If you are struggling from an addiction or mental health issue in Bristol, then you might benefit from speaking with a therapist.
For many people struggling with the pressures of day to day life, turning to addictive substances sometimes feel like the easiest thing to do.
What may have once felt manageable or social drinking might now feel repetitive, difficult to control or quietly worrying.
You may be noticing the impact on your mood, your energy levels, your work performance or the impact that your drinking is having on people closest to you.
It is important to understand that taking the step to seek help is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it is a sign that you are strong enough to make the proactive decision to regain your life.
At Rehab 4 Addiction, we connect individuals across Bristol and the rest of the South West with experienced and fully qualified alcohol therapists who provide confidential and compassionate support to anyone with an addiction issue.
Our team of fully qualified advisers are able to help you to explore outpatient and inpatient rehab treatment, structured therapy, a medically supervised detox or remote therapy.
Our team is not here to force you into a decision. Instead, we are here to help you to understand your addiction better, your treatment options and decide what course of treatment feels right for you.
It is also important to understand that everyone’s circumstances are different.
Some people benefit from weekly individual therapy, whereas others require more structured rehab and treatment support such as a medical detox or inpatient rehab treatment.
Wherever you are in your journey, it is important to remember that recovery begins with a simple, honest conversation about you and your addiction.
Many people delay seeking addiction help and support because they believe their drinking is simply not bad, severe or serious enough.
However, the truth is that you do not need to reach a crisis point before asking for help when it comes to an addiction or mental health issue.
In fact, when it comes to this type of illness, early intervention is key to making a recovery [1].
There are a number of signs and symptoms that mean that you might need to consider speaking to an alcohol therapist in Bristol, some of which are listed below for you [1]:
It is also important to understand that alcohol addiction does not always look dramatic.
In fact, it can develop gradually and quietly over a long period of time. You may notice changes such as drinking in secret, withdrawing socially or relying on alcohol to manage stress.
Living in a vibrant city like Bristol can also heavily shape drinking habits.
The city’s thriving nightlife, creative industries, booming hospitality sector and busy professional culture can also normalise regular drinking.
If you live in Bristol, then you are likely to suffer from long working hours, increased financial pressures and social expectations that may make alcohol feel like an easy release valve or crutch.
Addiction therapy creates space to pause and reflect on what you need and what you want.
It also allows you to examine your negative and unhealthy habits without judgment and to decide what kind of future you want to build once you have recovered from your addiction issues.
For those individuals experiencing a mild to moderate alcohol addiction, outpatient therapy is often an effective starting point.
Outpatient rehab treatment involves attending regular therapy sessions, usually on a weekly basis which will be held at a private clinic.
This will be done whilst you are able to continue to live at home. This approach allows you to maintain work commitments, education or family responsibilities while receiving structured support.
Outpatient therapy sessions for a drug addiction usually last around 50–60 minutes and focus on understanding your drinking patterns, building healthier coping strategies, identifying emotional triggers and developing relapse prevention tools for you to take forward with you in your recovery journey.
Outpatient rehab treatment is also commonly used as an aftercare tool following a detox or residential rehab treatment plan.
This type of treatment provides continuity and accountability while you transition back into everyday life after leaving residential rehab treatment.
For many people in Bristol, outpatient therapy offers the right balance between flexibility and structured support to help you to achieve recovery.
Unfortunately, a common misconception is that alcohol therapy simply focuses on stopping drinking.
However, in reality, effective treatment looks a lot deeper into your addiction, your mental health issues and what triggered your addiction in the first place.
It is important to understand that when someone suffers from an addiction or mental health issue, alcohol often serves a purpose. It may temporarily reduce anxiety, numb emotional pain, relieve loneliness or help you to manage stress.
Rehab therapy helps you understand what alcohol has been doing for you, how it has impacted your life and how to help you to overcome those needs in a better and healthier way.
In therapy sessions, you may explore the root cause of your addiction, such as a mental health issue.
You will also examine your emotions and triggers, any negative relationship dynamics or workplace pressures that are burning you out.
In order to tackle these issues and get to the root causes of your addiction issues, your therapist will use a number of different tried and tested therapy techniques, including some of the below techniques [2]:
These approaches are supported by NHS guidance and clinical research, helping individuals to better understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
It is important to remember that you and your therapist will work together to define clear, realistic goals for your long term recovery [2].
Remote, online and telephone therapy is becoming increasingly popular. This is because not everyone is able, or comfortable when it comes to attending face-to-face therapy appointments.
Sometimes, work schedules, travel, childcare or privacy concerns can all make in person therapy sessions challenging. This is particularly true if you suffer from a mental health issue such as anxiety.
Online and telephone therapy is now widely available across Bristol and the UK, offering flexible access to professional support.
Benefits of remote therapy include better flexibility, less commuting and travelling time, increased discretion and better consistency.
If video sessions feel uncomfortable for you, then telephone therapy is equally valid.
In fact, research shows that remote therapy can be just as effective as in person treatment for many individuals suffering from an addiction or mental health issue.
Bristol is known for its busy creative industry, of which a lot of people are freelance. Many people working in the creative industries are high achievers who work freelance.
This leads to a very demanding and stressful career and lifestyle, which can sometimes mask problematic drinking as simply ‘stress.’
In fact, high functioning alcohol use is more common than people realise. You may still be able to attend work day to day, socialise with friends, or seem like you have got your stuff together. However, you might start to struggle behind closed doors.
Because responsibilities are being maintained, it can be easy to dismiss concerns. However, over time, even functional drinking can affect your mental health, your sleep quality and your overall physical wellbeing.
This is where early intervention and online or outpatient therapy comes in.
Therapy provides a discreet and confidential environment to explore your emotions without fear of stigma or professional consequences.
Addiction issues and mental health issues frequently overlap and are closely linked. When someone suffers from a mental health issue, it is known as what is called a dual diagnosis.
If you live with anxiety, depression, trauma or ADHD, then you may be more vulnerable to using alcohol or other addictive substances such as cannabis, cocaine or heroin as a coping strategy.
While alcohol may offer short term relief from your mental health issues, it often intensifies your issues over time. Rehab and addiction therapists experienced in dual diagnosis treatment understand how these issues interact with one another.
As a result of this, treatment addresses both alcohol use and underlying mental health concerns together which helps you to build sustainable coping mechanisms that support long term recovery.
For individuals with mild to moderate alcohol or dependence, a home detox may be suitable for you.
A home detox involves withdrawing from alcohol on your own with medication through the post and doctor’s advice via the phone [3].
A home detox typically includes a form assessment before you can gain access to treatment. You will then be prescribed medication to reduce your withdrawal symptoms as well as regular check-ins via the phone or video call.
This type of treatment approach allows you to detox in familiar and safe surroundings while remaining medically supported at all times.
However, it is important to understand that a home detox is not appropriate for everyone.
For example, those with a severe dependence, complex mental health conditions or limited home support may require inpatient rehab treatment [3].
While many people begin their treatment journey with outpatient therapy, residential treatment may be recommended if your addiction is severe, you have relapsed in the past or if your home environment is not suitable for a home detox.
If your addiction is severe, then your withdrawal symptoms will also be severe. If this is the case, then you might require 24-hour medical supervision to help to manage your withdrawal symptoms.
Inpatient rehab treatment usually lasts around 28 days, although this length will vary depending on the severity of your addiction.
Whilst at inpatient rehab treatment, your treatment will combine a medically supervised detox with daily therapy, group work and structured relapse prevention planning,
When it comes to your recovery, there is no fixed timeline. Some people benefit from short-term interventions such as 8 – 12 sessions in therapy.
However, others with a more severe addiction may require long term therapy to help you to address issues or mental health issues.
When it comes to anyone’s recovery journey, progress is never really linear. It is important to understand that setbacks and relapsing can occur, but they should always form part of the learning process.
Unfortunately, relapsing is often misunderstood. It is important to understand that relapsing does not mean failure or lack of willpower. In fact, many people experience setbacks during their recovery journey.
In fact, rather than viewing a relapse as defeat, therapy tries to encourage you to treat it as an information-gathering exercise.
Together with your therapist, you will explore what caused or triggered your setback, how to change your copy mechanisms and how to tap into additional support.
The key thing to remember after your relapse is that it is simply part of the process and that there is always something to learn from a relapse to help you to move forward.
Each relapse can strengthen your long term resilience and recovery journey.
If you are looking for an alcohol therapist in Bristol, then remember that you do not need to wait for your situation to worsen before seeking professional help.
In fact, early support can prevent long-term physical and psychological harm and get you the help that you need when you need it.
Whether you are considering weekly outpatient therapy, flexible online therapy sessions, a medically supervised home detox, or inpatient rehab treatment, it is important to remember that help is available for you.
Our team at Rehab 4 Addiction is on hand to offer you free, confidential and professional advice and support.
Our team will provide you with the available treatment options and will never put any pressure on you to do anything you do not want to do.
Our team of specialised advisers will be able to recommend the right course of treatment for you and will ask you several personal questions to gather the information they need to help you.
During this time, it is important that you remain open and honest with them about the reality of your addiction or mental health issues.
For professional free and confidential advice and support, speak to a member of our team by calling us on 0800 140 4690 or by visiting us online by searching for www.rehab4addiction.co.uk.
[1] https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-misuse-addiction
[2] https://www.naatp.org/treatment-methods-evidence-based-practices
