Drug & Alcohol Rehabs in Shrewsbury

Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Shrewsbury 

Shrewsbury is a town in the county of Shropshire, around 250km from Northwest London. Shropshire developed their new Drug and Alcohol Strategy on their 2017 plan, creating a vision for 2019 to 2024. 

The aim of these local strategies is to use information, best practice, and specific guidance to meet local needs and respond appropriately to substance issues.

Shropshire’s visions is to : “create a healthy and vibrant community, safe from the harms caused by drugs and alcohol, where all people can have the best start in life, live and age well.” [1] 

The authorities recognise that drug and alcohol dependency is a disease of the brain, but it can also be a symptom of other complex underlying issues.

The documents state that alcohol is the largest factor that poses a risk to life. In 2019, almost 20% of adults in Shropshire drank in harmful and dangerous quantities. This included around 48,636 young adults who are now placing their education, future, and well-being at risk.

Recent statistics in Shropshire also found that:

• 70% of all drug service users experience poor mental health
• 84% of alcohol service users identify with a mental health need
• 25% of those seeking help for drugs had a housing problem
• 349 people in Shropshire suffered from Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
• 35% of the heaviest drinker’s experience decision-making issues
• Around 1,353 people in Shropshire are dependent on opiates and crack cocaine
• Higher rates of men receive access to drug treatment than women do
• The COVID-19 pandemic saw a significant negative impact on substance abuse

Contact us today for more information and support about drug and alcohol rehab in Shrewsbury at 0800 111 4108.

Defining Addiction: ‘Substance Use Disorder’

Addiction is also called a ‘substance use disorder’. This is a scientific and medical term that describes the use of a substance in a harmful manner, leading to significant problems and distress.

The issues commonly associated with substance use disorders are: [2]

• Relationship interference
• Social isolation
• Mental health and physical health complications
• High-risk taking
• Legal issues
• High tolerance
• Severe withdrawal symptoms
• Spending time and energy on seeking and consuming substances
• Responsibility withdrawal
• Continued use despite negative consequences

The exact cause of substance use disorders is unknown. However, research has shown that many factors (including cultural and societal factors) determine what the ‘normal’ use of substances is and what may lead to addiction.

The most common factors that lead or contribute to the development of a substance use disorder are:

• Genetics and having family relations who suffer from addiction
• Environmental stressors (stressful events)
• Trauma
• Pressure to use (social pressure)
• Individual characteristics (personality traits)
• Mental health disorders (self-medicating) 

It can be difficult to identify substance use disorders when they are not severe, but there tend to be common symptoms of mild addiction disorders: [3]

• Consuming large amounts of substances and for long periods of time
• Unsuccessfully cutting out or down on substances
• Continually seeking substances
• Drug and alcohol cravings
• The substance is interfering with responsibilities and duties
• Anxiety and depression
• Weight loss and significant changes in behaviour 
• Fatigue and lack of sleep
• Change in heart rate and blood pressure
• Lack of care for hygiene
• Inability to concentrate and reduced memory ability

The severity of symptoms and side effects will depend on the substance in use and the severity of the addiction. Usually, addiction is signposted by the presence of withdrawal symptoms when intake is reduced, followed by significant cravings for the substance. [4] [5]

By understanding the root causes, contributors, and signs of addiction, only then can we understand how to properly treat substance use disorders in Shrewsbury.

If you or a loved one is looking for substance abuse help in Shrewsbury, recovery can start today. You can take addiction questionnaires from home; these questionnaires will screen your honest answers for addictive behaviour, assessed and evaluated by professionals.

The following is the CAGE questionnaire: [6]

1. Have you ever felt you ought to cut down on your drinking or drug use?
2. Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking or drug use?
3. Have you felt bad or guilty about your drinking or drug use?
4. Have you ever had a drink or used drugs first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (eye-opener)?

Answering these questions with openness and honesty is extremely important. The answers to these questions will be evaluated by medical professionals who can advise you on what the best form of action is.

If you or a loved one answers any of the 4 questions with a YES, it is likely that you require help for your substance use in Shrewsbury.

Intervention in Shrewsbury 

Most users will be in a stage of denial about their substance use disorder. If this is the case, addiction intervention is required. Intervention is a motivational tool to help users get the rehabilitation in Shrewsbury that they need for their addiction.

There are different types of intervention, and the one that will be most useful will be dictated by the type and severity of the addiction in question. The following is a list of different intervention styles, along with information on why this particular style might used:

1. Simple Intervention: also called a brief intervention, a simple intervention is an addiction intervention designed for mild and new addictions. This is usually a simple conversation between the user and a loved one or professional. A conversation is normally enough to convince the user to attend rehabilitation in Shrewsbury.
2. Classical Intervention: this is a group-run intervention, formed of loved ones and those most effected by the addiction. This is used when the addiction is more severe, so the group will meet before the addiction intervention to discuss their plan of action. This may also be run by a professional interventionist.
3. Family Intervention: Also called ‘Community Reinforcement and Family Training’, family intervention is one of the most successful forms of intervention. This is also a group intervention, but specifically regarding ‘concerned others’. These concerned others are asked to positively reward good behaviour, also called positive reinforcement. They are also asked to educate themselves on addiction, and let negative consequences play out.
4. Crisis Intervention: An intervention can also be impromptu, run by medical professionals as soon as the substance user is in immediate danger, or has become a risk to themselves and those around them.

A successful intervention will motivate the user to start treatment at a rehabilitation facility in Shrewsbury. Before the patient starts treatment for their substance use disorder, professionals will need to assess the patient to make sure they attend a more suitable rehab.

The ASAM created a criterion for addiction admissions. If the patient has additional or different needs, then these will need to be met so that the patient has the best chance of successful rehabilitation. [7]

The following topics are included in the criteria of assessment:

• Whether they meet the criteria for a ‘substance use disorder’ diagnosis
• Presence and severity of withdrawal symptoms
• Associated mental and physical health conditions
• Cognitive state
• Behaviours and type of addiction
• Emotional regulation
• Motivation for treatment and realistic recovery
• Likelihood of relapse and lapse
• Social support
• Safety of environment

On admission to any rehab centre in Shrewsbury, these factors will be assessed and graded on a risk scale. The higher the risk of each factor, the more attention it requires. 

Different rehabs offer different forms of therapy and counselling to address the needs of a patient in Shrewsbury.

Contact us today for more information and support about drug and alcohol rehab in Shrewsbury at 0800 111 4108.

Types of Rehabilitation: Shrewsbury

There will be two types of rehabilitation available in Shrewsbury, inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab. These two types of rehabilitation have different strengths, so will be suitable for different patients. [8]

Inpatient rehab, also called residential treatment, is an intensive treatment that requires the full attention of patients. This means that they will move into the rehab centre in Shrewsbury to receive their addiction treatment. 

This is most suitable for patients that have consumed substances for long periods of time, for those who are taking dangerous amounts of substances, and for those likely to suffer life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.

When they become a resident, patients will be offered 24/7 supervision, advice, and treatment. This intensive style of recovery is not available on the NHS, as it is costly to provide such high-end treatment.

Patients will be required to pay for treatment, but the exact cost depends on the treatment centre and the length of treatment. 

The sum required for inpatient treatment will cover everything from activities to medication. Outpatient treatment is offered through the NHS, but it is not residential. Patients will be required to pay for medication and extra facilities, but the direct treatment and assessments will be covered by the NHS.

This is suitable for patients with less severe addictions, such as new addictions or those who use a small number of substances. This is still incredibly important to treat, as new and mild addictions are highly likely to develop into severe addictions when left untreated. 

Patients attending outpatient treatment in Shrewsbury will attend the centre to take medication (monitored) and to attend therapy and counselling.

Rehab in Shrewsbury has no set timeline. However, the minimum time spent in rehab depends on the type of addiction. If the addiction is both physical and mental, the patient must stay in rehab for a minimum of 7-10 days to complete the detoxification process. 

This helps patients stabilise their physical and mental health, getting clean from the substance. Only then can the patient fully immerse themselves in treatment in Shrewsbury.

Both inpatient and outpatient treatment for addiction will last a life-time. Addiction recovery requires effort and motivation for the majority of your life, but we are here to make it easier for you. 

Patients that attend inpatient therapy usually move to outpatient rehab, where they remain for a long period of time. [9] 

Addiction Therapy Offered in Shrewsbury 

The therapy and counselling offered in Shrewsbury will be available in both outpatient and inpatient rehab clinics. The difference lies in the intensity of the programmes, as outpatients will require fewer sessions of a lower intensity than inpatient patients will.

The treatment offered in rehab will not only work on getting sober from the substance, but also:

• Mending relationships broken by addiction
• Relapse and lapse prevention
• Understanding addiction
• Treating the health conditions associated with addiction

Here at Rehab 4 Alcoholism, we can refer you to different types of therapy for all patients. The most common type of addiction therapy is behavioural therapy. This was first designed for mental health conditions but was transformed into a therapy for addiction.

Addiction is a complex brain disease, and behavioural therapy is underpinned by the belief that addictive thoughts cause addictive behaviour. The two most popular forms of behavioural therapy are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT). 

CBT is classic behavioural therapy, and DBT is a form of CBT but designed for patients that require more attention on emotional regulation. [10]

Trauma and extreme stress also contribute or cause addiction. For this reason, rehab clinics offer EDMR and REBT therapy (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, and rational emotive behavioural therapy). 

These types of therapy help patients heal their previous trauma, reducing the likelihood of medicating traumatic symptoms with substances. 

If patients in Shrewsbury are struggling with the motivation for therapy and counselling, the rehab centre may also offer motivational interviewing and contingency management. 

Motivational interviewing is an interview run by a medical professional, examining the sources of anxiety and doubt regarding treatment and any worries about recovery. [11]

Contingency management is a form of behavioural therapy. Professionals will use incentives to reward and positively reinforce any evidence of positive change concerning behaviour.

Incentives will usually involve coupons or something of monetary value in response to change, such as a clean drug screen or full therapy attendance. [12] [13] 

There are many different forms of addiction therapy, such as individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy.

Group therapy is an extremely popular treatment offered by outpatient treatment in Shrewsbury, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA) and SMART Recovery.

This allows an element of social support, offering patients a safe space to work on their addictions.

Group therapy such as Alcoholics Anonymous work on a 12-step programme. This informal fellowship is successful, in part due to the fact that a person that no longer consumes alcohol is usually successful when it comes to helping a drinker in distress.

The following steps are the 12 principles that describe the experience of the earliest members of this society: [14]

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Contact us today for more information and support about drug and alcohol rehab in Shrewsbury at 0800 111 4108.

Rehab Aftercare: Shrewsbury

Group therapy such as AA and NA form a critical part of rehab aftercare. This starts when individual treatment and family therapy have ‘finished’, and the patients must work on incorporating their treatment into real life.

Attending and working on rehab aftercare gives patients a better chance of success. Setbacks are common, and experiencing a relapse is not a moral failing. It highlights the areas you need to work on, such as high-risk situations to avoid. 

Rehab aftercare will help patients turn theory into practice, working on all aspects of recovery. 

Summary: Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury rehab clinics offer a range of therapy and counselling methods to treat alcohol addiction, drug addiction, and conditions relating to substance abuse disorders.

Residential treatment, also called inpatient rehab, offers 24/7 care for patients, but this is not offered through the NHS. Outpatient treatment is not suitable for those with a severe addiction. 

However, it is perfect for those with a mild addiction, and is usually offered through the NHS.

Both forms of rehabilitation with require a detox if the addiction is physical as well as mental. Medically assisted detox usually lasts up to 10 days, and following this, the assigned therapy can start.

This may be individual therapy, family therapy, or group therapy, depending on the patient in question. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Below, we list a number of other resources that you may find useful in your search for quality and suitable rehab treatment in the UK:

• How much does rehab cost?
• Can I bring my mobile, tablet or laptop into rehab?
• Can improperly detoxing from alcohol kill?
• Will going to rehab help my legal case?
• Is 28 days in rehab long enough?
• Should I go to a local rehab or one that’s far away?
• What are the biggest misconceptions about going to rehab?
• What should I pack for rehab?
• What questions to ask when choosing rehab?
• What to ask if you’re dealing with trauma?

Contact Us Today

Contact us today for more information and support about drug and alcohol rehab in Shrewsbury at 0800 111 4108.

References 

[1] https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/media/21854/drug-and-alcohol-strategy-draft.pdf

[2] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/substance-abuse-chemical-dependency

[3] NIDA. 2022, September 27. Part 1: The Connection Between Substance Use Disorders and Mental Illness. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-substance-use-disorders/part-1-connection-between-substance-use-disorders-mental-illness on 2023, March 9

[4] https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction

[5] https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2015/10/biology-addiction

[6]https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns_hopkins_healthcare/downloads/all_plans/CAGE%20Substance%20Screening%20Tool.pdf

[7] https://www.asam.org/asam-criteria/about-the-asam-criteria

[8] https://www.sgu.edu/blog/medical/inpatient-versus-outpatient/

[9] https://www.rehab4alcoholism.com/

[10] McHugh RK, Hearon BA, Otto MW. Cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010 Sep;33(3):511-25. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.012. PMID: 20599130; PMCID: PMC2897895.

[11] https://motivationalinterviewing.org/understanding-motivational-interviewing

[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3083448/#:~:text=Contingency%20management%20refers%20to%20a,evidence%20of%20positive%20behavioural%20change.

[13] https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20200305.965186/#:~:text=Most%20commonly%2C%20the%20treatment%20provides,a%20prize%20or%20gift%20card.

[14] https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/about-aa/the-12-steps-of-aa