Drug & Alcohol Rehabs in Lambeth

Lambeth is a borough in inner South London and is home to around 322,000 residents. [1]

This vibrant London district houses people from all walks of life, but unfortunately, many of these people are faced with one of the most prevalent and life-altering mental health conditions in the world: alcoholism.

Lambeth has the highest mortality rate from alcoholic liver disease in people under 75, with 12.3 people per 100,000 succumbing to it. Over the years this has increased and is much higher than in the rest of London and England. [1]

When it comes to other addictive substances, Lambeth also struggles with high crime rates due in part to over 2,100 drug offences occurring per year. [1]

So if you are struggling with alcohol and/or drug misuse in Lambeth, then you are certainly not alone. However, the good news is that there is help available to you, and here at Rehab 4 Alcoholism we want to support you in getting that help.

Explore your options for drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth below, and find the best treatment to get your back on the road to recovery.

What Is Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Lambeth?

Drug and alcohol rehab is professional treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction, which usually takes the form of a detox followed by addiction therapies.

There are a variety of highly successful addiction therapies which help with various aspects of addiction, including cognitive behavioural therapy, contingency management and family therapy, as well as medications which are often used particularly during the detox period. [2]

Everyone’s rehab journey will look different depending on their own needs, and the addiction treatments that you will have will be discussed with you during your initial assessment.

Overall, however, the process of drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth consists of four key steps. These steps are:

• • Initial Assessment: Where you will discuss your needs with your addiction specialist.
  • Detox: The first 7-10 days where you have stopped taking the substance and withdrawal symptoms are being managed.
  • Addiction Therapies: 3-6 weeks of addiction therapies where the other aspects of your addiction are treated to encourage long-term sobriety
  • Aftercare: After you complete treatment, you then have access to outpatient aftercare services that you can use as and when needed for as long as you need.

There is a range of more and less intensive programmes, and your individual treatment plan will determine the level of intensity and frequency of your treatments.

For example, you might have inpatient treatment where you stay in the rehab clinic and attend daily addiction therapy sessions.

On the other hand, you could undergo an outpatient treatment programme and only attend sessions once per week, taking a more independent approach to your recovery.

Rehab can seem daunting and that is partly due to people not knowing exactly what it entails. However, we are here to help you gain as much knowledge as possible about what rehab is all about, and help you to access the help you need.

How Can I Get Referred to Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Lambeth?

If you are considering going into rehab, then you might need a referral from your GP or another professional body, so it is worth looking into the addiction treatment centres near you in Lambeth to see if you need one.

Private rehab centres will often take on patients through self-referral, and many charities also accept self-referred patients. For NHS treatment, however, a referral via your GP or social worker is often needed.

If you want to help a loved one to get into addiction treatment but they are reluctant to get help or in denial about their issues, you can also seek help in the form of intervention.

This can be held by a professional interventionist, who is educated in managing successful interventions.

The CRAFT Approach is a popular type of intervention and allows loved ones to encourage the person into addiction treatment using positive reinforcement. This is very effective and helps loved ones to take an active, positive role in the person’s recovery journey.

Whether you are looking into addiction treatment for yourself or want to help a loved one get help for their recovery, there are plenty of options out there.

You can discuss your options with the Rehab 4 Alcoholism team and get insight into what options are available to you in Lambeth and the best way to get addiction treatment now.

Is Free Drug and Alcohol Rehab Available on the NHS?

Free addiction treatment is available on the NHS, so you can access help for your drug and/or alcohol dependency no matter what your financial situation is.

NHS addiction treatment is primarily available through the Lambeth Drug and Alcohol Treatment Consortium.

The Lambeth Drug and Alcohol Treatment Consortium is a collective led by the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust alongside prominent addiction charities We Are With You, Humankind and Phoenix Futures. [3]

Together, they offer a variety of addiction services including assessment, treatment and aftercare for those aged 18 and over.

They have a brief intervention clinic, as well as tier 2 and tier 3 services, so they can provide the right help for people in all stages of addiction. [3]

The main NHS service provider within the Lambeth Consortium is the Lambeth Drug and Alcohol Service.

They offer free support to anyone over the age of 18 and offer services such as advice and information on addiction, psychology and counselling, alcohol treatment, HIV and hepatitis testing, relapse prevention, family support and detoxification. [4]

You can also access free addiction treatment in Lambeth through charities. For example, Change Grow Live runs a Lambeth Young People’s Project, which offers expert-led 1 to 1 and group support sessions, well-being support, and advice on healthy living and relapse prevention. [5]

There are also many online resources which are free of charge to help you with your drug and/or alcohol addiction, as well as other local services in Lambeth to help with alcohol addiction, drug addiction and general mental health. [6] [7]

If you want free drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, then our team is happy to help you find local free addiction treatment services. Your GP will also be able to discuss your options and refer you for treatment.

What Is a Medical Detox?

The first stage of drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth is detox.

A detox is when a person stops taking the substance that they are addicted to and the body adjusts to being without the substance.

Depending on the type of substance you are addicted to and the severity of your addiction, you might have an inpatient detox or at-home detox, and your detox may be medically managed.

An at-home detox which is not medically managed can be used for addictions to substances which are less dangerous to detox from such as cannabis or cocaine.

Although these addictions are still very harmful and the withdrawal symptoms whilst detoxing can be very uncomfortable, the withdrawal symptoms do not carry the same risks as, for example, alcohol or heroin withdrawal, which can be fatal.

An inpatient detox is a detox which takes place in the rehab clinic, so you will remain there throughout your detox. This is useful as you can access round-the-clock medical care, can easily be given any medication you need and your progress can be monitored by professionals.

The reason why medical care could be very important is that in some cases, the detox period can be very difficult and dangerous due to the potential severity of withdrawal symptoms.

For example, in the case of alcohol withdrawal, a patient could experience a set of severe symptoms including vomiting, a high pulse rate, seizures, and DTs.

Delirium Tremens (DTs) are a set of symptoms which occur in severe alcohol withdrawal cases and usually come on within 1-4 days after the person has stopped drinking.

The DTs include high blood pressure, breathing problems, an increased heart rate, hallucinations and severe disorientation/confusion, and have a mortality rate of around 5-25%. (8)

In cases where withdrawal symptoms are dangerous, severe or very difficult to manage, a medical detox might be given.

Medical detox involves managing a detox through medications such as Librium or Acamprosate, which are often given for alcohol withdrawal.

You can have a medical detox in a rehab clinic on an inpatient basis or at home, and there are services which allow a doctor to guide a friend or family member in how to care for a loved one going through withdrawal safely at home.

However, it is important to consult with a doctor or medical professional before attempting to detox at home, especially with substances such as alcohol. Make sure to discuss your detox needs when reaching out for drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth.

Choosing the Right Drug and Alcohol Treatments in Lambeth

There are a variety of addiction treatments available in drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, both on the NHS and through private rehab.

The treatments that you have will depend on several factors, and your addiction specialist will discuss the best course of treatment or treatments that would be best for you.

Some of the most common addiction treatments include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Family Therapy
• Addiction Counselling
• Peer Support Groups
• Holistic Therapies e.g. equine therapy

These addiction therapies aim to help you manage your addiction by tackling the psychological, social and behavioural factors which contribute to your addiction.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, for example, aims to help you challenge your thought patterns and develop new ways of thinking about your addiction to change your behaviours.

This type of therapy is very effective in treating alcoholism, with one study demonstrating an 83% effectiveness rate and a 45% recovery rate in patients who had gone through detoxification and subsequently undergone CBT. (9)

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy is a similar type of therapy but focuses more on the emotional component of actions and how you can overcome your desires to carry out harmful actions by redirecting your thinking.

Other therapies such as family therapy and peer support groups incorporate others into your addiction recovery. Having a good support system is essential for addiction recovery, whether it is family, friends, befrienders, peers in addiction recovery groups or mental health professionals.

Family therapy can help you rebuild or maintain a relationship with your family and help you and them to understand what each other is going through.

It can also help you see the impact that the addiction has had on family members, and help them to know how to help you in your recovery.

Holistic therapies focus on you as a person, rather than just your addiction, and can be very helpful especially when combined with counselling and/or talking therapies. This can include therapies such as music therapy or art therapy.

Following your detox, you will attend one or more of these addiction therapies at the drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth.

Different therapies are right for different people, however, the one which is best suited to you will be discussed when formulating your treatment plan with your addiction specialist.

How Long Does Addiction Rehab Last?

The length of time you spend in addiction treatment is likely to vary depending on the type of treatment you have, the severity of your addiction and whether you undergo private or NHS-funded treatment.

Inpatient programmes usually last around 28 days, as this is the recommended minimum amount of time for treatment to be effective.

During these 28 days, you will have a short detox period of 7-10 days, and then around 3 weeks of addiction therapies.

If you have outpatient treatment, then your course of addiction therapies might go on for a longer period such as 6 weeks rather than 3.

This is often the case for people who need more independence in their recovery and therefore attend sessions less frequently but over a longer period.

Once you complete rehab in Lambeth however, whether inpatient or outpatient, you will still have access to aftercare treatments and ongoing support which you can access at any time.

What Is the Difference between Inpatient and Outpatient Rehab?

Addiction treatment can be carried out on an inpatient or outpatient basis. When you attend your initial assessment, these treatment types will be discussed with you.

Inpatient treatment is suitable for people who require more support for their recovery, have additional health issues which may complicate addiction recovery and for people who have unsuitable home environments.

If you are going through inpatient rehabilitation, then you will stay in the rehab centre during the day and night throughout the duration of your course of treatment.

You may also be in rehab for some inpatient treatment whilst attending the rest of your treatment on an outpatient basis. This is known as part-hospitalisation and usually occurs when someone has an inpatient detox and attends addiction therapies on an outpatient basis.

Outpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth is suitable for patients with less severe substance use disorders, who can be more independent in their recovery.

Outpatient treatment is carried out when the patient remains at home throughout treatment but attends addiction therapy sessions at the rehab centre.

Whether you attend inpatient treatment, are put on an outpatient programme or have a combination of the two, you will be provided with expert addiction treatment which is there to help you in your recovery journey.

During your assessment, the options for your treatment plan will be discussed, and you will be able to see whether inpatient or outpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth would be best for you.

What is the Difference between NHS and Private Addiction Treatment?

When it comes to funding your drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, there are two main options: NHS funded and privately funded.

NHS and private addiction treatments vary in several ways, one of the most notable (as mentioned above) is the cost.

1. Cost of Private and NHS Rehab in Lambeth

NHS: Drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth on the NHS is free to all UK residents.

Private: If you opt for private treatment, you will likely be paying around £1,000 per week on average, and up to £5,000 per week for more high-end rehabilitation centres.

Waiting Times for NHS and Private Addiction Treatment

NHS: If you are aware of the waiting times for many NHS treatments, then it won’t be a surprise that there are often long waiting lists for addiction treatments on the NHS. Waiting lists for treatment can be as short as 3 weeks but are often between 3-6 months with some treatments having a 1-year waiting list.

Private: Private rehab clinics, on the other hand, are usually able to take in patients within 24-48 hours.

2. Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment on the NHS vs Private

NHS: As fast admissions are rare with NHS treatments, so is inpatient treatment. Due to limited funding, most NHS addiction treatment is on an outpatient basis with fewer opportunities for inpatient treatment.

Private: Private rehab centres can offer inpatient and outpatient treatments, often having a variety of options when it comes to the type of room you stay in and what facilities are available to you during your stay.

3. Types of Addiction Therapies Available in NHS and Private Rehab

NHS: There is also a more limited range of addiction treatments available on the NHS due to a lack of funding and resources.

Outpatient treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy and support groups are most likely to be recommended, although other treatments are available.

Private: There are often a lot more options for addiction treatment if you opt for private drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, and the range of therapies available tends to be greater.

For example, they often offer holistic therapies such as music therapy or animal therapy, as well as complementary activities to aid your recovery such as yoga sessions, and the use of gym facilities and swimming pools.

You also have the option to explore different rehab centres if you are a private patient, giving you more options.

There is a lot to consider when choosing between NHS or private drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, but whichever type of treatment you choose, make sure it is the right one for you.

All drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, whether privately or NHS funded, is fully equipped to help you with your addiction. You will receive professional treatment to help you in your recovery and have the support you need to get sober, so don’t hesitate to reach out today.

What Are Co-occurring Disorders and Why is Dual Diagnosis Important?

Co-occurring Disorders are two disorders or illnesses that exist alongside each other in an individual. In the case of alcohol addiction or drug addiction (also known as Substance Use Disorder), it is often the case that a patient will also have another disorder that they are dealing with.

In cases of Substance Use Disorder (SUD), some of the most commonly observed co-occurring mental health disorders include depression, social anxiety, eating disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

As well as co-occurring mental health disorders, there is also a high prevalence of other co-occurring substance use disorders in people with one primary substance use disorder.

For example, someone with alcohol use disorder might also have cocaine use disorder, heroin addiction or cannabis dependency.

If you know you have, or think you might have, a co-occurring condition then it is essential that you highlight this to your addiction specialist when you attend your initial assessment for drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth.

This is because being aware of co-occurring disorders in a patient means that medical professionals can find appropriate treatments for both disorders.

If the co-occurring disorder is not known or not considered, then there is a high likelihood that treatment won’t work and may even negatively impact one or both disorders.

Dual diagnosis, therefore, serves to ensure that the individual is diagnosed with both disorders in tandem, informing anyone dealing with the case of the two disorders.

Co-occurring disorders also interact with one another, sometimes prompting the development of the other disorder and/or exacerbating that disorder.

For example, a social anxiety disorder can be debilitating, particularly if not properly managed, and people often seek support from alcohol to make them feel more confident and relaxed in a social environment.

This can then lead to a dependence on alcohol for social interaction, and an alcohol use disorder where the mind and body become dependent on alcohol.

Recognising and treating both co-occurring disorders both separately and together, and recognising the impact they have on one another, makes treatment significantly more successful and recovery more likely than simply treating the substance use disorder alone.

Aftercare: What Happens After Rehab?

After you complete your drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, you will discuss it with your case manager who will go through aftercare and relapse prevention with you.

1. What Is Relapse Prevention?

Relapse prevention is the process of gathering resources, tools and methods to predict and prevent a future relapse from happening after a patient completes treatment.

This is usually done through a relapse prevention plan, which is a document that you leave treatment with which includes a variety of tools to help prevent a relapse from happening.

These tools include an outline of the stages of relapse to help you recognise if a relapse might occur, methods to help you when you are most vulnerable to relapse, contact details for aftercare services and crisis helplines and other useful resources.

These plans are personalised and created with you and will help you consider and identify when and where you might be vulnerable to relapse. You can include any methods that you have found useful throughout treatment in curbing cravings or preventing a desire to use again.

Relapse prevention plans are key to helping you further your recovery independently after completing drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, making sure you have all the tools you need to start your new sober life.

2. What Is Aftercare?

After drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth, you will also be provided with a list of aftercare services with your relapse prevention plan to help support you in your ongoing recovery journey.

This can include contacts for local charities, online resources for addiction recovery, local drop-in sessions and outpatient drug and alcohol services available in Lambeth.

Aftercare services range from crisis hotlines that you can use when you are struggling and need immediate help to drop-in sessions that you can pop into when you need a little extra support one week.

There is also a range of other community aftercare services such as 12-step where you can find peer support, al-anon and nar anon which are family services for those affected by a loved one’s addiction and SMART recovery which can help you regain control of your recovery.

Getting help through drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth is much easier and less daunting than it might seem. There are plenty of avenues to explore from inpatient to outpatient services, all here to help you on the road to recovery.

If you want to be free from the reigns of your addiction, then reach out to the Rehab4Alcoholism team today and you can start your sober life with drug and alcohol rehab in Lambeth.

References

[1] Lambeth Council (2022) State of the Borough 2022, https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-07/state-of-the-borough-2022-report.pdf

[2] National Institute on Drug Abuse (2020) ‘Treatment and Recovery’, Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction, https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery

[3] NHS South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Drug and Alcohol Service (Lambeth), https://slam.nhs.uk/service-detail/service/drug-and-alcohol-service-lambeth-134/

[4] NHS (2023) Lambeth Drug and Alcohol Services, Alcohol Addiction – Support for Family and Friends, https://www.nhs.uk/services/service-directory/lambeth-drug-and-alcohol-service/N10871602

[5] Change Grow Live, Lambeth Young People’s Project, https://www.changegrowlive.org/young-peoples-project-lambeth/info#help

[6] Mind (2022) Recreational drugs, alcohol and addiction, https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/recreational-drugs-alcohol-and-addiction/drug-and-alcohol-addiction-useful-contacts/

[7] NHS, Alcohol addiction support services near Lambeth, https://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/find-an-alcohol-addiction-service/results?location=Lambeth&latitude=51.49671699493844&longitude=-0.11708325120593584

[8] Louis A. Trevisan, M.D., Nashaat Boutros, M.D., Ismene L. Petrakis, M.D., and John H. Krystal, M.D. (1998) ‘Complications of Alcohol Withdrawal’, Alcohol Health and Research World, https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh22-1/61-66.pdf

[9] Jing Chen, Mincai Qian, Conghao Sun, Min Lin and Weili Tang (2019) ‘Clinical effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy on alcohol-dependent patients: an observation with the WeChat platform’, General Psychiatry, https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/32/5/e100087