NHS Rehab | Benefits, Drawbacks & What to Expect

‘Rehab’ is in itself an umbrella term – it refers to any form of targeted support in the context of addiction. The types of rehab support available on the NHS can vary from region to region. It will largely depend on the services in your area, the length of waiting lists and what types of treatment you have already utilised previously.

Why are there different types of rehab?

Rehab on the NHS can take many different forms. This can include:

• Residential rehab
• Outpatient rehab
• Talking therapies
• Detoxification
• Medication
• Self-help
• Support groups

Research has suggested that a multi-intervention approach is the most effective.This is because addiction itself is a complex, multi-layered phenomena. Addictions, like many other types of health conditions, can have several underlying causes.

Researchers in addiction psychology have suggested that the following are often linked to the development of an addiction:

• Childhood abuse, trauma or neglect
• Experience of an abusive relationship
• Chronic stress
• Experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event
• Bereavement
• Having a chronic physical illness
• Having a mental health condition
• Growing up with addiction in the family or childhood home
• Specific genetic factors
• Dopamine deficiency leading to reward-seeking behaviours

Alongside these causes there can be several contributing factors or ‘triggers’ that can exacerbate symptoms. These can include significant life events such as divorce, grief, a job loss or financial precarity. Whilst it is not possible to fully predict or control these factors, a multi-pronged approach to rehab is typically the most apt form of rehab for addiction as a multidimensional condition.

Different types of interventions can address these various interweaving factors. Some of the above experiences need to be unpicked in psychotherapeutic forms of rehab. Others can be addressed more efficiently through medication and other forms of symptom management. By speaking with a professional about your experiences, you can begin to assess what forms of support are most appropriate for you.

Accessing support

Typically, you access either NHS alcohol rehab or NHS drug rehab by being referred. This typically involves speaking with a primary care clinician, such as a general practitioner (GP). However, there are some instances where people may not feel comfortable speaking to their GP about their situation. When this occurs, the best option is to make contact with your local drug treatment service directly.

Reaching out for help can feel like a mammoth task. However, doing so places your feet firmly in the right place for the climb of recovery to take place. When you first see a GP, you may be asked to speak about your current situation. This can include being asked questions about your physical and mental health, alongside some lifestyle queries, such as:

• How often do you drink, and how much?
• Do you use recreational drugs?
• Do you misuse prescription medications or legal highs?
• Do you smoke?
• Are you currently safe?
• Do you feel that you are at risk of harm from anyone, or may be a risk to anyone around you?
• What is your current housing situation?

These kinds of questions can give the health professional a clearer understanding of your situation which will allow them to assess what types of support may be most appropriate for you.

You may then be referred to private drug treatment through the NHS, put into contact with a local addictions services charity, or access mental health support or medication through your GP or a specialist team.

Appointments with specialist services

Attending your first appointment with a specialist service can be daunting. Often, you may be asked some of the same questions a GP may have asked beforehand. You may also be asked to give some more information on your living situation, including details on your family, work and current living conditions. During this appointment, you may be asked to provide a sample of some kind. This will then be used for a drug screening.

Following this, you will be allocated a keyworker. This key worker will be a contact throughout your treatment and will help you build a treatment plan. The type of treatment you access will vary and could take the form of:

• Psychotherapy
• Medically assisted therapy
• Detox
• Self-help / support groups
• Help with harm reduction
• Residential rehab

In the context of the NHS, it is less common to access inpatient rehab (where you temporarily stay in a rehab centre for the duration of your treatment). This is usually due to long waiting lists, limited places and high costs. This means that you are likely to engage with other forms of support before a residential rehab option is offered. This does not mean that residential rehab is not offered in severe cases – it solely means that this may not be the first option utilised.

There are several forms of rehab available – NHS rehab is not always suitable for everyone, but it does have some tangible benefits, such as:

• being cost-effective (treatment is accessed for free)
• you can maintain close contact with your GP or primary care team 
• community support can be accessed 
• with being largely accessible at home, you can maintain your usual routine commitments

Like other forms of healthcare, rehab on the NHS is available free of cost. If you pay for your prescriptions, then you may be expected to pay the cost of any medications you are recommended to use. There may be instances where you need to pay to cover the cost of travel to treatment, but the treatment itself will be free of charge.

NHS online recommends researching local drug and alcohol rehabs through the following avenues:

• making an appointment with your GP
• speaking to your local drug service
• Contacting us at Lindwood House