What is Alcohol Addiction?

It is unfortunate that frequent and excessive alcohol consumption or ‘binge drinking’ isn’t taken as seriously as it should be in the United Kingdom.

Not only does alcohol lead to a significant increase in accidents, injuries, violence, illnesses, and more, it is normalised in our society.

This can make it difficult for someone to call out for help for their brain disease.

Normalising alcohol consumption and binge drinking culture means that there is a misconception and a devastating stigma behind addiction.

Although there is sufficient neuroscientific evidence to suggest that there are significant chemical alterations in the brain when someone is suffering from addiction, many people downplay alcohol use disorder as a choice.

From 2020 to 2021, over a quarter of a million adults came into contact with a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in England alone.

Around 50% of this figure proceeded to enter treatment, and patients suffering from alcohol addiction accounted for 28% of the total number of patients at rehab during this timeframe.

However, these are only the confirmed number of patients who underwent addiction treatment at rehab.

Many more people are reluctant to seek treatment, because they either downplay the severity of their dependence, or they are concerned for the social ramifications of suffering from an addiction.

England alone saw over 20,000 alcohol-related deaths in the year 2020. In addition to the number of alcohol-related deaths, there were almost 9,000 alcohol-specific deaths in England and Wales in the same year.

This was almost a 20% increase from the previous year, as the pandemic increased people’s levels of alcohol consumption and inevitably intensified their dependence on alcoholic substances.

From 2019 to 2020, there were almost 1,000,000 hospital admissions due to alcohol-related and alcohol-specific injuries and conditions.

Not only does excessive drinking directly harm people, it places a great level of stress on public services such as the emergency services and health care.

It is estimated that heavy drinking and general alcohol consumption, addiction, injuries, and more accounts for costs of around £21 billion on public services in the United Kingdom.

When this figure is dissected, most of the costs are due to alcohol related crime, whereas the rest of the costs are due to lost productivity (unemployment, sickness, etc.) and National Health Service costs.

Long Term Health Complications of Alcohol Addiction

People struggling with addiction are in danger of suffering profoundly or potentially succumbing to withdrawal symptoms.

The more time spent consuming alcohol in heavy quantities, or even moderate drinking, the more likely people are to develop long term health complications.

It is important to look out for the early signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction.

We want to prevent dependence on alcohol becoming more severe, and minimise the long term health consequences related to alcohol consumption in addition to alcohol addiction.

Some of the long term health complications of alcohol consumption include:

Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety
Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD): Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
Long term liver damage such as liver disease and cirrhosis (also known as liver scarring)
Cancer (liver, throat, oesophagus, breast, rectum etc.)
Pancreatitis (also known as inflammation of the pancreas)
Cardiovascular Disease, high blood pressure, stroke & heart attack
Alcoholic Lung Disease: Acute lung injury and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

It is paramount that subjects seek treatment for their alcohol addiction as soon as they possibly can.

The sooner treatment begins, the easier it is to overcome alcohol dependence and addiction.

Seeking treatment too late can leave people with a range of psychological and physical health complications, whether they have recovered from alcohol addiction or not.

The long term psychological health complications can be extremely severe for subjects suffering from alcohol addiction.

They may suffer from conditions which are treatable and reversible such as anxiety or depression.

People can also end up developing Alzheimer’s Disease and alcohol-related dementia due to their excessive drinking habits.

Long term physical health complications include but are not limited to things such as alcoholic lung disease, pancreatitis, cancer, cardiovascular disease or heart disease, and more.

Along with the brain disease of addiction, these illnesses have the potential to severely alter the quality of life of a subject and can lead to premature death.

At an alcohol rehabilitation centre, patients will not only receive treatment and counselling for their addiction, but they will also undergo a range of therapy.

These treatments can help them prevent alcohol from damaging the body and psyche any further.

The sooner that subjects seek help and support from a professional treatment provider or addiction rehab referral service, the sooner they can resume a life of normalcy free of addiction complications.

Rehab Admission for Alcohol Addiction

When you contact us, you will be met with a team of experienced professionals at your disposal.

You’ll be greeted by a trained admissions officer at Rehab 4 Alcoholism, and can ask any questions you may have concerning the referral or rehabilitation process.

The trained admissions officer will answer any concerns that you may have in order to make you more aware of the process.

Only once you explicitly state that you are ready, we will conduct a health assessment to initiate the admissions process.

The admissions process is very simple, and it only requires that you answer a selection of questions in order for us to understand more about you.

We’ll discuss what you are looking for, your addiction, any medical conditions, and any specific requirements that you may have when entering an alcohol rehab.

While one may be reputable and experienced, another rehab may benefit someone because of their unique facilities or treatment options.

It is important to narrow down the options to maximise treatment effectiveness.

The health assessment will be conducted with complete discretion, and it does not require any form of payment and it can be done swiftly over the phone.

Once we have collected your information (which will not be used in any way other than for the rehab referral process), we can begin to help you identify the most optimal option for your health requirements.

Only once you reach out to us can we begin to help you. From 2020 to 2021 in England, it was estimated that 275,896 adults contacted an addiction treatment service.

However, only 130,490 of this figure actually entered treatment. This means that only around 47% of subjects actually enter treatment once they’ve contacted a rehab provider.

At Rehab 4 Alcoholism, we will ensure that you receive adequate support and guidance in your search for a suitable alcohol rehab centre.

The sooner that you reach out to us, the sooner that you can begin your treatment and combat addiction.

With our expertise and your intrinsic motivation, we can help you return to a life of optimal health and sobriety.

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

In addition to the CAGE Questionnaire is the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, or AUDIT.

The AUDIT is one of the most popular forms of alcohol screening tools since it was developed and published in 1989.

In fact, it is available in 40 languages and it is used by health practitioners along with non-health practitioners.

The AUDIT is available for non-health practitioners to use in order to gain more understanding about your level of alcohol dependence.

It should not be utilised as a definitive form of diagnosis unless a professional and licensed health practitioner is present. You should always seek a diagnosis conducted from a licensed professional.

However, you may be intrigued to understand more about your addiction, and the AUDIT is a useful tool towards doing so.

The AUDIT is used in similar fashion to the CAGE Questionnaire. Subjects will answer a range of questions which are related to alcohol consumption, dependence, and its consequences.

Subjects should answer as carefully and honestly as they possibly can in order to gain valuable insight into their addiction. Without answering the questions honestly, the questionnaire is redundant.

When subjects answer honestly, they will be provided with a score. This score will let them understand how mild, moderate, or severe their form of alcohol dependence is.

The criteria can be divided into three categories:

Lower than 8 points: Mildly addicted, or susceptible to developing an addiction.
Higher than 8 points: Moderately addicted to alcohol.
Higher than 13 points: Severely addicted to alcohol.

Subjects who are mildly addicted to alcohol can seek support either through an outpatient or an inpatient programme.

Both forms of treatment will be beneficial in order to combat addiction because they will not require an intense level of treatment and supervision.

Those who receive higher than 8 points should consider entering a residential rehab facility as an inpatient.

This is especially the case for those who receive higher than 13 points during their assessment. Patients who are suffering from severe forms of addiction require the utmost level of care and support.

Staging an Intervention: Helping Someone Else

Seeking support to overcome addiction does not always come from intrinsic motivation. Sometimes, it comes from extrinsic motivation and external factors.

These are when factors other than the addicted person him or herself are what motivates them to seek addiction treatment.

It is often the case that a friend or a family member of the addicted person is who calls us at Rehab 4 Alcoholism.

Close relations to the addicted person often struggle to navigate the process of supporting their loved one by themselves.

So, at Rehab 4 Alcoholism, we can provide them support in their quest to help their loved one seek recovery.

While you cannot enter someone else into an alcohol rehabilitation facility, you can help stage an intervention in order to thoroughly convince them to seek treatment.

Interventions can be very effective in convincing individuals to undergo addiction treatment when they are being reluctant to acknowledge their addiction or to seek treatment.

In fact, interventions have an estimated success rate of around 80 to 90%.

What this means is that for every 10 interventions held with 10 different individuals, 8 or 9 of these individuals are likely to seek treatment.

Some patients require more than one intervention session in order to finally seek treatment.

Rehab 4 Alcoholism can assign friends and family members an interventionist in order to stage an intervention at a convenient time and location.

The licensed interventionist will also create a strategic plan towards guiding the addicted person into treatment, as well as a plan to help his or her loved ones who are indirectly affected by alcohol addiction.

What makes an intervention effective is that it allows participants (e.g. friends and family members) to clearly share their thoughts and feelings about their loved one’s addiction, to their loved one.

It is important that this is done in a safe, non-judgemental and non-confrontational environment in order to promote honest communication.

During an intervention, the participants will be able to not only say how their loved one’s addiction is affecting them, but they will be encouraged to think of specific examples to reinforce their points.

Participants will take turns expressing their concerns to the addicted person, and the addicted person.

This will hopefully help them to realise the extent of their addiction and how it severely impacts their family and close circle.

While some people may think they can host an intervention without the assistance of a licensed interventionist, they may be severely underestimating the process and the significance of having a professional present.

A licensed interventionist will not only coordinate to set a date and place for the intervention, they will formulate a plan following acceptance or rejection.

The interventionist will educate all participants about the rehab process, and create a team.

The stages which a licensed interventionist will help with includes but are not limited to:

Creating an Intervention Team: The interventionist will create a list featuring friends and family members who have a positive relationship or can have a positive effect on the addicted person’s recovery journey. The interventionist may omit people who may have a negative influence or people who are also suffering from addiction
Formulating and Implement Intervention Plans: The interventionist will organise the intervention and establish the most convenient time and place for it to be held
Learning about the addicted person’s history: While they may be a licensed practitioner, they are unlikely to know the addicted person personally. Therefore, the interventionist will thoroughly accumulate information about the addicted person’s history in order to formulate a suitable plan
Educating the participants on the rehab process: The interventionist will help the active participants to understand the complexities of addiction and the addiction treatment process
Facilitate rehearsals: The participants will not have to undergo the intervention unprepared. The interventionist will help them prepare thoroughly in order for them to be more comfortable when the time comes to share their thoughts
Encourage writing: In addition to facilitating rehearsals, the interventionist will encourage participants to put down their thoughts in writing. The interventionist can then help participants articulate what they are feeling more accurately
Include participants throughout rehab treatment: The interventionist will let friends and family members understand how they are involved throughout rehab treatment
Planning for Rejection: Interventions are not bulletproof, and it is possible that it will not be enough to encourage the addicted person to seek treatment. The interventionist will establish an appropriate procedure following possible rejection
Establish boundaries: The interventionist will also let friends and family members establish healthy boundaries from their loved one. It can be useful to allow the addicted person to associate alcohol consumption with negative connotations

There are various forms of intervention methods which can be employed.

One popular example is CRAFT Intervention, which is highly popularised due to its advocacy towards supporting friends and family members.

Reducing Negative Connotations of Addiction

When approaching other people who may be suffering from an alcohol addiction, it is important to display some sensitivity towards their condition.

Aside from showing concern and attempting to support them in every way that you can, consider using terminology which does not stigmatise addiction in order to make them feel safer.

There are many stigmatising phrases and terms that are used by people when discussing addiction.

One of the most prominent examples is using the term ‘addict’ instead of ‘addicted person’.

Whereas the term ‘addicted person’ is more sensitive to the person who suffers from addiction, the term ‘addict’ reduces the person’s identity to their illness.

By adjusting your language and learning about the complexities and stigmas surrounding addiction, you are taking an extra step in order to make the environment that you share with the addicted person a safe and non-judgemental space.

Using resources such as the language of addiction or the Addictionary can help create a safer space.

Understanding What Level of Care You Require

It is important to undergo professional assessments in order to understand what form of treatment you require.

This can be done by seeking a diagnosis from health practitioners. Health practitioners will utilise a multidimensional patient assessment in order to understand how they can optimise recovery.

The levels of care at rehab are:

Level 1: Outpatient Programme
Level 2: Intensive Outpatient Programme
Level 3: Inpatient Programme
Level 4: Intensive Inpatient Programme

Those who suffer from mild or moderate form of alcohol addiction will be able to undergo addiction treatment as an outpatient or an inpatient.

However, patients suffering from more severe forms of addiction, along with mental health disorders or anything that may complicate recovery are encouraged to seek treatment as an inpatient.

There are many different factors which can influence what conclusion these clinicians come to.

They may use the ASAM Criteria, which is a placement guideline, and the criteria takes into account 6 factors which will influence recovery.

These factors are:

Alcohol Withdrawal Potential: How likely and severe the alcohol withdrawal symptoms are.
Biomedical Complications: Whether the patient has any mental disorders or medical complications which could harm their recovery.
Emotional, Cognitive, and Behavioural Complications: Any emotional, cognitive, or behavioural patterns which may affect their recovery.
Readiness to Change: How willing the patient is to recover from addiction.
Relapse and Continued Use Potential: How likely the patient is to experience alcohol cravings and continue consuming alcohol.
Recovery and Living Environment: How stable is the living environment of the patient during recovery.

These individual factors will be assessed in order to determine what level of care the patient will undergo.

Some factors, such as mental health disorders and a high risk of relapse, will likely put the patient in a residential facility as an inpatient to recover from their addiction.

Each case is different, and it is important to assess these variables.

Dual Diagnosis and Concurrent Treatment at Rehab

More often than not, people who undergo treatment at rehab require support for something else in addition to their alcohol dependence.

A UK Government study discovered that almost two-thirds of patients who enter a substance use disorder rehabilitation facility also require support in order to overcome mental health disorders.

If it is the case that you also need mental health treatment in addition to your alcohol addiction, a dual diagnosis will be made.

A dual diagnosis will ensure that your personalised recovery plan will cater towards your additional health concern throughout your recovery programme, whether it be depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or else.

A consultant psychiatrist will take measures to ensure that you receive concurrent treatment for your co-occurring disorders while you are recovering from addiction.

Mental health issues such as depression or anxiety can lead to alcohol addiction.

Because of this, both health issues need to be treated, rather than prioritising one over the other.

Family Therapy at Rehab

If the family are willing participants, they can be a strong component to a patient’s addiction recovery programme.

The family is affected significantly throughout their loved one’s addiction.

They may suffer from emotional trauma, relationship breakdown, children can be relocated into more fitting environments, and so on.

Because of this, including the family throughout the addiction treatment process can be effective in creating a stronger support network and a more functional and hospitable living environment.

Some of the examples of Family Therapy include but aren’t limited to:

Family Behaviour Therapy
Functional Therapy
Multisystemic Therapy
Multidimensional Family Therapy
Brief Strategic Family Therapy

Family therapy is appropriate whether the family has a positive or a negative influence on their loved one and their addiction.

Families who have a positive influence can learn the intricacies of addiction recovery, relapse prevention, and much more in their effort to support their loved one.

If a family has a negative influence on their addicted relative, it is possible that they may have played a part in their excessive alcohol consumption.

Toxic behaviours and patterns in the household can have a profound effect, and family therapy can also help to combat these and alter behavioural patterns in a more positive way.

Family Behaviour Therapy, for example, has been found to be effective in improving the mental health, relationships, safety, sobriety management, and other areas of addiction recovery.

It can help establish an effective support network for the patient who is recovering from addiction.

Brief Strategic Family Therapy, on the other hand, is implemented in order to help families deal with their adolescent’s behavior problems such as alcohol consumption, sexual risk behaviors, antisocial behaviors, and more.

This therapy is often aimed at families who promote these troubling behaviours, whether inadvertently or not.

There are many different forms of family therapy, it is not confined only to one format.

Along with other forms of treatment which are traditionally included in rehab, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, family therapy can help establish long term recovery.

How Much Does Treatment Cost?

While outpatient addiction treatment is typically free, patients will be required to pay for their treatment if they are to enter a residential rehab, also known as a private rehab.

The cost to stay in a residential rehab facility will vary greatly between one rehab to another, as there are many variables which can influence the price.

Some of these variables include location, quality of facilities, luxury value, reputation, experience, treatment methods, and so on.

Depending on these variables, the cost can vary from around £4,000 to £40,000 in total.

Since patients are likely to spend around 28 days at rehab, or 4 weeks (or longer depending on the severity of their condition), this amounts to around £1,000 to £10,000 per week.

During this time, patients will be able to undergo a medicated alcohol detox, therapy and counselling, relapse prevention planning, and more.

While it may be a more costly option when compared to free and public services, it should be seen as a worthy investment towards achieving full recovery and restoring your life through abstinence from alcohol.

Alcohol Relapse Triggers & How To Prevent Them

Not only do patients need to undergo an alcohol detox, they need to undergo treatment which plans ahead for when they are exposed to triggers post-rehab.

Addiction triggers are prevalent and are an ever present threat to someone who has recovered from alcohol addiction.

Triggers can come in the form of many things, and they do not necessarily have to be associated with anything negative.

Some of these triggers and signs of a relapse include:

Stress: People who are suffering from stress, whether it is work related or else, often seek euphoria through alcohol. This is particularly prevalent with those who work in low income yet high demand jobs
Challenging emotions: Feelings of sadness or anger can lead to a relapse, as just with stress, people want to relieve their challenging emotions through alcohol
Senses: Sight, smells, and sounds related to consuming alcohol may trigger a relapse. Some examples may include the smells of cigarettes or songs associated with bars and nightclubs triggering a desire to consume alcohol.
Enabling behaviour: When the patient is reintroduced into society and is managing their recovery with more independence, people around them may not be so sensitive to their lifestyle of abstinence from alcohol. It may be the case that some people are enablers and do not respect someone’s choices of abstinence from alcohol.

A highly popularised form of relapse prevention method is the HALT method, which stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired.

One popular method of relapse prevention is HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired).

The reason it is called this is because it teaches subjects how to manage emotional cravings along with physical cravings for alcohol.

Emotional cravings may lead to a subject consuming alcohol in order to soothe their negative emotions, whether they are angry, lonely, or else.

By adopting the HALT method, subjects will learn how to manage these emotional cravings when they are not feeling optimal.

Relapse prevention methods allow subjects to develop healthy coping mechanisms in order to discard unhealthy habits in favour of productive ones.

These habits will become a way of life, therefore it is important to ensure that the subject develops healthier habits to serve as coping mechanisms throughout their recovery.

In addition to therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, an effective relapse prevention plan such as HALT can compliment recovery.

These methods all help to maximise a patient’s likelihood of sustaining their sobriety during post-rehab life.

Aftercare & 12-Step Facilitation Therapy

Patients receive support throughout their stay at a drug and alcohol rehab. Once they leave their designated facility, they will continue to receive support in the form of an aftercare programme.

Time spent at rehab will have taught patients how to manage themselves effectively in order to prevent a relapse.

Relapse triggers can be frequent and come in many shapes and forms. Relapse is an ever present threat for patients who leave rehab.

Because of this, it is important that patients continue to receive support in order to maintain their recovery following rehab.

Relapse triggers can come in the form of stress and emotional issues as well as environmental factors.

This could be people and places being associated with frequent or heavy drinking.

Since alcohol is unfortunately mainstream in our society, it is essentially normalised and ubiquitous.

An aftercare programme is carefully tailored according to the individual, and patients will be granted into fellowship groups which offer support sessions and the 12-Step Facilitation Therapy.

These groups include but aren’t limited to Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and more.

Support sessions are an effective way to encourage social reinforcement and provide patients with another form of support network.

This can help them commit to their newfound lifestyle of abstinence from alcohol.

The 12-Step Facilitation Therapy or programme is an active engagement strategy which provides structure for patients who have left rehab.

This structure offers principles and a guideline on how to thrive on a life of abstinence from alcohol and how to prevent a relapse from consuming someone.

It is estimated that patients who attend support sessions and undergo programmes such as the 12-Step Facilitation Therapy are up to 6 times more likely to maintain their abstinence from alcohol than someone who does not undergo an aftercare programme.