Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Aberystwyth

Aberystwyth is a Welsh town located in the area of Ceredigion and is home to a large university consisting of around 9,000 students.

According to the West Wales Care Partnership, the rate of alcohol misuse in 2018 in the Ceredigion area which includes Aberystwyth – its largest town – was 389 per 100,000 of the population, far higher than the rates recorded for Wales as a whole.

In terms of drug misuse rates, Ceredigion at a rate of 256 per 100,000 people was again higher than the whole of Wales, which recorded a rate of 224 per 100,000 people.

What Is Alcohol Addiction?

Alcohol addiction – also known as alcoholism – develops in people who have drunk alcohol habitually and excessively for a prolonged period.

As binge drinking continues,  the volume of their drinking escalates to a level where it is having a detrimental effect on their psychological and physical well-being.

This impacts many areas of their life, meaning they are unable to fulfil daily responsibilities.

A person is addicted when they have developed a physical and psychological dependence on alcohol and are unable to stop themselves from drinking, even if they have a strong desire to.

As well as this someone who is addicted to alcohol will be preoccupied with alcohol, always thinking about how and when they can consume it next.

A person strongly gripped by alcohol addiction will no longer show interest in activities they previously enjoyed, as alcohol becomes their only focus and they continue to drink despite the obvious harm it is doing to them.

A person who is addicted to alcohol will experience increased tolerance to alcohol, meaning they will need to drink more alcohol to experience the same effects they previously obtained from consuming a lesser amount.

A sure sign that a person is dependent on alcohol is when they experience withdrawal symptoms when they cease drinking, and these symptoms can only be relieved by drinking more alcohol.

What Is Rehab?

Rehab is short for rehabilitation, which refers to the therapeutic process involved in helping clients overcome their addiction by carrying out a range of medical and psychological interventions designed to change their behaviour away from alcohol use.

Rehab practitioners reduce the physical effect alcohol is having on them by carrying out alcohol detox treatments and arranging psychological interventions to change their individual mental and emotional states, so that they are no longer reliant on alcohol to help them cope with life’s stressors.

In essence, rehab involves changing the psychological state of clients so that their minds snap out of the addictive process, which has slowly developed over time and begin to lead a more personally fulfilling life.

Rehab also involves educating clients about the nature of their thoughts and providing them with a range of psychological skills they can use to fend off any urges to drink they may experience each day.

Pre-Rebab Steps: Intervention

Not every client who enters rehab does so freely due to the strong denial present in substance users.

On many occasions, it is the perseverance and support from family members that tip the scales leading to substance users finally acknowledging that they should engage with addiction treatment services.

This is in no small part down to the expertise shown by professional intervention services who utilise behaviour change approaches to help families persuade relatives that are abusing substances to acknowledge that they should seek professional help.

One successful community intervention approach used frequently is CRAFT.

Through the CRAFT method, the family will be required to go through a training programme to make sure they are emotionally supported and understand what is required of them for the intervention to work.

The main idea behind the CRAFT approach is that the family members should consistently interact with their relative of concern in specific ways which will elicit a behaviour change.

Family members will be coached to offer incentives (buy a gift) to their relative to encourage sober or clean behaviour, and reprimand (withdrawing affection) when they display substance-taking behaviour.

This approach is based on the theory of operant conditioning and has a high success rate when used consistently.

How Much Does Rehab Cost In Aberystwyth?

Residential rehab treatment in Aberystwyth generally costs approximately £500 per day, which over a 28-day period equates to £14,000.

However, if you do your research you may find some treatment centres charging as little as £1,000 per week, and at the expensive end of the spectrum others charging £10,000 per week.

You can be sure of receiving effective, reliable treatments from a reputable addiction treatment provider for as little as £500 a day.

The cost can be brought down even further if you minimise your expenses and only agree to the basic elements of treatment, and agreeing to share a room with others can also bring the cost down.

Many clients do require medical detox in their treatment package which can cost in the region of £1,000-1,500.

Is Drug And Alcohol Rehab On The NHS?

NHS funding for residential treatment is notoriously hard to obtain and can take months to be approved.

Making your application through a GP or social worker is the best way to apply, as they can provide you with an official referral after going through a quick screening process.

This also helps you get officially placed onto the system and your case file can be developed.

Each local council borough across the country has a different approach to implementing its substance misuse treatment, and the local drug and alcohol team will be able to inform you of what is required of you to move forward with your application.

Initially, all people seeking treatment will be offered it via the outpatient route, as this way more people will be able to access effective treatments which can help them recover.

This is also considered the most cost-effective option to use the financial resources allocated to local councils by the government.

There are a small number of cases that do manage to receive NHS funding for residential treatment, but this is after a very long wait and all of these cases would have been scrutinised carefully to ensure they are deserving cases who will benefit from spending time in rehab.

These individuals will have been able to prove their commitment to their recovery and have provided evidence of this to back up their claim.

How Long Does Rehab Last?

Residential rehab typically lasts for 28 days, during which time clients will work on challenging reflective exercises designed to help them find the root causes of their addiction.

A period of 28 days is seen as sufficient to help them do the psychological and therapeutic work necessary to overcome addiction.

The fact that an individual is away from their usual environment and negative influences mean they can fully focus on their recovery without any distractions.

Clients who need detox treatment to reduce their physical dependence may find 7-10 days set aside to complete this process.

Some clients with significant personal finances can opt to stay for longer, which can only improve their chances of successfully recovering.

NHS VS Private Addiction Treatment

Addiction treatment can be funded through the NHS, but clients who have their private funds will have a distinct advantage in certain ways.

NHS Treatment

There are effective NHS treatments available in Aberystwyth, but you will more than likely be given standard treatments rather than a program tailored specifically to your needs.

The wait for treatment to begin can be extremely long.

Even though residential treatment is the preferred option for many people, most funding applicants will begin treatment on an outpatient programme.

The quality, efficiency and organisation of the treatment service are likely to be of a lower standard than for private clients.

Private Treatment

There will be minimum delays, private clients can enter residential treatment within days.

Private clients are more likely to have their individual needs taken into account when their treatment programmes are designed, and enjoy extra services such as holistic therapies and outdoor activities.

Private clients have greater choice over where and when they will have the treatment and can stay in rehab for longer if required.

Self-financing clients can take advantage of medical and technological improvements to aid their well-being, including detailed biochemical and nutritional analysis.

However, money does not guarantee recovery from addiction, and private clients still have to put in an immense amount of psychological effort to improve themselves.

Inpatient Or Outpatient Treatment In Aberystwyth?

There are options for both inpatient and outpatient alcohol rehab services in Aberystwyth for clients seeking treatment for their addiction/alcoholism.

Inpatient rehab refers to the process of clients attending a residential setting – often for 28 days – to engage in a range of therapies designed to help them give up their high levels of alcohol use.

Outpatient treatment involves receiving treatment as a day patient for several weeks or months, whilst still living in your usual home.

All patients tend to have access to the same treatments regardless of whether they are inpatients or outpatients, and even medical detox treatment can be organised for clients on an outpatient program.

There tend to be higher success rates for clients receiving inpatient treatment, though probably because they are enclosed in a safe space away from harmful, negative influences for a significant amount of time, and are carefully monitored and supported by rehab staff.

Alcohol Detox & Rehab In Aberystwyth

Clients who are referred to our rehab centres with an alcohol use disorder have developed a physical dependency on alcohol.

This can be seen by the fact that they have developed a strong tolerance to alcohol and tend to experience intense and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to give up alcohol, such as headaches, anxiety, nausea and tremors.

There is however a more serious symptom strongly associated with alcohol withdrawal: seizures, which can be both life-threatening and life-limiting.

Many medications are used to limit these effects, including anti-seizure medications, anti-craving medications and much more.

Once the medical detox treatment has been completed after 1-2 weeks,  psychological therapists take over and help clients work on the psychosocial factors relevant to their treatment programme.

This will involve individual therapy, group therapy and the AA’s 12-step programme model.

Rehab For Cocaine In Aberystwyth

Cocaine is categorised as a stimulant drug ,and clients with this form of addiction do not tend to experience strong physical withdrawal symptoms compared with other substances.

However, psychological symptoms are much more likely, which will be carefully managed by your medical team to ensure minimum discomfort, as there is no detox procedure available to help with cocaine addiction

Psychological treatments are used to help clients recover, two of the most effective being Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Contingency Management (CM).

CBT involves helping clients understand their thought processes in order to reduce their emotional distress and CM uses rewards to help clients find the necessary motivation to give up cocaine.

Rehab For Heroin Rehab In Aberystwyth

Heroin is a drug known for its high relapse rate due to the strong level of physical dependence it generates in its users.

Luckily, through scientific research there are now recognised treatments that are effective in helping clients recover.

Firstly, clients will go through detox treatment for 1-3 weeks to help them decrease the level of heroin in their body.

This is achieved by using methadone or buprenorphine, which are substitute drugs with a similar chemical structure to heroin that will help to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay.

After the detox treatment is completed, clients can start their designated therapy programme to deal with the emotional difficulties that triggered and maintained their addiction.

Simultaneously, they will begin key cognitive strategies to help them remain psychologically resilient in the face of strong social or personal pressure to take heroin again.

Rehab For Cannabis In Aberystwyth

Cannabis is not considered as harmful as opioid-based drugs such as heroin, but it is capable of inducing psychological addictions and having a significant impact on mental health.

Patients will be supported during the withdrawal phase with medical and emotional support if they experience any unpleasant psychological withdrawal symptoms.

There is no detox procedure to assist with cannabis withdrawal, so once clients are in a steady state they can step up their intensity of psychological therapies such as group therapy, psychotherapy, motivational interviewing and the 12 step programme.

Types Of Therapies On Offer In Aberystwyth Rehab Centres

Rehab establishments in Aberystwyth have a comprehensive list of therapies that they use to help clients work on their psychological and emotional states, such as;

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps patients understand how their fundamental beliefs and negative thoughts impact their behaviours, and provides them with cognitive strategies to think more productively.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy helps patients improve their emotional state, as they will be taught coping strategies to prevent them from being overcome by stressful events in their lives.

Brief Interventions are carried out by our treatment therapists who, with the help of medical evidence, aim to educate clients about the internal damage they are doing to themselves with their substance use.

Motivational Interviewing is a valuable tool for helping clients overcome any cognitive dissonance they are experiencing during the treatment process. By building a strong and trusting relationship with clients, therapists can help them identify the reasons for their resistance and help them find the motivation to re-engage with treatment.

Individual therapy sessions are vital for enabling clients to come to terms with their substance use disorder and help them to process all the negative emotions they possess from all the difficulties they have experienced in their life.

Co-Dependency Treatment is available for clients who are inclined to tend to the needs of other people at expense of their own needs. This therapy will help improve their self-esteem and help them prioritise their own needs instead of the needs of others.

Family Therapy uses a systemic approach and proposes that any mental health difficulties that appear in people can be traced back to communication or relational deficiencies that were evident in their family. Family therapists work with families to help them address communication difficulties and unresolved tensions.

Group Therapy is a vital component of addiction treatment and is carried out in groups just like AA meetings, but the difference is that group therapy sessions are facilitated by qualified counsellors. The group becomes beneficial when all its members realise they have been through similar experiences and begin to feel a strong connection with each other.

Twelve-Step Facilitation Therapy is at the core of addiction treatment programmes, building on the AA’s 12 steps to recovery and adapt them into a therapy programme for all of our clients to work through at their own pace.

The steps are a series of challenges for clients to consider which are important for recovery from addiction.

Holistic therapies

As well as offering psychological therapies, all the rehab treatment teams in Aberystwyth now use several holistic therapies to benefit their clients.

These include:

Music Therapy uses musical concepts and sounds to help clients heal any mental health difficulties.

Art Therapy helps clients explore their artistic side to express any repressed traumatic experiences that may be negatively impacting them.

Equine Therapy has been shown to be effective in improving many aspects of clients’ lives including reducing stress, improving relationships and managing anger.

Adventure Therapy combines therapy with outdoor activities as it helps participants improve their self-esteem, skill levels and relational abilities by taking part in practical, team-based challenges set in scenic environments.

The Importance Of Dual Diagnosis For Co-occurring Disorders

Rehab practitioners recognise the importance of providing specialist care for clients in Aberystwyth who are diagnosed with another mental health condition on top of their addiction.

There are several mental health conditions that commonly occur alongside substance use disorder such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Schizophrenia
• Personality Disorders
• PTSD

There may be some clients who enter rehab who display symptoms of a mental health condition but who have not yet received a formal diagnosis.

To fully support these clients, they will be booked in for a full psychiatric assessment whilst at rehab.

This ensures that treatment providers are able to offer the best possible care and treatment, as obtaining a diagnosis of another mental health condition means that their treatment plan will need to be modified to take this co-existing diagnosis into account.

This is essential, as addictions interact with mental health conditions in a variety of ways depending on the individual circumstances

How Rehabs Help With Relapse Prevention

Rehab therapists design skills-based workshops to help clients develop the ability to resist the temptations to take substances in the future.

There are two stages to this process: initially, clients are encouraged to show their reflective abilities and identify high-risk situations in which they feel they may be susceptible to taking substances.

When asked this, some clients list social functions such as weddings and reunions whereas others feel they are more susceptible when they are hungry, lonely or angry.

The important thing is for clients to specifically name situations personal to themselves.

Once this has been completed they can, in partnership with their therapist, put together and practice strategies to use which help them survive these high-risk situations without taking substances.

These strategies may include drug refusal skills and strengthening their character traits so they are not bothered if people in their social circle mock them for choosing sobriety.

Aftercare And Support Services Once Rehab Has Been Completed

Clients who leave alcohol rehab services in Aberystwyth after 28 days still have many sources of support available to them, such as;

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous

Both the AA and the NA will run weekly meetings in or near Aberystwyth, so you can continue your attendance at your relevant fellowship and receive support and encouragement from your peers.

There are also Al‐Anon Family Group meetings in Aberystwyth to support the relatives of people diagnosed with alcoholism.

SMART Recovery

Following SMART Recovery’s CBT-based skills programme, which helps manage emotions and resist cravings, will enable you to practice all the relapse prevention skills you learned in rehab.

Cognitive skills, just like physical skills, need to be practised regularly to be effective.

SMART Recovery can also help you set and work towards personal development goals including education attainments and career targets.

Outpatient Treatment

Local drug and alcohol services in Aberystwyth are also available to offer continued support to residential rehab attendees to ensure they are progressing well after leaving.

This team will provide a listening ear and keep you updated with resources and services that you will find valuable.

They can also assist in organising a home detox, if you do happen to relapse.

Getting Help Today

For more information on attending drug and alcohol rehab in Aberystwyth, or to have any questions or concerns answered, the Rehab 4 Alcoholism team are always available to take your call.

Call us today on 0800 111 4108.