How do you know your addiction rehab clinic will help with your other issues? You don't. And they won't.

When a client seeks treatment, an ethical addiction clinic will ask questions re underlying issues, not solely for the purpose of creating a care plan and possible aftercare options, but to ensure issues that are related to the addiction, but are not the addiction, will be addressed sufficiently.

To admit a client with clear underlying issues that will knowingly not be addressed or have no provisioning for care in place, is unethical at best.

If the underlying issues that aren't addiction, but do contribute to addiction, are not provided for, they will slowly increase the likelihood of relapse, ten-fold.

Are you looking to book treatment with a clinic that operates like this? Fast detox, provided for minimum cost?

Cheap treatment is not necessarily good for your long term health or bank balance.

Let's illustrate by comparing a few examples:

1) Client seeks addiction treatment and has back pain unrelated to addiction
2) Client seeks addiction treatment and has back pain that was original driver of addictive behaviours
3) Client seeks addiction treatment and has no back pain but does have PTSD, possibly related to addictive behaviours.

Now - what risk of relapse does each client present, following successful detox and rehab?

Client #1 is clear cut, and to the clinicians involved, represents less underlying risk following detox and rehab. This may be because the back pain is clearly unrelated, is very mild and does not require medication, or is a result of a passing accident that will self-heal in time.

But in any case, because there is sufficient information at the point of admission that the physical issues are unrelated to the pattern of addiction, and did not contribute to it starting, there is (probably) considerably less risk of relapse, all other things being equal.

Client #2 represents much greater risk, and we must ensure sufficient aftercare planning is in place for this client, before we even consider admission to a clinic. We have information that the physical issue that lay underneath the original addiction is still not resolved, and yet the client seeks detox and wants to resolve the addictive behaviour that sits on top of a physical malady that has not been properly addressed.

Successful treatment here will involve careful consideration of aftercare planning for the client to address the back pain directly and consistently, until resolved.

Importantly this means ensuring the individual is emotionally prepared to take full responsibility for this, and all its ramifications and complications, and to stay sober whilst recovering from the back pain issue.

Client #3 is especially complex.  A common question here is - will the rehab treat PTSD as well as addiction?

The answer is No.

Again, the individual concerned must accept full responsibility for the underlying affliction, be it physical or emotional. The only difference is that with emotional underpinnings or complex mental health issues, the elements contributing to a pattern of addiction .v. those that are not become more difficult to identify.

But ultimately again we must make sure that sufficient resources and support are in place for the individual to tackle and resolve the issues of PTSD or other emotional ailments, long after they leave the clinic behind, and in a way that also supports their long term sobriety.

Does this make it clearer?

Addiction treatment in a clinic, is just that, it doesn't address or attempt to work with any other ailments or condition, physical or otherwise.

Many folks at the stage of feeling ready to address their addiction want help, and fast....but this approach doesn't always lead to long term results.  Make some clear distinctions about addiction treatment, and what it is, before deciding on the right clinic for you.

The truth is that most clinics don't have anywhere near these levels of insight or fine distinctions in admitting clients to know the difference.

Do you know the right questions to ask? Would you select the correct clinic yourself?

Our help and advice is free, and we advise on low cost options as well as full service clinics, in and around Peterborough. We know the nuances to help you find the right clinic.

Help is available now, by calling us on 01733 530 417. What happens next is up to you.

...and how to tell the difference.

From our experience emotional addiction usually precedes physical  or chemical addiction.

In every case it's different of course.

But the pattern is that, if left alone, the emotional reasons behind an addiction, will work away in the background, below conscious awareness, then manifest from time to time as aggression/anxiety/other uncharacteristic behaviour, in a bid to protect access to the coping mechanism that alcohol or drugs have become.

This pattern will repeat itself over time, with both the addicted individual and family members entering into different degrees of denial, in order to maintain the status quo and prevent their loved one experiencing any kind of pain.

Meanwhile, in the background, the body's tolerance level physically and chemically for the substance grows and expands. The chemical requirements become greater and more difficult to satisfy as neurons become habituated in their reactions every time the alcohol or drugs are consumed.

And so the cycle continues. An event in the outside world gets interpreted with a certain meaning that acts as a trigger (e.g. "I'm not good enough"/"I'm not important"/connection to previous trauma) that pushes the individual emotionally back into the substance in order to feel good enough/worthy/etc, then the physical addiction comes into play and increases the amount of the substance required each time in order to satisfy the emotional craving.

Most folks in the latter phases of addiction will seek advice at a time when they are desperate as a result of the physical consequences of their addiction...but the physical symptoms are the last point in time that your body has alerted you to these issues.

They are the last point of expression of the inward struggle of the emotional addiction.

Seek professional help initially to understand "why am I addicted?" before the addiction gets a chance to express itself at a physical level.

Is this easy? No. But this is the work required to plan:
- alternative, more functional supports for those trigger situations;
- counselling or other emotional help with the underlying issues behind the addiction, e.g. self-esteem beliefs, core beliefs, etc
- the basic structural foundation back in life

...and these, are the fundamentals, of long term recovery from addiction.

Call us now on 01733 530 417 for free advice, on your unique situation.

The number one issue people face when attempting to overcome their addiction is the reason why it's there.

- Why is this a pattern in my life?
- Why do I keep coming back to substance X?
- What purpose or function does it serve in my life?

Whether we like it or not, addiction serves a positive purpose in our lives. Beyond the physical and chemical side of the addiction, the substance fulfils a need, an emotional need, that we are not getting filled elsewhere.

It could be self-esteem related. It could be a previous trauma that has robbed us of the ability to feel just ok about ourselves at a base level.

But the substance is *compensating* for something. It's what we turn to, to feel:

- important
- worthy
- good enough
- accepted
- loved
- like what I say matters
- like what I *feel* matters
- etc

A long time ago, we've used the substance, once or twice, and a deep part of the unconscious mind has learned, "this is the way to feel good enough".

Maybe that learning has been reinforced by observational learning, growing up, in the family environment. Maybe what we've witnessed, has led us to conclude "the way to feel worthy, is to drink".

But that's only one conclusion of many. We can unlearn these beliefs, and break the addiction.

If I learn better coping strategies, if I tackle the underlying issues in therapy. If I address "I'm not good enough", in a safe, supported, therapeutic setting, and resolve it, then my need to use a substance....dissolves.

I no longer believe I'm not ok, and so I feel less triggered in those old situations I use to feel anxious or angry in.

I have a greater awareness of the trigger situations themselves, and therefore I have a much greater level of control, over my choices, about how I react when I realise, consciously, that I do feel triggered, and for the first time, I understand the reasons why.

My friends, *this* is working on the addiction. *This* is helping us resolve it at the root.

If I no longer believe "I'm not ok/I'm not good enough/I'm not worthy", etc, then my reason for using the substance... is gone.

Will it solve everything? Nope.

But will it make it substantially easier to *understand* ourselves, the relationship and work issues we face, the family problems, etc, etc, etc and help us react to them better, with more mindfulness, and in sobriety?

Absolutely.

Come join us on the recovery train. We work with multiple clinics with multiple budgets for treatment, and I'm certain we can help you.

Advice is free. Call us on 01733 530 417.

We offer free advice on addiction treatment options and have a range of options to suit every budget. No obligation.

Ring us direct on 01733 530 417 to get started...

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Welcome to the new site everyone! Just to celebrate, we're giving everyone who submits an enquiry a £100 coupon towards any stay of 10 days or longer...make sure you get yours: http://www.addictionrehabpeterborough.co.uk