround yourself with won’t tempt you. It may be helpful to have somebody stay at home with you, especially during the detox stage.
Keeping yourself occupied can help overcome drug and alcohol cravings. Be sure to get plenty of fresh air and exercise. Some people also practice mindfulness, whether it be meditation or yoga.
What To Expect: Rehab From Home
Outpatient rehab differs from residential rehab/ inpatient treatment in many ways. For example, with inpatient rehab, you have access to rehab facilities round-the-clock, as well as accommodation and meals provided for you.
This can make rehab more expensive but is often a better option for those with severe substance abuse issues.
This is because you are being taken out of the environment in which you developed your substance use issues – allowing you to detox and overcome your addiction in a safe, temptation-free environment.
Some people prefer to detox from drugs or alcohol in a facility, and then return home as an outpatient, or conduct the rest of their rehab online.
After completing a detox successfully, you may complete an online rehab program – which can be done from the comfort of your own home. This typically involves personalised support from qualified counsellors.
You may attend group therapy or one-to-one therapy and counselling. This ultimately provides you with support once you’ve detoxed. However, many people prefer to attend rehab sessions in person, particularly when attending group therapy or family therapy.
Finding The Right Rehab For You
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, alcohol was the top drug involved in drug-related emergency hospital admissions, with 41.70% of drug-related ED visitsbeing alcohol-related. Opioids followed this, with 14.79% of drug-related ED visits being related to opioids.
We recommend that you seek treatment for your addiction sooner rather than later – doing so can prevent further damage and even prevent hospitalisation.
At Help4Addiction, we can source the right treatment plan for you, whether it be using an at-home detox kit, or a full rehab plan with detoxification, therapy and secondary treatment,
We will discuss the cost of rehab with you in advance so you know what to expect, and we can find the right alcohol and drug treatment provider and plan for you within your budget.
Getting the right treatment can ultimately increase the chances of beginning your alcohol and drug-free life.
Contact us today to explore your options and begin your recovery journey. Remember, you don’t have to deal with addiction alone; we are here to help.
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.
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