Drug & Alcohol Rehab in St Andrews

The coastal town of St Andrews may be one of Scotland’s most popular tourist destinations, but it is by no means exempt from the country’s addiction crisis.

Problematic alcohol and drug use are significant issues in the Fife peninsula, causing irreparable damage to people’s lives and contributing to violence and crime.

The NHS Fife Health board revealed in their 2020 report that the area experienced a rate of 36.1 drug-related crimes per 10,000.

Unfortunately, these worrying statistics are reflected in the drug-related crime trends for wider Scotland.

The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey for 2019/2020 reported that 44% of violent crime was alcohol-related – an issue thought to cost Scotland £727 million every year.

This report has also revealed that a worrying 60% of young offenders were drunk at the time of their arrest.

Another part of the community affected by alcohol-related harm in St Andrews is the NHS service.

In 2019, the area had a rate of 278.6 drug-related hospital admissions per 100,000, and 589 per 100,000 alcohol-related conditions.

The seriousness of these figures is echoed by the drinking habits of wider Scotland.

The same health survey reported that in 2019, 1 in 4 residents (24%) were thought to be problematic drinkers, a rate which has only risen since the COVID pandemic.

Tragically, many addicted individuals don’t get the help they desperately need, either in the form of NHS care or via a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews.

In 2019, Fife had a rate of 18.7 deaths due to alcohol per 100,000, and 26.5 drug-related fatalities per 100,000.

What is Alcohol Use Disorder?

When an individual compulsively consumes alcohol despite the aftermath, they’ve either developed or are in the process of developing Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

While historically society has assumed victims of AUD to be immoral or lazy, this disease is now recognised for its devastating impacts.

Nowadays, those suffering can access expert treatment at a drug and alcohol in St Andrews.

The DSM-5 defines alcohol addiction as a “problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress”.

According to their guideline, someone harbouring AUD will be thinking about drinking even if they aren’t (psychological dependence), will drink more than they mean to (high tolerance), and cannot stop despite wanting to.

This is because heavy, consistent alcohol use adversely affects the brain.

It does this by attacking the brain’s reward system and changing the chemical balance, which causes someone to develop cravings when they haven’t been drinking.

However, it isn’t just the brain that is affected.

Over time, the body’s cells become so used to alcohol and its physiological implications that it cannot function without it.

This causes the notoriously uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol.

Individuals with AUD will notice that, as time goes on and their addiction festers, they’ll no longer feel the same buzz that they used to when drinking.

Instead, they’ll be consuming alcohol to avoid withdrawal, which often includes:

• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Vomiting
• Shakiness
• Depression

Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to check if someone’s alcohol consumption is clinically problematic, whether it be your own or a loved one’s.

The easiest way to do this is to estimate the number of drinks and see how they align with the NHS guidelines.

Their website states that anything over 14 units per week is hazardous, with one unit measured as 10ml of alcohol.

However, while self-assessment tools are beneficial, they shouldn’t replace professional advice.

By reaching out to Rehab 4 Alcoholism, we can connect you to a number of experts at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews.

These clinics have the facilities and knowledge to facilitate lifelong recovery from AUD.

What Is A Drug And Alcohol Rehab?

Following a clinical assessment, addicted individuals are often encouraged to enrol at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews: either on an outpatient or inpatient basis.

The well-known term rehab (short for rehabilitation) is used in reference to structured treatment for Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

For most people, rehab is the process of reclaiming their lives from addiction through both therapeutic and pharmacological methods.

They’ll tackle the physical side of their addiction while detoxing, before learning coping skills to prevent relapse.

Finally, they’ll access drug and alcohol support groups within the St Andrews community.

Those attending rehab as an inpatient are required to live on-site at the clinic of their choice for the duration of their 28-day, 60-day, or 90-day programme.

These plans include room and board, medication, therapy, and 24/7 access to medical professionals.

A typical day for someone enrolled in a residential programme begins at 7 am-8 am and finishes at around 8 or 9 pm.

After a healthy breakfast, patients will complete morning activities such as yoga or meditation, before an afternoon of psychotherapy sessions.

After a few hours of free time, evenings often consist of less-intensive group therapy or 12-step sessions.

Conversely, outpatient programmes at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews have addicted individuals live in their usual home and attend therapy in their own time.

Patients may opt for a temporarily residential detox of 7-14 days, before going back to work or school and undertaking treatments in the evening.

Private VS Public Treatment For Addiction In St Andrews

The journey towards recovery is a very personal one and is based entirely on individual circumstances.

As the two main treatment categories here in the UK, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of attending a publicly funded or privately funded drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews.

For many addicted individuals, the first treatment type that presents itself as a viable option is publicly funded, NHS-derived support.

Unsurprisingly, many consider NHS programmes because they’re free at the point of use, giving those with financial worries access to expert-level medical support.

Furthermore, NHS treatment is usually offered on an outpatient basis, with budget cuts meaning residential programmes are given only to the most severe cases.

Those with a solid support system and stable living conditions can benefit greatly from the remote nature of these outpatient programmes.

Unlike inpatients, they can stay in work or school while treating their addiction.

However, someone with severe SUD may not benefit from the lack of integrative care offered by outpatient programmes.

Those coming from unsupportive environments or with easy access to substances should separate from the places, people or circumstances that exacerbated their SUD by becoming an inpatient.

]Moreover, those in need of immediate medical and therapeutic attention should note the waiting times associated with NHS treatment.

Owing to significant reductions in treatment services and ever-increasing public demand, NHS queues are only increasing.

Now, patients can expect to wait months to see a professional.

As they’re not faced with the same budget cuts and demand, waiting times for a private drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews are significantly lower.

In most cases, same-day admission is possible, with clients able to start detoxing almost immediately.

Additionally, most private clinics offer exclusively residential programmes.

Inpatients will receive 24/7 expert supervision and treatment performed by dedicated therapists.

Most importantly, this treatment will be fully personalised to suit the individual’s needs.

This is particularly crucial for those looking to navigate recovery under a dual diagnosis.

Individuals who enrol at a private drug and alcohol rehab also have the option to select a clinic of their choosing, rather than being assigned a centre by the NHS that might not cater to their needs.

Private centres in St Andrews and the surrounding Fife area offer everything from luxury programmes and state-of-the-art facilities, to budget options at reputable clinics.

Despite these obvious advantages, the biggest drawback of privately funded treatment for many individuals is the cost.

However, it’s important to note that rehab facilities vary hugely when it comes to pricing.

Some deciding factors include the reputability of a clinic within the community, the level of luxury on offer, and the range of treatments.

For a standard 28-day programme considered optimal by many experts in the field, clients might pay anywhere between £5,000 and £14,000.

For clinics with more modest facilities, patients are quoted an average of £1,000-£2,000 per week, while a luxury drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews will charge £14,000 or more.

Another deciding factor will be whether or not a patient has health insurance.

Nowadays, many rehab clinics accept payment via insurance reimbursements, and many insurance providers cover an entire residential programme.

If you have private or employee insurance, our team at Rehab 4 Alcoholism can guide you in what steps to take.

Even if you aren’t in possession of an insurance plan, many rehab clinics have sought ways to make their programmes more accessible.

Private centres now offer assistance in the form of financial plans and splitting up payments to suit an individual’s budgetary requirements.

Arranging An Intervention For a Loved One In S Andrews

Even if they have a strong supportive network surrounding them, addicted individuals often deny formal treatment.

This can be due to fear of the unknown, a dip in motivation, or lack of self-worth, all of which make it difficult to pursue treatment,

Such behaviour, though often not the fault of the SUD victim, can take a toll on their families, friends, and colleagues.

This leads many support networks to join forces and orchestrate an intervention – a set of structured meetings hoping to guide the addicted individuals towards accepting treatment.

Sessions not only propose future treatment, often at a nearby rehab clinic, but they also provide specific examples of destructive behaviour and the impact it has on each Concerned Significant Other (CSO).

It’s hoped that providing examples of such behaviour can break through an individual’s denial and lead them towards formal treatment of their own volition.

The first step in orchestrating a successful intervention is contacting an intervention specialist in the St Andrews area

An interventionist is a certified therapist or mental health worker who can step in and provide both logistical and therapeutic support.

An experienced professional can keep communication between parties moving by checking in on the SUD victim and their families, often separately.

This will help keep sessions as peaceful and productive as possible.

They’ll also select future treatment, and educate participating members in addiction recovery by using a certified guideline.

Depending on the needs and dynamics of each group, interventionists can choose to utilise a range of frameworks to achieve this goal.

One increasingly popular approach is the science-grounded CRAFT intervention method.

This is an approach for families wanting to learn better ways of communicating with their addicted loved one with an emphasis on self-care.

Dual Diagnosis And Substance Addiction

When an individual suffers from a mental illness that coexists with a substance use disorder, professionals call this a “Dual “Diagnosis”.

This complex phenomenon is entirely dependent on the individual and their unique history and circumstances.

Someone can suffer from schizophrenia and cannabis use, depression and opioid addiction, or a physical illness such as diabetes with AUD.

However, though some people manage physical pain by using drugs or alcohol, it’s far more likely for a comorbid condition to be psychological.

Such psychiatric and/or behavioural conditions can underpin an individual’s substance addiction, as they use drugs or alcohol to quell mental distress.

Having said that, co-occurring disorders aren’t always pre-existing, with many manifesting as a result of uncontrolled substance misuse.

The most common example of this is drug-induced psychosis.

Regardless of how they started, if co-occurring disorders result in the loss of normal daily functioning, it’s time to seek appropriate treatment at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews.

Many private rehab clinics provide integrated recovery programmes for co-occurring disorders, which means modifying their treatment protocol to suit each patient’s complex needs.

How Long Should Treatment Take At A Drug And Alcohol Rehab In St Andrews?

The amount of time spent recuperating at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews will differ depending on the individual and the severity of their addiction.

While longer treatment durations often provide the best results, those with milder versions of SUD may only need a short-term programme to recover.

While it may seem desirable to get through rehab quickly, the majority of addicted individuals need at least 28-days to detox, receive therapeutic care, and initiate a plan for long-term recovery.

Spending between 28-30 days rehabilitating is considered a typical time frame, as it allows individuals to get a handle on their addiction and understand why they use.

In more severe cases, such as heroin addictions, patients have the option to extend their programme.

As these drugs require longer detoxes of around 14 days, an overall stay of between 60 and 90 days is encouraged to bring patients the best results.

Rehab For Alcohol And Heroin In St Andrews

When an individual exhibits uncontrolled alcohol or heroin use, they’ll often develop a severe physical addiction, owing to the nature of these very different substances.

While alcohol and heroin might seem incomparable, it’s their ability to instil these dangerous physical dependencies that require a similar treatment approach.

Such addictions, particularly with abrupt cessation, lead to bodily withdrawal symptoms (vomiting, shaking, seizures) that can only be properly managed with medical assistance.

During detox – a process lasting up to 14 days – patients will remove traces of heroin or alcohol from their bodies in a facility that is well-equipped to keep people safe and comfortable.

One way of doing this is by incorporating certified medications into someone’s bespoke detox plan.

Not only will these help the individual feel better, but they’ll also prevent life-threatening withdrawal symptoms from developing.

Depending on the person’s severity and the amount of alcohol or heroin in their system, they’ll be prescribed craving inhibitors and/or Benzodiazepines to alleviate stress.

Specifically, in the case of alcohol detox, a drug called Disulfiram is often utilised to help someone stop drinking.

It reduces cravings by producing unpleasant effects when someone consumes even a small amount of alcohol, meaning they are less likely to desire a drink.

After going through detox and withdrawal, patients at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews will treat the psychological elements of their addiction.

Clinics offer both individual and group therapy to help with emotional healing and provide the skills needed for relapse prevention.

One of the most effective therapeutic approaches to treat AUD and heroin addictions is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

This form of behavioural intervention helps individuals understand what motivates them to drink or use heroin, and work to re-wire these cognitive distortions.

Rehab For Cannabis And Cocaine In St Andrews

Unlike the physical dependencies of AUD and heroin use disorder, cocaine and cannabis are psychologically addictive substances.

This means that, while withdrawing from these substances won’t result in visible, bodily symptoms, they may affect someone mentally.

To deal with the mental and/or emotional components of their cannabis use disorder or cocaine use disorder, patients should seek the therapeutic services of a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews.

Here, they can receive a personalised treatment programme designed to suit their specific SUD.

When designing a bespoke treatment plan for mental addictions, consultants place more emphasis on an emotionally supportive treatment rather than physically supportive ones.

Oftentimes, patients withdrawing from stimulants or marijuana only need a comfortable, safe space to let the substance leave their bodies.

This form of detox usually takes a maximum of 10 days, and a minimum of 5 if a patient’s addiction is mild.

During this time, they’ll receive many types of support – nutritional, emotional, holistic, and the option for medication if they need it.

For example, those battling comorbid disorders alongside their cannabis or cocaine addictions may need SSRIs or Betablocker medication to stabilize mentally.

After completing their detox, patients have the opportunity to return home and continue treatment as an outpatient, or remain in rehab for a course of therapy.

Most individuals opt for further residential treatment so that they can get to the root cause of their addiction, and begin to heal psychologically.

Behavioural therapy is the most regularly employed mode of treatment when tackling psychological addiction.

To optimise their success, methods such as CBT or DBT are used in conjunction with alternative therapies aiming to improve fitness, mindfulness and overall health.

Therapies At A Drug And Alcohol Rehab In St Andrews

Whether it’s administered on an individual or group basis, therapy often plays a crucial part in someone’s recovery at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews.

Part of a well-rounded treatment programme is utilising a range of therapeutic activities, from behavioural management and motivational therapy, to more holistic methods.

Motivational interviewing (MI)

One of the greatest obstacles for addicted individuals to overcome is often their lack of intrinsic motivation.

Someone can accept treatment reluctantly and remain sceptical of rehab despite the clear consequences of their substance use.

To give patients a boost of motivation before starting formal treatment, Motivational Interviewing (MI) was established in the 1980s and has been used in rehab clinics ever since.

The MI process is fairly simple and can be completed in a small number of sessions after detox and before psychotherapy.

Rather than attempting to change someone’s behaviour or tackling past trauma, these MI sessions focus on simple discussions between a therapist and their patient.

An MI therapist will attempt to draw out someone’s reasons for change, and encourage a discussion about why they chose to attend rehab.

In the final sessions, patients are asked to create a list of personal goals for their recovery, no matter how big or small.

By talking openly about what’s important to them and their reasons to stay sober, patients can essentially speak their goals to fruition.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is often a staple of treatment for addiction and has proven to be very effective since its creation in the 1900s.

This form of behavioural intervention works with the premise that SUD victims have negative behaviours, beliefs, and cognitive patterns underpinning their addictions.

With this in mind, the primary goal of CBT is for patients to identify connections between how they think, feel, and act.

Only with increased awareness of these factors can patients successfully change ingrained behavioural patterns (such as substance use) for the better.

CBT sessions at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews involve two separate techniques: behaviour therapy and cognitive therapy.

In the first part of behavioural therapy, subjects work to identify any patterns in their behaviour, before replacing them with healthier habits.

In tandem with this, CBT therapists integrate cognitive therapy into their sessions.

This encourages their patients to form clear attitudes and expectations around their thoughts and to recognize when they may be destructive.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

DBT is often placed in the same bracket as CBT for its aim to instil positive cognitive change.

However, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy differs greatly from its counterpart in that methods are designed to treat emotional distress.

Sessions teach patients how to live in the moment and cope with stress – an important tool for relapse prevention.

However, learning to be present and accept one’s emotions is just one goal of DBT for treating addiction.

A DBT programme is often split into four stages, transitioning from:

• Out of control to in control
• Emotionally unavailable to emotionally engaged
• Feeling incomplete to feeling connected
• Problem-solving

These sessions can take place in a one-to-one setting with a therapist, or in group workshops, with each individual completing DBT in a way that is best for them.

Wherever they participate in DBT, their therapist will help them to remain motivated, work through past trauma, and apply these skills to everyday scenarios.

Family Behavioural Therapy (FBT)

Having the ongoing support of family and friends will increase an individual’s chances of recovery, and improve their wellbeing outside of a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews.

Unfortunately, SUD is an illness that often inflicts harm on relationships, creating the inclusion of Family Therapy in many patients’ treatment plans.

For their FBT sessions, a patient’s family will gather on-site at their addicted loved one’s chosen rehab clinic, where they will communicate with the guidance of a therapist.

This is because creating positive changes within a familial unit is more likely to occur within a structured environment and with an objective professional present.

During workshops, patients have the chance to learn how their loved ones feel about their addiction, and family members can learn methods of re-establishing trust for their loved one’s journey post-rehab.

FBT also gives participants the chance to educate themselves on relapse prevention strategies to implement when their loved one returns home.

This includes learning to put an end to any enabling behaviours, which they might have been performing subconsciously.

12-Step Facilitation Therapy (TSFT)

This type of treatment, as suggested by the name, utilises a 12-step methodology and helps patients prepare to become a member of a mutual self-help group.

Sessions will link them to a local fellowship group in St Andrews, or encourage their participation by clearing up myths and increasing their motivation to attend.

Each session of TSFT programmes hones in on one element of the 12-step philosophy ,often choosing acceptance, surrender, and active involvement.

Patients can discuss their views about the 12-step ethos with their therapist, and work over any potential obstacles standing in the way of their involvement.

Holistic Therapy (HT)

The word “holistic” comes from the Greek term “holos”: meaning “whole” or “complete”, and it’s this wholeness that Holistic Therapy (HT) for addiction hopes to give its patients.

In this context, being treated as a “whole” refers to the bringing together of someone’s mind, body, and spirit.

As such, HT at a drug and alcohol rehab in St Andrews focuses not on addiction symptoms, but on promoting wellbeing in all areas of a patient’s life.

HT workshops work to resolve emotional, nutritional, spiritual, and physical imbalances through a series of positive activities.

To increase self-confidence and promote physical fitness, HT participants are encouraged to practice yoga, martial arts, weight-lifting, equine therapy, or partake in cooking classes and nutritional workshops.

There’s also the option to practice daily mindfulness, meditation or art therapy.

Getting Help Today

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