Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Mauritius

Between 2018 and 2019, the number of drug-related offences in Mauritius increased by 15%. The total figure jumped from 4,267 to 4,906, with 39% involving cannabis, 22.8% involving heroin, and 3.1% involving sedatives [1].

Research into Mauritian hospitals shows that 57.5% of those struggling with addiction had a family history of substance abuse, and 76.2% of those receiving treatment for cannabis were drawn to the drug from curiosity [2].

In 2016, the World Health Organisation identified that just over 10% of the Mauritian population aged over 15 engaged in heavy drinking at least once per month [3].

To begin your recovery journey today, call our 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 111 4108

What is Alcohol Addiction?

When an individual is said to be addicted to alcohol, it means that they have forged a physical and psychological dependence on it. These are two equal yet unique aspects of becoming reliant on a substance.

With physical dependence, an individual’s body becomes accustomed to alcohol’s presence. Frequent drinking causes chemical and hormonal frameworks to build around alcohol, so much so that its absence sends everything into imbalance.

Psychological dependence works in a similar way. After using alcohol so much, the brain develops an association between it and the pleasurable feelings it causes. Over time, this becomes reinforced to the point that drinking feels like a necessary part of day-to-day life.

Withdrawal is a large aspect of alcohol addiction. When sober, an individual will feel both their body demanding the drug – a need which causes a variety of symptoms – and their mind’s craving for it, which usually provokes anxiety, panic, and depression.

What are drug rehab and alcohol rehabs?

Rehab is a well-known term, but it actually refers to a specific programme of treating addiction, rather than a general term for recovery or addiction support.

Specifically, rehab refers to the combination of addiction detox, therapy, and relapse prevention. It usually takes place in a treatment centre, and is provided by private companies and the medical experts they employ.

Detox sees individuals gradually reduce their substance use, and therapy identifies triggers and combats their influence on behaviour. Together, these treatments reduce physical and psychological dependence and aim to make individuals independent of a substance.

Once these goals have been met, relapse prevention prepares individuals for life after rehab. Techniques, routines, and habits are developed and practised to bolster their chances of remaining sober and protecting the progress they have made during treatment.

Pre-rehab steps: Addiction Intervention

Before an individual enrols into drug and alcohol rehab in Mauritius, they might experience a reluctance to admit that they have a problem. Denial is common among those with addictions [4], so an intervention may be required to draw their attention to the problem.

During an intervention, the family and friends of an individual come together to confront them about their condition.

They share experiences and stories to identify how their behaviour has become problematic, and unite to offer support in seeking treatment.

It’s normal for individuals to reject what they hear during interventions. For this reason, attendees prepare consequences which are designed to show an individual that, even if they deny it, their dangerous behaviour cannot be allowed to continue.

To begin your recovery journey today, call our 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 111 4108

The CRAFT Approach to addiction intervention

Alternative approaches to interventions exist. The CRAFT approach drops the event of intervention and seeks to influence an individual’s behaviour over time.

By rewarding healthy behaviours and punishing those which reinforce addiction, the CRAFT approach encourages individuals to see the nature of their actions for themselves and acknowledge the need to seek treatment.

How much does drug rehab or alcohol cost in Mauritius?

Rehab costs will vary across the world, so individuals will have to conduct research into their local options in order to get specific prices. However, there are sums which indicate what individuals can expect to pay for certain types of support.

28-day rehabs tend to cost around £14,000 (or £495 per day). A single week in rehab can range from £1,000 to £10,000 depending on the treatment centre, and luxury drug and alcohol rehab in Mauritius can reach beyond £70,000 for a month-long programme.

How long does drug rehab or alcohol rehab last?

Individuals are recommended to remain within rehab for 28 days. This period of time allows 7 days for physical detox to prepare the body for sobriety without shocking it, as well as a further few weeks to make therapeutic progress with addictive triggers.

However, there are factors which can affect how long an individual spends in treatment. For example, if they suffer from a mental health disorder, the therapy process might take longer as it tries to work through both this and the substance use disorder.

Private addiction treatment in Mauritius

A large majority of options for drug and alcohol rehab in Mauritius are provided by private companies. These facilities have a number of advantages, but they also come with their fair share of problems and limitations.

Private addiction support offers a range of treatments and facilities for individuals to enjoy. Holistic therapy, sports activities, spa treatments – they offer a variety of fundamental and complimentary recovery treatments.

Everything within private rehab is about quality and comfort. Individuals are cared for by a number of qualified and dedicated experts, and they stay within private accommodation which enhances their ability to relax and engage with the recovery process.

Where private treatment falters is in its accessibility. The admission prices for these programmes are often too high for the average person to afford, and their remote locations tend to be difficult for most people to travel/commute to.

To begin your recovery journey today, call our 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 111 4108

Inpatient or Outpatient Addiction Treatment in Mauritius

When choosing to begin rehab, individuals have a choice as to whether they begin inpatient or outpatient treatment. Each of these has its advantages, though their suitability for treating addiction will depend on an individual’s circumstances and goals.

Inpatient rehab has individuals enter a facility and take up accommodation there while they progress through treatment. They are provided with food and accommodation and are only allowed to leave once they have completed detox and therapy and achieved sobriety.

Such a style of rehab benefits those who are unable to look after themselves or motivate their own recovery. Being under the constant supervision of experts and medical staff ensures individuals are safe and do not relapse, and acts to remind them of their goals.

Outpatient rehab, on the other hand, is a much more independent style of treatment. Individuals attend meetings – which act to direct and guide their recovery – and return home between sessions.

This style benefits those who have either not yet developed an addiction or have only recently done so. Outpatient methods are most effective at stopping and reversing an individual’s progress towards addiction while interrupting their life as little as possible.

Alcohol detox & alcohol rehab in Mauritius

Combatting alcoholism requires an individual to first tackle their body’s relationship with alcohol, then their emotional and psychological connection to it.

During a 10-day detox, individuals quit their alcohol use through a gradual process of tapering off. This aims to facilitate their body becoming sober without triggering dangerous withdrawal, and can be aided via the prescription of symptom-dampening benzodiazepines.

Then a few weeks are spent identifying why alcohol has become such a dominant aspect of an individual’s life. Work, peers, mental health – all triggers are addressed, and an individual is supported in learning how to dampen their unhealthy impact on behaviour.

To begin your recovery journey today, call our 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 111 4108

Rehab for Cocaine addiction in Mauritius

Cocaine is a substance which produces a pleasurable, energetic high when taken. If consumed regularly, individuals can form a psychological dependence on it, believing themselves unable to live normally if it is not taken on a consistent basis.

Rehab for this form of addiction prioritises the therapeutic approach to treatment. Due to the primary role of the mind in cocaine addiction, an individual’s unhealthy attitudes and perceptions of its consumption must be tackled in order to relieve cravings.

A popular way of doing this is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). During this treatment, individuals are helped in identifying how their thoughts and ideas surrounding cocaine encourage unhealthy behaviour and then are supported in building new ways of thinking.

Rehab for Heroin addiction in Mauritius

Heroin is physically addictive, and those who use it recreationally for its high are at risk of changing their body chemistry and becoming dependent. Rehab for this substance abuse must therefore focus on the body first.

Detox for heroin sees individuals reducing their exposure to the drug in an attempt to gradually become sober. Benzodiazepines can be offered to minimise withdrawal, but steady progress should reduce the extent to which the body demands the drug.

With physical sobriety achieved, heroin rehab then employs therapy to address the psychological motivations which led to physical dependence forming. Work pressure, family disputes, trauma – triggers are identified and techniques for handling them are practised.

Rehab for Cannabis addiction in Mauritius

Cannabis is one of the most popular recreational substances in the world, and becoming psychologically addicted to it is common. Treating misuse requires a therapeutic approach, as well as an engagement with what triggers unhealthy consumption.

In therapy, individuals discuss and work through what might be at the heart of their cannabis use. Work pressure, family breakdown, financial trouble – the initial cause of misuse is identified and engaged with to reduce its impact on behaviour.

The objective of this treatment is to provide individuals with a greater understanding of why they feel such a strong demand for cannabis, as well as equip them with techniques for handling such cravings in future.

To begin your recovery journey today, call our 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 111 4108

Types of addiction treatment therapies on offer in Mauritius rehabs

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for addiction

An individual’s perceptions of and modes of thinking about a substance can strongly impact how they interact with it.

If a substance is considered to be beneficial or necessary, its consumption will become more routine, and its adverse effects will be ignored.

In CBT, the thought processes that perpetuate unhealthy consumption are challenged, and situations that reinforce them are identified and worked through.

Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) for addiction

Emotions are a huge motivator of human behaviour, and substance use can get seriously out of control if feelings like anger, depression, and regret are found to be fuelling it.

In DBT, such feelings are discussed so that their connection with addictive behaviours can be better understood and reduced.

Often, sessions require individuals to engage with sensitive or painful memories in order to develop a greater sense of calm.

Brief interventions for addiction

Across several sessions, brief interventions see individuals meeting with a therapist to receive guidance in their recovery journey.

Discussions can focus on physical and mental health, with techniques for coping with triggers being discovered.

The flexible structure of this therapy allows individuals to receive support as and when they are able to attend, and the focus of sessions can change and adapt to stay relevant to their experiences of recovery.

Motivational interviewing for addiction

As individual journeys through drug and alcohol rehab in Mauritius, therapy can also function as a means of keeping them on track and maintaining their psychological engagement with treatment.

Motivational interviewing works by helping them clarify their goals and framing their recovery as a means to achieve what they really want.

Holistic therapies (e.g. equine therapy/music therapy/art therapy/adventure therapy)

Approaching a substance use disorder can take a variety of approaches, and holistic therapies consider the entire being to be in need of support.

Art, music therapy, equine therapy, animal care: such activities seek to boost overall well-being and bolster independence from drugs or alcohol.

Group therapy for addiction

Rather than receive one-to-one treatment, group therapy introduces individuals to others in a similar situation.

Discussions are led by a therapist, but it is conversations between attendees which promote mutual support and the sharing of experiences.

Individual therapy for addiction

Possibly the most popular form of therapy, one-to-one support allows individuals to talk to a therapist and build a relationship with them.

Over time, this enables a deep understanding of an addiction to be developed and a great sense of trust to be established.

Family therapy for addiction

Addictive behaviour can sometimes spawn from difficulties individual experiences in the home. Family disputes can create great emotional pain which motivates and perpetuates substance abuse.

To tackle this, therapy can bring relatives into treatment sessions to help address problems and reduce the chances of addiction flaring up again in future.

Co-dependency treatment for addiction

When addiction develops due to co-dependent behaviour – when an individual emulates the actions of others to attain self-esteem or identity – this therapy can be used to help them challenge misperceptions about substance use.

Twelve-Step Facilitation Therapy (TSF) for addiction

In order to produce a sense of progression, individuals can undergo a TSF which promotes engagement by rewarding individuals as they continue to work through their addiction.

The importance of dual diagnosis for co-occurring disorders at rehab

Addiction and mental health are connected in an intricate way. One can fuel the other, and the majority of individuals who receive treatment for a substance use disorder are also found to be struggling with a psychological problem, such as anxiety or depression.

The co-existence of these conditions is known as dual diagnosis, and it is essential that their relationship with one another is identified during drug and alcohol rehab in Mauritius.

Only by identifying dual diagnosis can poor mental health be recognised as a motivator for addictive behaviour and treated via the therapeutic portion of rehab.

To begin your recovery journey today, call our 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 111 4108

How rehabs help with relapse prevention

Once detox and therapy have been conducted, drug and alcohol rehab in Mauritius looks to the future. An individual might be physically and mentally sober, but there remains the task of preparing them for the risk of relapse that awaits them back home.

During relapse prevention, an individual is equipped with the skills and techniques for handling the triggers they have learned to recognise during therapy.

This aims to preserve the lessons of rehab and help reduce the chances of them falling back into old ways.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

During AA and NA meetings, individuals speak and listen to others who have also been through drug and alcohol rehab in Mauritius. Everyone is encouraged to contribute their experiences and current struggles, ensuring an atmosphere of support and care is created.

SMART Recovery

By focusing on the central principles of sustaining motivation, managing triggers, monitoring thoughts and emotions, and living healthily; SMART meetings work to ensure individuals remain engaged with the pillars of recovery and get the support and guidance they need.

Home alcohol detox

For those who relapse, home detoxes allow for physical sobriety to be reclaimed without the need to re-enter rehab. The delivery of benzodiazepines to their home and regular meetings with an expert allow them to detox quickly and safely, and get back on track

Al/Anon Family Group meetings

For the family of a recovering individual, Al/Anon meetings grant the opportunity to meet and learn from other families going through something similar. Advice can be shared, experiences can be listened to; improving a family’s ability to support their loved one.

Outpatient treatment via a local Drug & Alcohol team in Mauritius

Post rehab, therapeutic support can continue in the form of outpatient meetings with addiction specialists. This form of support grants opportunities for therapy to continue, and also for the continued availability of advice on physical health and sobriety.

To begin your recovery journey today, call our 24-Hour Helpline: 0800 111 4108

References

[1] https://statsmauritius.govmu.org/Documents/Statistics/ESI/2020/EI1527/CJS_Yr19.doc

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7452487/

[3] https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/substances-abuse/mus.pdf?sfvrsn=906c4a8f_3&download=true

[4] http://pure-oai.bham.ac.uk/ws/files/25519189/DENIAL_PICKARD_M_L_FINAL_PRE_PROOF.pdf