When substance abuse becomes a drug or alcohol dependency your life can change dramatically.
It can affect every area of your everyday life from your interpersonal relationships to your ability to effectively work at your job.
Drug and alcohol dependency can cause mood swings and dramatic weight loss or gain. It causes a general deterioration of both your physical and mental health.
Recovery isn’t a few simple steps. It’s a continuous journey that you have to work towards every day and every decision you make.
It isn’t easy, but it is rewarding and will offer you a better quality of life.
At this stage, you may still be unsure if you even require treatment for drugs or alcohol dependency.
You may not believe you struggle with substance abuse.
The best way to understand if you are struggling or not is to see what happens when you don’t use drugs or alcohol.
Prolonged substance abuse causes your brain chemistry to change, It makes your brain believe it needs drugs and alcohol to produce dopamine, the feel-good chemical.
Because of this when you abstain from drugs and alcohol your body can react violently. These are called withdrawal symptoms and they can be incredibly uncomfortable and even dangerous when experienced alone.
They tend to include symptoms such as:
If you experience any of these symptoms when without drugs or alcohol then you have developed a dependency and need treatment.
If you are still unsure call 0800 140 4690 for a free assessment. Our dedicated staff will be able to take the time to talk through your experiences and then make a referral to a rehab centre in the Colne area if needed.
Following your assessment of needs, you will be referred to a rehab centre in Lancashire or within the Colne area that is equipped to best aid in your recovery journey.
As every person’s case is unique so are their treatments with some being recommended for one type of person and a different set for another.
Despite that, there are a few core treatments that should be used no matter who is being treated.
The first of these treatments is detox.
Detoxing is the process of ridding your body of all drugs and alcohol so that you can focus on the rest of your treatments without the distractions of your cravings.
There are a few misconceptions surrounding the process that we will first put to rest.
First of all, detox isn’t the only treatment you need.
While it acts to wean you off drugs and alcohol it acts more as a starting point, a fresh start to build upon, rather than the end of your treatment.
Secondly, it is believed that the detox is painful and dangerous.
While under certain circumstances this can be true, it is only if it is undergone alone and without medical supervision.
This is due to the withdrawal symptoms that happen because your brain has become dependent on substance abuse in order to create the feel-good chemical dopamine.
When deprived of the substance it has come to rely on your body can react violently.
This is why when undertaking the detox you will be monitored 24 houses a day by fully trained medical staff who can administer various medications to ease the withdrawal symptoms and make the entire process much harder.
The detox is famously the hardest part of the recovery process, but within the safety of a rehab centre, surrounded by trained professionals who are there to offer you constant support it is much easier and the side effects are much more manageable.
Following the detox, you will move on to therapy.
Substance abuse is very rarely done for no reason.
More often than not it acts as a symptom of a deeper mental health issue that is being self-medicated against.
People can turn to substance abuse for a wide variety of reasons, however, the most common is trauma.
People try to use drugs or alcohol to avoid the pain their trauma brings them and decide to numb it all instead.
The danger is that prolonged substance abuse can have serious negative side effects on your body.
Over time you will also need more and more drugs and alcohol to get the same effect, putting yourself in danger.
Therapy within the rehab centre is designed to get to the core of your problems.
To allow you to understand why you became drug or alcohol dependent in the first place and how to find healthy coping mechanisms to replace the substance abuse.
During your initial assessment, we will gauge the level of therapy you will be needing and make our referral accordingly.
In some cases, private one to one therapy sessions may be recommended.
However, you will most likely be attending group therapy where you will work through your problems alongside others staying at the centre at that time.
During these sessions, you will create a relapse prevention plan that will be tailor-made to help you avoid triggers for your cravings and will include recommendations of aftercare such as follow up therapy sessions and the joining of a support group within the Colne area.
Now that you know what rehab entails you may be considering using the services provided by the NHS.
While this is a good option to have the problem is that any help the NHS can provide will be at the end of a very long waitlist that could take weeks even months.
While with Rehab 4 Addiction we are one phone call away.
When the decision to get help has been made it is important to act quickly. The sooner you are in rehab the sooner you are starting your treatment.
Private rehab centres are the most efficient option that will get you on the right path as soon as possible.
If you are ready or even if you are not please give us a call so we can give you the help you deserve.
It is important to understand that addiction very rarely exists in isolation. For many people struggling with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, there are often deeper struggles including issues with anxiety, depression, trauma or unresolved emotional pain. On World Mental Health Day, falling on Saturday, 10 October 2026 , it is important to recog .... Read More
