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Residential Rehabilitation

If you are reading this page, it is likely that either your or someone you know may be in need of addiction treatment. Rehab is a generic term that has been widely used to describe a range of services, but what exactly is rehab? Here at TLC, we believe we offer genuine value by offering a completely unique treatment programme, combined with good quality accommodation, in a fantastic location. We hope to help you to understand more about residential addiction treatment, so that you can make the right choice when it comes to helping yourself, or a loved one, to fight addiction.

What is Rehab?

The word rehab derives from the latin ‘rehabilitare’ ‘re’ (again) and ‘habitare’ (make fit) – restoring something that is broken to its previous condition. Rehab is a term used in the medical sector, when people break a part of their body, they will need to undergo ‘rehabilitation’ to slowly get the broken body-part to work as it previously did.

What is nice to understand from the true definition of the word, is that it implies that a person seeking rehabilitation for addiction, does not necessarily have to change themselves into something completely different, they should seek to restore themselves back to the good, kind, loving person that they once were, before the demons of addiction took hold. In the world of addiction, rehab can be used to describe any treatment designed to help someone to recover from alcohol or drug abuse.

Residential Alcohol and Drug Rehab

The word ‘Rehab’ is more widely associated with residential rehab – a treatment programme in a residential setting, where addicts and alcoholics can live for a period of time, to undergo detox and intensive therapeutic care. Though rehab can be funded by a local authority, most people choose to pay for it privately so that they can access a service like ours in a timely way. For some people going to a residential rehab is the only option and the last resort, but it can be extremely effective. If you are looking to book yourself or a loved one into rehab, it is a big decision to make, but the outcome could be life changing.

How long do I need to stay in rehab?

The length of time someone can spend in rehab typically varies from 7 days to 3 months. Ultimately, someone can stay in rehab for as long as they deem it necessary.

The American model of rehab is generally a 28-day programme, and we would certainly recommend a minimum of a 4 week stay, especially for someone for whom it is their first time in rehab. The reason for this is that it takes time to get acquainted to your new surroundings, and time to develop trust and build the relationships which will allow you to share your story with the therapists and other clients in the rehab.

What is the success rate of rehab?

Before answering this question, you must ask yourself – what does ‘success’ mean? A lot of people in ‘active recovery’ would say that being in recovery is a lifelong process, something that an addict or alcoholic will have to work on daily for a sustained period of time, possibly forever, to maintain sobriety. Some people who have multiple addictions, may define success as abstaining from all illicit drugs but in the longer term still being able to have a drink or take a prescribed medication such as methadone.

Most rehabs would define their success rate as ‘number of people completing’ their residential rehab programme’. However, as the UK government do not commission any individual rehab service and the fact that residential rehabs in the UK, be they charities or privately funded, are stand-alone entities, there is no ‘rehab specific’ data collected at a national level. Rehabs are merely included in data covering the wide spectrum of all drug and alcohol treatment services in the UK

The last piece of data collected specifically about residential rehab was in 1995, where rehabs reported that between up to 80% of people successfully completed their residential treatment programme. Some of the highest performing rehabs reported up to 60% of their clients ‘successfully overcome their addiction’

Ultimately the success of rehab is mainly down to the person receiving the treatment. If you are motivated to stop and really want recovery, you will make it work. If you don’t engage, you don’t ask questions, you’re not honest with the staff – it’s not going to work. You get out, what you put in.

What treatments and activities are on offer?

Most rehab centres will run a structured programme of group treatment activities which patients are encouraged to attend each day. Group therapy is an effective tool in the treatment of addiction, as it allows people to share their emotions with others who are going through similar pain and suffering. Many people in addiction feel like they are alone, and different to ‘normal’ people, but when in a group setting, you soon realise that you are not alone, other people have been through similar life experiences as you have. By being in a group setting, clients can also motivate, encourage and importantly, challenge each other through the process.

At TLC, we offer our clients two 1-2-1 sessions per week, one with a counsellor and one with your Keyworker. Our counsellors and support staff are available to residents 24 hours a day, so if someone is having a bad day, staff can be responsive to their needs. If you were having a bad day or a bad moment at home, with no-one to talk to, this could lead to picking up a drink or drug. Our Counsellors use an ‘eclectic’ blend of counselling models to inform their work with clients, inclusive of CBT, Schema Therapy and Hypnotherapy.

Alongside these more formal, therapeutic treatments, we also incorporate leisure activities into the programme, such as exercise groups, walks and nutrition sessions. Rehab can be a tough, emotionally draining experience, so it is important to counter-balance this with fun activities. Many people who have a problem with drugs and especially alcohol, fear that they will not be able to ‘have fun’ and enjoy life without alcohol – by engaging in such activities, TLC aim to demonstrate to people that life can be rewarding and pleasurable without being under the influence of a substance.

Rehab Philosophy

As with all mental health treatment, it could be argued that there is no right or wrong way to treat addiction. Different people require different techniques and approaches at different times, and what might work for one person will not work for someone else. Most rehabs will employ staff from different backgrounds, with different ways of working, to ensure that all patients are treated as individuals. However, for rehabs to work effectively, the staff must have a commonly agreed way of working and belief in what they are doing.

The most common approach used by rehab centres both in the UK and abroad, is the 12-step programme first developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. We aim to ‘stand out from the crowd’ by offering a truly holistic and dynamic treatment programme that isn’t 12-step based. That’s not to say we don’t believe in the model, but we believe that we can offer our clients better value, by concentrating our group work model on therapeutic groups and interventions, utilising the strengths and qualifications of our Counselling Team.

Despite this, we run a weekly 12-step workshop to introduce clients not accustomed to the model, or those who may have a limited understanding of its benefits, as well as offering clients the opportunity to attend fellowship meetings in the evening. Any client who wishes to pursue the 12 step model, will be taken through the steps on a 1-2-1 basis – we do employ staff ‘in 12 step recovery’. By taking this approach, we are offering genuine choice to our clients and ‘the best of both worlds’

Rehab Rules

In order for rehabs to work well, there have to be common ground rules in place, which all clients must adhere to.

At TLC, we aim to give our clients autonomy in their decision making and try not to be too restrictive in what ‘rules’ we put in place. All clients attending our clinic will be allowed to bring in with them their mobile phone and laptop, for use in the mornings, evenings and weekends (outside of group times).

Clients are not allowed out of the rehab without being accompanied by a member of staff, in order to keep everyone safe.

The main rule that everyone must abide by, and for which we have a zero-tolerance policy, is no discrimination, aggression, abuse or violence.

Accommodation & Facilities

TLC Rehab centre is a 10-bed facility, with 6 single occupancy, and 2 double occupancy rooms, all with en-suite bathroom facilities. Our centre is immaculately clean and decorated to a high standard by an interior designer. All bedding and towels are laundered twice weekly, and there is a free laundry service for our clients use should they wish to wash their clothes. We have an on-site (Italian!) Chef, cooking and preparing nutritious meals, complemented by healthy snacks available throughout.

In the summer months, we use our amazing garden to facilitate outdoor yoga and exercise classes, and the whole team go for a daily walk to Friary Park at the end of the road.

What else do I need to know?

We think we have covered most of the key information relating to residential rehab, but if you have any more questions or would like to delve a bit deeper, please do give us a call. Rehab is definitely the most effective way to overcome an addiction and though it may require some investment at the start, it does save lives, which we believe is priceless.

If you have any further questions about residential rehab and specifically the treatment model at TLC, please give us a call on 0203 098 7007

Programme Overview

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