Medically reviewed by Dr Iqbal Mohiuddin MBBS BSc, PGCME Many risk-takers visit Staffordshire seeking extreme thrills and excitement, with the popular Alton Towers theme park located in this county.
Sadly, there are also more people taking risks with drugs and alcohol in Staffordshire than ever before.
Here at Rehab 4 Addiction, we can help you take back control of your life and break free from your addiction to drugs and alcohol.
A significant number of people in Staffordshire are engaging in harmful and dangerous behaviours around alcohol, with 144,000 residents classified as binge drinkers.
Additionally, there are almost 200,000 people in Staffordshire who are drinking at levels considered to be at an increased or high risk.
In recent years, the rate of deaths due to drug use in Staffordshire has increased rapidly.
Current figures [1] show a record high, with 286 deaths from drug poisoning between 2018 and 2020.
If you’ve ever tried to force someone with an addiction to seek help and attend rehab, you’ll know that you are often fighting a losing battle.
If the affected person is unable to recognise the problems that their addiction is causing, a planned intervention may be more effective.
Being confronted by friends, family and other loved ones about the extent of their addiction can often be the push needed for the individual to seek treatment.
Each person will have the opportunity to speak, and all members of the intervention will encourage the individual to get help.
It is often more effective to employ the services of a professional interventionist, who will be experienced in managing interventions and diffusing highly charged and emotional conversations.
You may also want to consider the CRAFT style of intervention.
CRAFT stands for Community Reinforcement And Family Training. [2]
This gives family members the skills to manage the affected person, praising and rewarding them for cutting down on substance use while continuing to live a healthy and thriving life themselves.
CRAFT can be helpful for people who may be unwilling to engage with a more confrontational style -such as a traditional intervention- and can help to guide them towards professional addiction treatment.
When you are deep in alcohol addiction, it can be difficult to recognise that you have a problem.
Your actions and behaviours may seem reasonable and normal to you, even if they are having a negative impact on your life.
The CAGE questionnaire is a set of four simple questions that can help to determine whether you are suffering from an addiction to alcohol.
While CAGE is commonly used by doctors as part of an initial assessment, you can also complete the questionnaire yourself.
CAGE is an acronym that stands for Cut, Annoy, Guilty and Eye. [3]
Each word represents one of the four questions that make up the questionnaire.
You can refer to the CAGE questionnaire if you begin to have concerns about your alcohol use.
If you answer ‘yes’ to two or more of the questions, this is an indication that you may be developing a substance use problem.
Aside from the above, there are other sources you can use that can help determine if you may have an addiction.
There are the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), [4] ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine), [5] and the DSM-5 Guidelines.
The price of drug and alcohol rehab in Staffordshire can vary drastically depending on several factors, including the type of clinic you choose and the length of your stay.
If you opt for a general rehab clinic in Staffordshire or near Staffordshire with more basic amenities and shared rooms, you are likely to pay far less than someone who chooses a luxury facility.
On average most people can expect to pay approximately £14,000 for a 28-day stay, which works out to be roughly £495 a day.
While rehab can be expensive, it is also an investment in your health.
Some clinics in Staffordshire offer flexible payment plans to help manage the cost of treatment, making rehab more accessible.
It’s normal to be concerned about spending time away from your loved ones and responsibilities, so you may be curious about the length of time that you will remain at a rehab clinic in Staffordshire or near Staffordshire.
Most people can expect to remain at a residential rehab clinic for up to 30 days, although some programmes can be as long as 60 or even 90 days.
The length of your treatment programme will usually be determined during the assessment process when you initially arrive at the clinic.
It will be based on several factors including the severity of the addiction and your likelihood of relapse.
Some substances such as alcohol and opiates can take longer to recover from, as the detoxification process can be particularly time-consuming.
It is always recommended that patients attend at least three weeks of counselling sessions once they have completed the detox process.
If you attend rehab purely to detox, you will likely complete a 7-day detox programme before being discharged.
However, it is recommended that you stay for at least 30 days to fully reap the benefits of rehab including counselling, aftercare and relapse prevention.
As drug and alcohol rehab can be prohibitively expensive for some people, it can be helpful to find alternative payment methods that can reduce the cost as much as possible.
Private health insurance can be a great solution, as long as you consider the potential downsides first.
If you are covered under employee health insurance, you may be able to attend rehab through your workplace.
However, you will likely be required to disclose your addiction to your employer if you choose to go down this route.
You can also access rehab through your own private health insurance, but this is likely to raise your premiums as you will be required to inform your provider about your addiction.
It is possible to go to residential rehab on the NHS, but it is an extremely time-consuming and difficult process.
You will usually be required to prove that you have exhausted all other community-based treatment methods, which can take up a lot of your time and energy.
This can be particularly difficult for people who are struggling with addiction, as they may have trouble finding the motivation to stay on track.
The following steps are likely to be involved when you seek NHS funding for drug and alcohol rehab.
Even if you complete all of the above steps, there is still a high likelihood that you will be denied NHS funding.
This is unfortunately due to a lack of public funding for this service, and this results in many people not receiving the treatment they need.
Other free and NHS-run [6] addiction treatment services in Staffordshire include:
Address: The Bridge, St George’s Parkway Stafford, ST16 3NE
Telephone: 01785 221665
Website: https://camhs.mpft.nhs.uk/south-staffordshire
Address: 10 Browning St, Stafford, ST16 3AT
Telephone: 01785 270080
Website: https://humankindcharity.org.uk/service/staffordshire-treatment-and-recovery-service/
Address: 22 The Cresent, Stafford, ST16 1ED
Telephone: 01785 243712
Website: https://www.turning-point.co.uk/find-a-service.html#/73
Address: Lawton House, Bellringer Road, Trentham, ST4 8HH
Telephone: 07739 775202
Website: https://www.combined.nhs.uk/our-services/substance-misuse/
In addition the the above, you can reach out to organisations such as Change Grow Live, We Are With You, and Alateen for further help.
Other useful organisations you can contact include the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the NHS Foundation Trust and the National Association for Children of Alcoholics.
Living in the UK, we are fortunate enough to have access to free healthcare through the NHS.
As a result it is possible to receive NHS-funded drug and alcohol rehab if specific criteria are met.
Additionally, the option to access private rehab is still available, with many rehab clinics dotted around Staffordshire.
It can be difficult to choose between NHS and private rehab, so we have listed the most common benefits and downsides below.
Benefits of NHS rehab include:
Benefits of private rehab include:
Downsides of NHS rehab include:
Downsides of private rehab include:
No matter which option you choose, you can feel confident knowing that you will be accessing high-quality care from experienced medical professionals.
When it comes to rehab in Staffordshire or near Staffordshire, there are no benefits to a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Some people may benefit more from immersing themselves in the rehab experience as an inpatient, while others may find success as an outpatient on a part-time basis.
If you choose to attend rehab as an inpatient, you will remain at the clinic for the duration of your treatment.
This is the safest method of recovery as you will be monitored 24/7 and can be prescribed various medications to help you through the withdrawal process.
While inpatient rehab can be expensive, it is regarded as the most effective form of addiction treatment.
Alternatively, outpatient programmes allow patients to continue with their daily responsibilities while still attending rehab.
This allows them to hold down a job, look after children and perform other tasks while attending rehab part-time.
They will still benefit from a medically-managed detox, intensive counselling sessions and effective relapse prevention planning.
Outpatient rehab is more affordable and accessible to people in full-time employment, or those with children and other time-consuming commitments who still want to focus on their recovery.
Alcohol withdrawal can be extremely dangerous, and as a result it is recommended that anyone who is reducing or stopping their alcohol intake should do so under the guidance of medical professionals at a rehab centre.
You may experience the following withdrawal symptoms during alcohol detox and rehab:
The above symptoms range from merely unpleasant to dangerous and even deadly, [7] and they can get worse very quickly.
Thankfully, staff at our drug and alcohol rehabs in Staffordshire are trained and experienced in managing alcohol withdrawal.
You will benefit from constant monitoring by medical staff who will be able to prescribe medications such as Librium.
When taken in 10-day courses, Librium can help to prevent withdrawal-related seizures and anxiety.
Once you have completed the detox process you will then receive a series of intensive counselling sessions to reframe your mindset and help you resist cravings for alcohol in the future.
When you first arrive at alcohol and drug rehab, you will undergo a psychiatric assessment. This will be to ensure that you receive the correct treatment and therapies, and will be done by a psychiatrist or other medical professional.
For those with physical dependencies, you will need to undergo a medically-assisted detox. This is because some substances are very dangerous when you withdraw from them, such as heroin withdrawal.
After, you may be prescribed Chlordiazepoxide to help with the withdrawal effects, such as with alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Long-term effects of prolonged substance abuse include:
Once considered a substance relegated to parties and clubs, the addictive qualities of cocaine have caused this drug to take over people’s lives.
More people than ever are seeking treatment for cocaine addiction.
The psychological aspect of this dependency means that cocaine rehab is focused mainly on counselling and managing cravings.
While cocaine is not physically addictive, the psychological withdrawal symptoms experienced during the detox process can be difficult to manage without professional support. [8]
You may experience the following withdrawal symptoms during cocaine rehab:
Over time these symptoms will reduce, but it is important to keep your recovery at the forefront of your mind for years to come in order to prevent future relapse.
Heroin is considered to be one of the most difficult substances to recover from, as it is highly addictive both physically and psychologically.
As a result, heroin rehab involves 24/7 medical monitoring both to ensure your safety as well as preventing relapse.
You will begin your treatment with a full detox to flush all traces of heroin out of your system, before moving on to intensive counselling for at least three weeks.
Many people choose to begin maintenance therapy, which involves switching to a less addictive substance such as methadone.
This can be regulated and dispensed professionally, [9] making it a safer way to prevent heroin use.
You may experience the following withdrawal symptoms during heroin rehab:
Relapsing on heroin can be deadly, as your tolerance quickly drops when you begin recovery.
As a result, your usual dosage may result in an overdose if you attempt to use heroin after leaving rehab.
Some substances such as alcohol can be extremely dangerous to recover from, but it is considered to be fairly safe to stop using cannabis. When you are addicted to cannabis, it is called a cannabis use disorder.
This is because cannabis is psychologically addictive rather than physically addictive, [10] so your body will still be able to function without the use of this substance.
Most people will stop using cannabis as soon as they enter rehab, and will focus primarily on counselling and therapy for the duration of their stay.
You may experience the following withdrawal symptoms during cannabis rehab:
As cannabis is becoming more socially acceptable across the UK, effective aftercare and relapse prevention are needed once you leave rehab.
This may include ongoing counselling, local support groups or continuing to attend rehab as an outpatient.
Other types of addiction and disorders that can be treated at rehab include the following:
One of the main benefits of attending drug and alcohol rehab in Staffordshire is the large variety of addiction therapy treatments available across the county.
Many people see addiction as a purely physical ailment, but the reasons behind drug and alcohol use often go much deeper.
The large majority of addictions are completely or partly psychological in nature, so extensive counselling and therapy is needed in order to make a full recovery.
Some of the therapy treatments that you may have access to include the following:
We recommend that you visit the links listed above to gain a further understanding of each type of addiction therapy treatment to help determine the best option for you.
Additionally, you will benefit from other psychiatric treatment services such as: contingency management, the development of practical coping mechanisms, bespoke person-centred care and more.
Discovering that you are dealing with a mental health condition as well as a substance use disorder can be overwhelming and confusing.
Many people are not aware of their multiple conditions [11] until they are officially diagnosed when entering rehab.
When this happens it is known as a dual diagnosis.
So why do medical professionals consider co-occurring mental health disorders to be important when treating addiction?
Put simply, the two conditions are not entirely separate.
They are likely to interact with each other and prevent the individual from completely recovering until both conditions are successfully treated.
Someone with a mental health condition may self-medicate with drugs and alcohol in an attempt to keep their symptoms at bay.
Similarly, someone with an addiction may exacerbate an underlying mental health condition due to their substance use.
Co-occurring mental health conditions that can be treated at rehab include:
Our drug and alcohol rehabs in Staffordshire and near Staffordshire effectively treat patients with dual diagnoses using scientifically backed methods and research
You can also find general mental health support at Rethink Mental Illness, Papyrus, Young Minds, Samaritans and Mind UK.
A relapse can occur at any time after rehab, no matter how long you have been in recovery.
Even people who have remained sober for years are at risk of relapsing, particularly if they are no longer making their recovery a priority.
Thankfully, if you attend a drug and alcohol rehab in Staffordshire you will be encouraged to create a relapse prevention plan before leaving treatment, with help from your counsellor and medical team.
A relapse prevention plan will help you with the following:
It is crucial to remember that addiction recovery does not end when you leave the treatment centre.
Rehab is only the first step on the path to long-term sobriety.
Although you will no longer be surrounded by your counsellor and medical team once you leave rehab, you are not alone in your recovery.
There are a wide variety of support services across Staffordshire that you can access once you leave rehab, all with the aim of continuing your recovery and preventing relapse.
12-step programmes, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA),[12] Narcotics Anonymous (NA) [13] and Cocaine Anonymous (CA), [14] are available across Staffordshire for anyone wishing to be proactive about their addiction recovery.
These groups have a reputation as some of the most effective and inspiring substance support networks in the world.
The only requirement is to participate, and you will learn various techniques and mindsets that will help you continue your sobriety journey.
Self-Management And Recovery Training (SMART) is an organisation that provides effective help and support to people living with addiction.
At a SMART meeting, [15] you will learn to identify and manage your triggers while building a strong support system and living a healthy, productive life.
For some people, detoxing from alcohol or drugs at home can be a safe and affordable option.
You will be assessed by a medical professional, issued prescription medication and receive regular check-ups throughout the process.
Once you leave rehab you can choose to continue your treatment as an outpatient, where you will attend the clinic on a part-time basis for counselling sessions and detox if required.
Having a friend or family member who is struggling with addiction can take a toll on your mental, physical and emotional health.
Al-anon is a free organisation where you can meet with other people in similar situations and share your feelings.
These groups have been extremely successful in helping the families of those suffering from addiction become an effective support network, reinforcing relationships and making recovery all the more likely.
To take back control of your life, contact Rehab 4 Addiction today on 0800 140 4690.
We assist you in selecting the most appropriate form of addiction treatment in Staffordshire or near Staffordshire.
We aim to facilitate your recovery efforts in the best way possible, raising your overall sense of self-esteem and self-worth and helping to make sobriety a reality.
All of the rehabs we recommend are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (England and Wales) or the Care Inspectorate (Scotland).
Get help for addiction anywhere in Staffordshire, including in Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Lichfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Eccleshall, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Burton-upon-Trent, Burntwood, Kidsgrove, Rugeley, Leek, Cheadle, Biddulph, Hednesford, Stone, Womburne, Uttoxeter, Great Wyrely and many more.
This article was written by Boris Mackey. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
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