If you are looking for an alcohol therapist in London, then you might already know that your drinking and alcohol dependence has moved beyond just a habit and into something more concerning and worrying.
However, looking for professional help is the first step when it comes to recovering properly.
The team at Rehab 4 Addiction are able to connect individuals across London with experienced and fully qualified alcohol therapists offering professional and confidential support to people who need it most.
Most people on the team at Rehab 4 Addiction help are looking for professional help. This might include things such as outpatient therapy or inpatient therapy, including one-to-one and group therapy.
Other people who are recovering from a drug and alcohol addiction may require a structured medical detox or even residential treatment, including weeks or even months of therapy.
Whatever stage of your recovery you are at, help is available for you and even for your loved ones. The first step to your recovery always begins with a conversation where you are open and honest.
There is a common misconception when it comes to therapy and for your recovery that you must hit rock bottom before seeking professional help.
In reality, many people in London reach out long before that point. You might benefit from speaking to an alcohol therapist if you regularly drink more than you should, if you feel anxious about when you drink more and when you have previously tried to cut down on your drinking and have failed.
There are a number of signs and symptoms when it comes to addiction, including mental health issues, a lack of hygiene and lying to loved ones about how much you are consuming.
Likewise, where you are based in the UK will likely determine what your addiction looks like.
For example, living in London means that you likely live a very fast-paced lifestyle, work long working hours and have a strong drinking culture.
All of these things can make excessive alcohol use feel normal. Addiction therapy offers an opportunity to step back, reflect and to decide what you want your relationship with alcohol to look like in the future going forward.
For many people who suffer from a mild addiction to drugs or alcohol, outpatient therapy is the most appropriate starting point.
Outpatient rehab means that you attend regular therapy sessions, typically once a week by visiting a rehab facility [1].
You will undergo this therapy while continuing to live at home and carry on with your normal, day-to-day life.
When it comes to outpatient rehab, therapy sessions usually last 50 to 60 minutes and take place in a private room with just you and your therapist.
If you are considering attending drug and alcohol rehab and therapy, then it is important for you to understand what therapy will involve, so that you are aware of what you might discuss and the different techniques that you might expect to see [2].
Whilst attending drug and alcohol therapy, your therapist will help you to explore the different triggers that have enabled your drinking, any mental health issues that you might be suffering from and any relationships that might be enabling your addiction or mental health issues.
In order to examine the above, they will likely use a number of different therapy techniques.
This might include things such as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, family therapy, group therapy, psychodynamic therapy and relapse prevention planning.
According to guidance from the NHS, structured talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy are among the most effective forms of therapy and treatment for people who suffer from alcohol addiction.
If you are considering attending drug and alcohol therapy in London or elsewhere in the UK, then it is important to understand that therapy does not simply focus on just stopping drinking.
In fact, it looks more closely at the reasons why your drinking started in the first place [2].
It is important to understand that not everyone will be open to in person therapy sessions.
This might be for a number of different reasons, including nerves, anxiety or simply not having the time to travel to the rehab or therapy facility.
For those who feel this way, then there is online and phone therapy.
Online and remote therapy has grown in popularity significantly over the past couple of years and many people who suffer from an addiction now prefer it.
There are a number of benefits associated with remote therapy, including increased flexibility, no commuting time, more privacy and better continuity.
If you do not feel comfortable attending therapy via a video call, then telephone therapy sessions are also available for you.
In fact, research indicates that online cognitive behavioural therapy and therapy can be as effective as in-person therapy for many people who suffer from an addiction.
When it comes to recovery, what matters most is engagement and honesty with your therapist, not the format of the therapy session.
Online and remote therapy can be incredibly useful for people with busy schedules.
For Londoners juggling busy lives, demanding careers, childcare issues and unpredictable commuting hours, this type of therapy makes recovery possible.
If you live and work in London, then you are likely an ambitious, driven individual.
This is often when a lot of people then go on to become addicted to alcohol without people realising.
In fact, being a high-functioning alcoholic is common and even more so common in places such as London.
There are a number of signs and symptoms that you are a high-functioning alcoholic.
If you are a high-functioning alcoholic, then you may appear socially confident, exercise often, maintain financial stability, seem absolutely fine to family and friends and regularly miss work.
Whilst you might appear well put together, internally you may feel exhausted, anxious or dependent on certain people or certain substances.
In fact, turning to alcohol and other addictive substances is often a coping strategy for other issues such as corporate stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, loneliness and the pressure to succeed, all of which can be incredibly likely when you live in a place such as London.
The great thing about therapy is that it provides a confidential space to explore your addiction and your mental health issues without risking your professional reputation.
Unfortunately, alcohol never truly exists in isolation. In fact, many Londoners experience addiction issues alongside mental health issues, which is referred to in the medical setting as a dual diagnosis.
If you suffer from a mental health issue, then you are statistically more likely to suffer from an addiction issue, too.
Likewise, if you suffer from an addiction issue then you are also a lot more likely to go on to gain a mental health issue in the future, too.
There are a number of mental health issues commonly associated with addiction, including anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD and psychosis.
In addition to this, an addiction to alcohol may temporarily soothe your mental health symptoms but often worsens them in the long run.
The good thing about attending drug and alcohol rehab is that it tackles both your physical addiction and the mental side of your addiction, too.
Therapists trained in dual diagnosis therapy understand the important relationship between mental health and addiction, helping sufferers to build healthier coping strategies and habits not just now, but in the long run as well.
If you are physically addicted to drugs or alcohol, then stopping suddenly can be incredibly dangerous and is not recommended.
This is why you need to attend a professional rehab setting, so that you can undergo a medical detox and withdrawal [3].
During your detox, you will withdraw from abusing the addictive substances slowly and over a period of time.
During this time, you will be medicated to help to deal with your withdrawal symptoms.
Symptoms of withdrawal may include things such as tremors, the shakes, excessive sweating, nausea and sickness, anxiety, seizures and delirium tremens.
During this time, you might also experience insomnia, flu-like symptoms and hallucinations depending on the severity of your addiction.
These withdrawal symptoms can last days or sometimes, in severe cases, a couple of weeks [3].
For those with only mild or moderate addiction issues, a home detox might be recommended. A home detox is when you detox at home, from the comfort of your own home.
During this time, you will be assessed by a medical professional, prescribed medication that will be sent to your own and will be called by doctors on a daily basis to assess your physical and mental state.
A home detox allows you to withdraw safely in the comfort of your own home, while remaining safe and well managed.
A home detox is not suitable for everyone, as it is only recommended for those with a mild or moderate addiction issue.
This is because there are certain risks associated with a home detox, including the risk of a seizure, unstable mental health, or lack of support at home.
While most people seeking a therapist in London are looking for outpatient support, sometimes a more structured setting is helpful for those with a more severe addiction issue.
Inpatient alcohol or drug rehab may be recommended if you have previously tried to detox at home and have relapsed, if your home life is too chaotic to undergo a home detox and if you need 24/7 supervision due to the severity of your addiction issues.
Likewise, you will likely need to attend inpatient drug and alcohol rehab if your mental health issues are severe or if you require intensive therapy alongside your detox due to your mental health issues.
Inpatient rehab treatment typically lasts 28 days and combines your detox with therapy including cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, group therapy and even sometimes family therapy.
London has thousands of therapists, but choosing the right one matters when it comes to your recovery.
When looking for a good alcohol and rehab therapist, there are a number of things to look out for.
This includes an accreted membership to either the BACP or UKCP, experience within addiction specifically, transparent fees and a communication style that you are comfortable with.
It is important to get the right therapist for you because therapy works best when you feel understood rather than judged.
During your first therapy session, you can expect to discuss a number of things including what you are addicted to, your addiction history, your current concerns, your goals, and the practicalities surrounding your addiction.
During this time, it is incredibly important to remain honest and open about the reality of your addiction.
When it comes to recovery and therapy specifically, there is no fixed timeline.
Some clients attend therapy for weeks or even sometimes months before they feel ready to leave the inpatient rehab facility or finish their therapy altogether.
Most people experience 6-12 therapy sessions when it comes to early intervention, whereas those with a more severe addiction might need to attend a lot more before they feel in a position to stop their therapy sessions.
When undergoing therapy, it is important to understand that progress is not straightforward and there may be numerous setbacks along the way.
This is a normal part of the process, and it is important to remain positive and hopeful during your time in therapy.
As with anything, confidentiality is a key concern, but this is particularly true for people who are undergoing therapy and recovery from an addiction.
It is important to understand that therapists and rehab professionals often operate under strict ethical and confidentiality guidelines.
From start to finish, your information should be safe, confidential and protected, and nothing should be shared without your consent, unless there is a serious risk to your life or to someone else’s life.
When recovering from an alcohol addiction, it is important to understand that relapse does not mean failure.
In fact, most people who are undergoing treatment for an addiction relapse at some point in their recovery journey.
In fact, relapsing is a common part of the recovery journey and instead of viewing it as a failure, therapy treats relapses as data to learn more about how to help you to move forward.
When you relapse, doctors will look into what triggered your relapse, what support was missing at the time and what needs adjusting in the future.
When looking for the right drug and alcohol therapist in London, it is important to ensure that you are choosing the right support for you.
Whether you need weekly outpatient appointments, flexible online therapy sessions, a medically supervised home detox, or simply just advice about what type of help is available.
It is important to understand that you do not need to wait for things to get worse before you get help, and that early intervention is incredibly important for your recovery.
If you are ready to explore your treatment and recovery options, then speak to a member of the team at Rehab 4 Addiction and speak to our friendly and welcoming team.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507689/
