How to Choose the Best Rehab

Accessing rehab can be daunting. At UKAT, we believe that transparency around the addiction recovery process is an essential way to demystify concerns surrounding seeking treatment. From initial consultations through to our aftercare programmes, we aim to offer a clear insight into what addiction recovery can look like with UKAT. Here at Primrose Lodge, we know that choosing the right rehab for your situation is of huge importance. But what should you be looking for in addiction treatment? What is the difference between NHS and private rehab? What additional factors are there to consider?

How do I know if rehab is for me?

Generally, rehabilitative treatment is used to help improve the quality of life for individuals dealing with illness-related difficulties. These conditions can be physical, psychological, or in the case of addiction, a mix of both. Rehab can be seen as a manifestation of the beginning of your recovery journey, a cornerstone to signal the start of your progress towards an addiction-free future.

Most people enter rehab for one or more of the following reasons:

• They find that they cannot reduce their substance use even when they try to
• Cravings are too difficult to ignore
• Their emotional distress is overwhelming
• They have thoughts, feelings, or memories that are very painful
• They are struggling to meet the professional, educational or social requirements in their life
• Their addiction is leading to conflict in relationships
• Their addiction is leading to financial trouble
• Their addiction is leading them to feel out of control, unsafe, or unable to predict their own actions

Regardless of your reasons for entering rehab, most clients share one similar feeling – that their addiction has grown larger, and what may first have begun as a life-jacket is now contributing to their fall.

The benefits of rehab

Both anecdotes and clinical data establish that rehab is effective in comparison to independent attempts towards sobriety. Of course, the primary goal of rehab is the reduction (or cessation) of substance abuse. But the benefits of rehab do not step there. In fact, the positives of addiction treatment can be felt in several areas of life, manifesting as:

• A greater sense of self-worth
• Improved confidence and trust
• Increased emotional intelligence
• Higher distress tolerance
• Increase in life satisfaction
• Increase in desire to pursue opportunities
• Reduction in physical health complaints
• The development of healthy coping skills
• Improved communication skills
• Addressing deep-seated trauma and cognitive distortions
• Regaining a healthy sense of control

Types of rehab treatment

There are four key types of rehab that you will often come across in the addiction treatment industry. These four characteristics are:

1. NHS rehab
2. Private rehab
3. Residential rehab
4. Outpatient rehab

By deciding whether you would like to explore NHS or private, residential or outpatient rehab, you effectively begin to assess what level of support you may currently need. Whilst professionals will always be able to advise you and provide recommendations for your current situation, most of the time, addiction rehab is voluntary. This means that you have control over what your rehab experience may look like.

NHS rehab

NHS rehab refers to addiction support that is accessed and provided through the National Health Service in the UK. The key positive of NHS rehab is that it is free to access. One drawback, however, is long waiting lists as well as limited choice in the interventions you may engage with. Common support options include prescription medications and referrals to talking therapies.

Private rehab

Private rehab is a way of referring to forms of treatment provided by industry specialists outside of the NHS healthcare system. The client usually funds these forms of support in some capacity. Private rehab is an umbrella term that refers to a wide range of psychological, physical, holistic, and lifestyle interventions that are targeted to your specific needs.

Residential rehab

Residential rehab involves temporarily living in the clinic where you are receiving treatment. This support varies in length but can last anywhere between a few days and several weeks. It can be useful as a more intensive mode of support.

Outpatient rehab

Outpatient rehab is a more ‘appointment’ based intervention, meaning that you do not need to alter your living arrangements to engage with it. This can reduce rehab’s impact on your day-to-day commitments and schedules.

Additional factors to consider

Making the decision to access rehab privately or through the NHS and a residential or outpatient client helps you to decide what mode of treatment may be most appropriate for you. Once you have thought about this, it may be time to think about what the ideal rehab package looks like for you. This might include thinking about two additional elements:

1. Therapies on offer
2. Additional needs

It is good practice to research what types of therapies a clinic has to offer before deciding on a rehab for you.

You may also want to investigate the dual diagnosis support offered in different settings, to ensure that you can be provided with treatment and adjustments when and where needed.

At UKAT, we pride ourselves on offering gold-standard support to clients in our rehab centres across the country. Whilst maintaining a high level of clinical and therapeutic intervention will always be our key goal, we also believe that rehab should offer additional elements in order to really boost the impact it can have on an individual’s well-being. We do this by providing additional elements to our rehab packages, both at Primrose Lodge and across our other clinics. These additional factors include:

1. Amenities
2. Surroundings
3. Reputation

Amenities

Whilst they may seem secondary, the amenities offered by a service can be very influential when choosing a rehab. Amenities available at Primrose Lodge, for example, include:

• Security
• Access to a private gym
• Private rooms
• En-suite bathrooms
• On-site Wi-Fi
• Laundry service
• Cleaning service
• Catering service
• 24/7 opening hours

Surroundings

For many people, one of the key draws of rehab is the thought of temporarily moving away from any pressures that may be contributing to stress levels. For many, surrounding themselves with the quiet serenity of a natural landscape can be a powerful tool to decompress. Our rehab clinics are frequently positioned against serene settings with the goal of cultivating an extra level of calm for our clients.

Reputation

Finally, it is very important to consider the reputation of your rehab provider. Does your rehab provider offer support from specialist staff? How are their patient reviews and CQC reports? You can find out more on rehab provider’s websites, or during an initial consultation.

Get help

At Primrose Lodge, we know that addiction is a very heavy weight to bear alone. This is why we strive to offer the best specialist, confidential support in the sector.  We provide individuals struggling with dependency the opportunity to engage with innovative treatment. From addiction counselling to monitored detox, all our interventions are facilitated by clinical professionals. Take the first steps towards lightening the load of addiction by contacting our team for an initial consultation.