Braintree is a town located in Essex and has a population of 42, 394.

It is estimated that there are 5,398 opiate and cracks users (OCUs) and 12,756 alcohol-dependent adults in Essex.

Both cocaine and cannabis are also prevalent in Essex.

Please follow this link for more information about drug and alcohol statistics.

Fortunately, there are many great treatment options for those based in Braintree and the wider Essex area.

This article will discuss these treatment options and outline what to expect.

What Is Alcohol Addiction?

Alcohol addiction – or alcohol dependence/alcoholism – refers to high-risk drinking and an uncontrollable desire to drink.

In the worst cases, someone that has an alcohol addiction cannot function without alcohol – it consumes their life, and most of their day is based on the need to drink.

Some common signs of alcohol addiction include:

• Needing more alcohol to gain the desired effect.
• Drinking is a priority, often at the cost of employment, hobbies, or social activities.
• Drinking regardless of negative social and/or health consequences.
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms – nausea, headaches, vomiting, and tremors, for example – when not drinking.

Of these, the earliest sign of alcohol addiction is increased tolerance, followed by cravings for alcohol.

As the mind and body become dependent upon the substance, they will begin to crave it to function properly.

Alcohol dependency, however, does not necessarily mean that such symptoms will arise.

Sometimes, dependency can mean using a substance as a form of relaxation.

However, drinking a bottle of wine over dinner or having several pints after work can still lead to serious health problems.

Health problems associated with alcohol include:

• Liver disease
• Heart disease
• Various cancers, such as mouth, throat, and liver
• Strokes
• High blood pressure

What Is Rehab?

Rehab or rehabilitation is a treatment program that aims to help people overcome some form of ailment.

This could be a physical issue following an operation, or, in this case, to overcome addiction.

Addiction rehab specialises in providing recovery-based treatment, helping people to detox, and then recover both mentally and physically.

In general, most rehabs follow several key stages: detox, therapy, relapse prevention and aftercare.

The parameters of these stages, however, are designed to suit that person’s specific treatment needs.

The first stage, detox, is the process of the mind and body expelling the substance.

During rehab, people will receive 24/7 medical support and will often be prescribed medication to help with withdrawal symptoms

The therapy or rehabilitation stage focuses on healing.

This means dealing with the underlying reasons for why the addiction might have occurred.

This will vary from person to person, as will the needed therapy type.

Medical staff will assess the person’s needs and help them to determine the appropriate treatment.

Relapse prevention and aftercare focus on preparing the person to continue a sober and substance-free life.

When a person leaves rehab, it is imperative that they are aware of behaviours or thoughts that might lead to substance use.

Therefore, most rehabs will help people prepare for this and offer continued support.

Each of these stages will be covered in more detail below.

What Is Addiction Intervention?

In essence, an intervention is the process of family and friends – what medical professionals refer to as Concern Others (COs) – gathering in one place to convince a loved one that they need to seek help for their substance use.

In many cases, when a person is suffering from addiction, they will find it hard to accept that they need help.

This could be due to fear of social stigma, not knowing what to expect from the treatment, or simply that they just do not think that they have a problem.

For COs, this can be a source of worry and frustration.

This is where an intervention can be useful.

Usually, interventions follow several distinct steps:

1. Plan to intervene. This involves the initial decision to conduct an intervention.
2. Plan who will be involved. This should be the loved one’s closest family and friends and should only include a handful of people.
3. Deciding what to say. This might involve discussing how the loved one’s behaviour has impacted you or stating that there will be consequences to the loved one’s behaviour such as them needing to move out or no longer receiving financial support.
4. Conducting the intervention. In most cases, COs will take turns to express their worries and frustrations. The result is, hopefully, that the loved one recognises that change is necessary.

However, interventions must be done properly.

The most important element of an intervention is to remember that the goal is to motivate and encourage – not to shame or guilt – a person to seek help.

Some other useful things to remember include:

• Consider consulting an intervention specialist.
• Think carefully about who will be involved – make sure it is people that are close to the loved one.
• Consider staging a rehearsal intervention – this gives people a chance to practice what they are going to say.
• Gather information on both addiction and available treatment options.

Another option to help prepare for intervention is Community Reinforcement And Family Training (CRAFT).

CRAFT teaches families to learn how to help a loved one overcome their addiction and specialises in helping loved ones that refuse to get help.

CRAFT is unique, in that it focuses on both positive behaviour reinforcement and behaviour consequences.

The former, for example, means that families reward their loved ones for positive behaviour changes.

The latter means that families allow their loved ones to deal with the consequences of their behaviour.

Other practices that CRAFT focuses on, include:

• Clear and empathetic talking and listening.
• Understanding the nature of addiction – triggers, experiences, and coping mechanisms.
• Working alongside a CRAFT therapist to learn about substance dependency and interventions.
• How to support a loved one through treatment.

What Treatment Is Available In Braintree

There are two main treatment options available in Braintree: free local services or private treatment.

With regards to the former, there are many free local services.

The most prominent of these is Open Road.

Open Road is accessible via self-referral or referral by a GP or key worker.

Free services that Open Road offer, include:

• Addiction assessments
• Key worker support
• One-to-one and group support
• Therapy and counselling
• Access to treatment
• Relapse prevention
• Aftercare

Other services in the Essex area, include:

• Essex Young Peoples Drug and Alcohol Services (EYPDAS)
• Victim Support Service
• Al-Anon Family Support Groups

If you are interested in further exploring these services, you can find more information here.

The other alternative is to explore private rehab.

It should be mentioned, however, that these are often expensive.

According to the latest data collected, in the UK, the average cost of rehab is between £300 to £500 per day.

Because of this, it is common for people suffering from drug/alcohol dependency to inquire as to whether there is rehab available through the NHS.

The short answer is no.

The NHS does provide outpatient programs and medication, but there is no such thing as an NHS rehab facility.

The NHS can, however, provide funding for a person to enter private rehab.

The unfortunate reality of this as an option, though, is that there is often a lengthy waiting list and people will be required to meet a certain criterion.

This criterion might include already having detoxed, attending therapy and/or pre-rehab course, and proving that you are willing to change.

How Long Does Rehab Last In Braintree?

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to how long rehab lasts.

The real answer is that it will depend on the individual person and the treatment they require.

Typically, however, most medical professionals recommend a minimum stay of 28 days.

This will, however, be too long for some and too short for others.

The variables that influence rehab duration are:

• Age – studies have found that young people tend to recover more quickly than older people.
• Pre-existing health issues – this might include mental health issues that require medication or psychological issues that might influence the detox process.
• The type of drug being treated – some substances have a more arduous and longer detox and might require a more in-depth therapy.
• How long the person has been using the substance for.

Because of these variables, most rehabs will offer 7-day, 14-day, 28-day and 90-day treatment programs.

Inpatient Versus Outpatient Treatment

When looking for treatment options, there are two that are most prominent: inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Inpatient treatment is residential – that is, people will stay overnight at a facility through their treatment.

People will detox, receive therapy, create a relapse prevention plan and receive aftercare without leaving their rehab centre.

Outpatient treatment includes all these things, however people are not expected to stay at a facility.

Instead, they will attend appointments every week until their treatment is finished.

Alcohol Rehab In Braintree

Alcohol detox and withdrawal are also known as Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS).

AWS can be mild to moderate – headaches, flu-like symptoms, a lack of appetite, and anxiety – and severe.

Severe symptoms can be life-threatening – the most serious of these is delirium tremens (DT).

Symptoms of DT include:

• Confusion
• Agitation
• Fever
• Seizures
• Fast respiration
• Increased heart rate
• Sweats

Mild to moderate symptoms occur between 6 to 12 hours after the person stops drinking, whereas severe symptoms can occur several days after.

Most symptoms reduce after several days.

People will likely be given a benzodiazepine to help with AWS – Lorazepam, Alprazolam or Librium, for example.

These will help reduce anxiety and stress, and certain medications may even prevent seizures.

Rehab For Cannabis, Cocaine And Heroin In Braintree

Symptoms of cannabis withdrawal include:

• Stomach aches
• Headaches
• Lack of focus
• Sweats
• Mood changes
• Difficulty sleeping
• Anxiety

Withdrawal from cannabis usually begins several days after the person stops using, peak within one week, and last for two weeks.

Cocaine withdrawal is usually more psychological than physical, although some latter symptoms do occur.

Cocaine withdrawal symptoms include:

• Paranoia
• Cravings
• Fatigue
• Increased or decrease appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Lack of focus
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Irritability

Symptoms can occur within 30 minutes to an hour after the person stops using.

Symptoms can last for up to two weeks.

Heroin withdrawal can range from mild to severe.

Mild symptoms include:

• Intense cravings
• Muscle spasms
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Agitation
• Shakes
• Sweats
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea

Severe symptoms include:

• Hypertension
• Insomnia
• Rapid heart rate
• Impaired respiration

Symptoms usually occur between 6 to 12 hours after a person stops using and can last for several weeks.

People will be given medication to detox, most likely a medical opioid such as methadone.

What Is Dual Diagnosis?

Dual Diagnosis (DD) is a broad term that refers to the co-occurrence of substance dependency and a mental health issue – anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder, for example.

DD can occur for multiple reasons, such as environment, behaviours, and genetics.

However, it is more common in people that have underlying mental health issues.

Substances such as alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, or heroin, can perpetuate and lead to mental issues.

Likewise, people that use such substances to cope with mental issues are at higher risk of developing a substance dependency.

What Therapy Will I Receive During Rehab In Braintree?

During rehab – whether inpatient or outpatient – people will undergo therapy.

The most common of these is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

The theory behind CBT suggests that a person’s thoughts, feelings, and sensations contribute to behaviour patterns.

For example, negative thoughts might lead a person to use a substance.

CBT is different from other types of therapy in that it does not focus on past experiences.

Instead, it looks at current thought patterns and how these can be changed.

Working alongside a specialist, people will look at practical ways to change negative thoughts into positive ones.

The outworking of this is that positive thoughts should lead to positive behaviours, such as sobriety, continuing to attend therapy or group support, and accountability.

Another common therapy is Motivational Interviewing.

This focuses on motivation, which, for those suffering from addiction is particularly pertinent.

Uncovering the reason why a person is motivated to use a substance, for example, can help lead to a shift in motivations.

Group Therapy is also common and a universally tried and tested form of therapy.

Studies have found that group therapy is effective in encouraging sobriety, alleviating isolation and providing accountability.

Finally, a lot of rehabs want to increase a person’s well-being – this is an important part of recovery and maintaining sobriety.

Usually, rehabs will employ holistic activities such as yoga, gardening, equine therapy or painting.

Relapse Prevention And Aftercare In Braintree

Upon leaving rehab, many people find it difficult to integrate back into their old environment.

There might be old stressors, difficult relationships, or other potential triggers.

All these things can lead to relapse – a person using a substance again after achieving sobriety.

Preventing this is an important part of the rehab process and people will be encouraged to create a relapse prevention plan.

Typically, relapse occurs in three stages:

1. Emotional – negative feelings
2. Mental – negative thoughts
3. Physical – the act of using a substance

The relapse prevention plan aims to help recoverees to address these issues effectively.

For example, this might involve writing down emotional or mental triggers, and then learning tools to cope with them – emotional management, for example.

After leaving rehab, people will be provided with aftercare – generally a course of continued support, such as therapy and regular check-ups.

Aftercare will also include help accessing local services, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

Get Help Today

For more information on attending drug and alcohol rehab in Braintree, 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.