What is Rehab?
A number of people wonder what is rehab exactly and what does it entail? Residential rehab, known as rehab, describes a treatment program used around the world for drug and alcohol misuse. Rehab is usually carried out in a fully residential setting allowing addicts some time away coupled with an intense program of care and support.
Most rehabs are abstinence-based and allow a break from all mind-altering substances and teach the addict how to become free from substances long term and when back home and in the local community. The cost of rehab in the UK can vary widely depending on location and the type of rehab that you need.
There are many rehabs all over the UK and around the world. All UK rehabs are governed by the overseeing body CQC who ensure all treatment providers follow correct procedures.
What is Rehab Like?
Programs in a residential rehab range from 7 days to 12 weeks (sometimes even longer) and a lot of treatment centres now also offer the opportunity to move on to secondary and sober living. Broken down this will follow 3 stages of treatment: primary, secondary and tertiary.
Primary Treatment
Primary treatment takes place in a residential setting. This will include the primary care and psychological work needed as well as any medical detox if required.
This type of care will almost always be assisted by highly qualified medical professionals such as a consultant psychiatrist.
This would be the initial phase of a program that will challenge the behaviours around drug and alcohol use and provide a safe and supportive environment to achieve abstinence.
Primary rehab will follow techniques such as 12 steps, CBT, DBT, alongside specific workshops, fitness, nutrition and group therapies to provide the addict with a strong and educated foundation to move forward with.
Secondary Treatment
Following primary treatment, some like the additional care and support of secondary care. This is something now offered by most treatment centres and sometimes at no extras cost.
A secondary residential treatment centre will help support the move from intensive primary care into normal living. As well as providing somewhere safe to live, secondary care helps to slow the transition back into day to day life allowing flexibility of being able to look for work and go off-site but still providing a structured environment and supportive staff/peers.
Secondary treatment, although not considered an essential part of treatment, can be equally as important for some in gaining the tools and strength required for ongoing and long-term abstinence.
Tertiary Treatment
Tertiary treatment, also known as sober living houses, provides long-term support to gradually ease someone back into their day to day life. The structure of sober living can vary however all sober living environments offer a safe environment for individuals who are in recovery and able to offer each other support.
Residents in tertiary treatment still must follow rules, such as abstinence, curfews and cleaning schedules. This third stage of treatment gives the individual a lot more personal responsibility for themselves and their sobriety than the safety of primary or secondary care.
Residents will normally freely come and go to work and their daily lives, effectively renting a room within a house with other recovering addicts. It would be very normal in tertiary treatment for random drug testing to be carried out and abstinence would be essential, or the individual may be asked to leave the home and referred back to primary treatment.
Admissions to rehab must always be voluntary and following assessment. Residential rehab centres will always advise honestly on the length of time they feel someone requires. This can vary quite drastically depending on substance and detox needs. This time length can also be changed following assessment and deeper understanding of an individual’s medical needs/history.
Rehab centres themselves are not generally medical type settings and are, purposely, very well-presented homes for someone to detox/rehabilitate not only safely but comfortably. Find out more about what happens in rehab.
Many rehabs provide a holistic approach to care and living accommodations with onsite gyms and therapy rooms.
