If you are looking for an alcohol therapist in Leeds, then you may already feel that your drinking has shifted from just a simple social activity to something more concerning, such as an addiction.
Perhaps alcohol is beginning to affect your relationships, your performance at work, your physical health, or your mental well-being.
When this becomes the case, it is incredibly important not to hide this from your friends or loved ones and that you ask for the help that you will desperately need.
Asking for professional support is a positive and proactive step to your recovery.
At Rehab 4 Addiction, our team of professionals are able to help individuals across Leeds and West Yorkshire to get access to experienced and fully qualified alcohol therapists who provide confidential and non-judgemental support and help for anyone who might be struggling.
Whether you are looking for long term outpatient alcohol therapy in Leeds, online therapy, telephone sessions, a medically supervised home alcohol detox or simply just information about inpatient rehab, it is important to understand that support is available for you and for your loved ones.
Sometimes, it is difficult to know if your addiction is bad enough to seek help. However, in reality, getting help straight away via early intervention leads to better outcomes and a quicker and easier recovery journey.
There are a number of signs and symptoms associated with addiction, which might start to show if you do need professional help from an addiction issue. Some of these signs and symptoms are listed below for you [1]:
Signs of an alcohol dependence can also include secrecy around drinking, neglecting your responsibilities and withdrawing from family and friends.
Unfortunately, some people are very good at masking their symptoms, whereas for some others it would be more obvious.
Noticing the above signs and symptoms in yourself or in a loved one might suggest that you are ready to attend professional therapy and get professional rehab help.
There is no doubt that living in a vibrant city such as Leeds will influence drinking habits.
As one of the UK’s largest financial and business hubs outside London, Leeds has a thriving nightlife, busy workplaces and a strong social culture centred around busy pubs, bars and events.
If you live in a busy city such as Leeds, you will be very used to long working hours, potentially a long commute, shift work and financial pressures that will all contribute to day to day stress.
In fact, alcohol can gradually become a coping mechanism for the busy life that you lead without you even realising it.
The great thing about drug and alcohol rehab and therapy is that it provides an opportunity to reflect on the things that might have led you to become addicted to drugs or alcohol in the first place.
For those who are experiencing a mild to moderate alcohol addiction, outpatient rehab in Leeds is often the most appropriate starting point.
Outpatient rehab treatment means you will start to attend regular therapy sessions, typically once a week.
You will do this while you continue to live at home and maintain work or family responsibilities.
This is great for those who are unable to attend inpatient rehab, or who are simply too anxious to attend.
If you require outpatient therapy, then there are a number of things to consider and to expect.
For example, your session will likely last between 50 and 60 minutes, and will take place in a private and confidential room with just you and your therapist.
You will be asked a number of questions about your mental health and your addiction, where you will be expected to answer honestly [2].
You will be offered a range of therapy techniques, including cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, family therapy and even group therapy with other people who are experiencing the same struggles as you.
Towards the end of your therapy sessions, you will also be offered relapse prevention strategies to help you to avoid relapsing once you leave rehab and therapy.
Outpatient drug and alcohol therapy suits many professionals, parents and students in Leeds who require structured help but do not need 24-hour supervision or a medical detox.
There are a number of different therapy techniques now on offer, and therapists in Leeds commonly use a number of different proven therapy and recovery approaches, including some of the techniques listed below for you:
It is important to understand that not every approach will be offered to you and not every approach will work for everyone.
Everyone’s recovery journey looks different, and you might need to try a number of different therapy techniques until you find the one that works best for you.
It is important to understand that not everyone feels comfortable attending in-person therapy sessions.
This might be for a number of different reasons, including a highly demanding work schedule, childcare commitments, mobility issues or anxiety about attending face to face sessions.
This is where online and remote therapy comes in, which is becoming increasingly more popular for people suffering from an addiction or mental health issues across the UK.
By attending online or remote drug and alcohol therapy, you will not have to commute to the appointment, get anxious about speaking to someone face to face or struggle to fit in your appointment into your busy schedule.
The great thing is that research now suggests that online and remote therapy can be just as effective as in-person sessions for many individuals across Leeds and the rest of the UK.
Unfortunately, addiction and alcohol or drug abuse rarely occurs without some form of mental health issue as well. Many individuals who experience addiction also experience mental health conditions as well, which is known clinically as dual diagnosis.
If you live with a mental health issue such as anxiety, depression, trauma or ADHD, you may be more vulnerable to alcohol abuse.
While alcohol may temporarily make you feel numb and lighten any distress, it often worsens symptoms over time too.
Likewise, when you suffer from a dual diagnosis, sleep disruption, low mood and increased anxiety are also common consequences and side effects.
Whilst attending drug and alcohol rehab is ideal for those with a more severe addiction, if you are physically dependent on alcohol, stopping suddenly can be dangerous.
This is because those with a severe addiction issue will experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop consuming the drug.
These withdrawal symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe complications. Below is a list of just some of the common withdrawal symptoms that people tend to experience.
When someone is experiencing these withdrawal symptoms, it is important to understand that you need 24/7 medical supervision, so that your symptoms can be carefully managed.
Not everyone will experience such severe withdrawal symptoms. Only those with severe alcohol or drug dependence will experience severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures.
Usually, the longer you have suffered from addiction issues, the worse your symptoms will be.
For those individuals with mild to moderate alcohol addiction, a home detox in Leeds may be more suitable and appropriate.
When someone opts for a home detox, they will be fully medically assessed, prescribed medication and phoned on a daily basis by doctors and therapists [3].
This allows you to withdraw safely in the familiar and safe surrounding of your home. However, it is important to understand that a home detox is not suitable for everyone.
For example, those with severe dependence, complex mental health issues or limited support at home may require inpatient rehab treatment [3].
If you live in Leeds, then it is important to know that Leeds has many qualified rehab and addiction therapists. However, finding the right therapist for you and your specific needs is not always easy.
When choosing an alcohol therapist, you need to look for accreditation from professional bodies such as BACP or UKCP, experience in the addiction treatment environment and transparent pricing.
When you opt for the right therapist, your first session will likely explore a number of different things. This will likely include your previous drinking history, your current concerns, your mental health issues and your recovery goals.
It is important to understand that rehab therapy works best when you feel understood rather than judged, so no qualified rehab therapist will ever judge you or put any form of pressure on you.
When considering drug and alcohol addiction therapy, it is important to understand that there is no fixed timeline when it comes to addiction recovery.
If your addiction is only mild or moderate, then you might only need a few weeks or months of therapy sessions.
However, if your addiction or mental health issues are severe, then you will likely require months or even sometimes years of therapy in order to fully recover.
Recovering from an illness such as an addiction, or a mental health issue such as anxiety or depression, it is never straightforward.
It can take a number of attempts to find the therapy technique that works for you, so it is important not to expect success straight away.
Relapsing is normal and is expected if this is the first time you have attempted to recover from an alcohol or drug addiction.
It is important to understand that when it comes to addiction and recovery, a relapse does not mean failure.
Many people experience setbacks during their recovery journey and rather than viewing relapse as defeat or failure, therapy treats it as an important information-gathering exercise to find out what went wrong.
If a relapse occurs, your therapist will explore what triggered the relapse in the first place, which copy strategies did and did not work and what additional support you might need going forward.
A new relapse prevention plan will then be created and will be put in place, which will then help you to stay on track and avoid any of the triggers that led to your previous relapse.
If you are looking for an alcohol therapist or access to drug and alcohol rehab in Leeds, then it is important to understand that early support can prevent long term physical and psychological damage.
Therapy is for anyone who suffers from anxiety, depression, paranoia or trauma as well as addiction issues.
When you are suffering from an addiction, it is important to remember that help is available and that you do not need to wait until your situation worsens to seek help.
If you suffer from an addiction issue, then speak to the team at Rehab 4 Addiction to help you to work towards lasting recovery.
If you or someone you know needs help with an addiction issue, then speak to our dedicated and friendly team at Rehab 4 Addiction for help and support.
Our team will never put any pressure or stress on you to get help unless you truly need it. Likewise, our team will never judge you.
Our team will suggest all relevant options to you and allow you to take time to think about what type of treatment you want and need.
To get the help that you need, speak to our team by calling us for free on 0800 140 4690 or by visiting us online by searching for www.rehab4addiction.co.uk.
[1] https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/spotting-signs-of-addiction
