Home Detox & Rehab
If you or your loved one have problem with alcohol addiction and are looking for comfortable process to help you overcome this while you remain in the comfort of your home, then Rehab Healthcare can help you in facilitating this.
Why do you need a detox?
Long term alcohol daily drinking results in you being physically dependent on alcohol such that you develop withdrawal symptoms like tremors, sweats, anxiety, and others whenever you try to stop drinking alcohol. This can be as severe as having hallucination and a seizure. At this stage it is unsafe to just stop drinking and you require medical detox to safely stop the alcohol.
Medical detox is a process whereby a doctor assesses you and prescribe medications to help eliminate the withdrawal symptoms thereby allowing you to safely stop drinking alcohol. Depending on the level of your drinking, medical detox is an essential first step in the overcoming alcohol addiction.
The alternative to medical detox is when you just stop drinking on your own without medical help and you decide to suffer the withdrawal symptoms. This is sometimes called “cold turkey”. It is unsafe, and depending on your level of alcohol consumption, could dangerous and fatal because you could have a seizure. It is never advisable, and you should always seek professional help. Rehab Healthcare (RehabHc) can help with this. We can advise you on detox for other substances and drugs apart from alcohol. Contact us today.
Can I Safely have Medical Detox at Home?
Yes, medical detox can safely be done in the comfort of your home, but this depends on few factors depending on the level of your alcohol consumption, presence of any complications from alcohol abuse (for example liver disease), and presence of any other medical conditions. We do have strict criteria to determine your eligibility for a detox at home. Once you are assessed as being fit for a home detox, the process is simple and straightforward.
How Does the Alcohol Home Detox Works?
The first step is to contact Rehab Healthcare for advice, we ask you few preliminary questions and then ask you to complete a Medical Questionnaire Form for us to determine if you are eligible for a home detox. Once you are assessed to be fit for a home detox, you will be required to sign our consent form agreeing to the home detox treatment. In most cases, we would also require a nominated adult (a relative or friend)to be a treatment supervisor at home just to provide you with support.
Next step is to direct you to an assessment by an addiction specialist doctor who will perform a detailed assessment of your alcohol dependency and then issue a prescription for alcohol detox. The doctor may ask you for your medical records or the results of recent tests if necessary. The doctor will usually liaise with a local pharmacy near you where the prescription will be sent and from where you will pick up the detox medications.
In addition to the main drug for alcohol detox called Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), the doctor will usually prescribe other supportive medications for the detox to make it more comfortable for you. These includes vitamins to treat vitamin deficiency caused by alcohol, anti-sickness to relieve nausea or vomiting, and sleeping tablet to treat insomnia.
The alcohol home detox usually takes 7-10 days. It is in accordance with the recommended treatment guidelines by NICE in the UK. The doctor also performs follow up reviews during the home detox process to address any concerns you may have in an empathic and considerate manner.
What are the Benefits of a Home Detox?
Apart from the fact that home detox can be safely done provided that are no major background health problems, it offers the benefit of being flexible and can be planned around your routine home setting. You don’t necessarily need to leave your loved ones to attend a rehab centre.
It is also cheaper compared to a residential rehab hence suitable for those who are unable to afford rehab costs.
It also offers you privacy and less intrusion as you can concentrate on the detox in the company of your family members only.
What about Online/Remote Rehab?
Online therapy is a form of teletherapy whereby counselling and therapy sessions are delivered remotely via the internet by specialist addiction counsellors without the need for physical contact. You still get the same benefits of group and 1-on-1 sessions as you would in therapy sessions in rehab setting. A cycle of online rehab is planned for 28 days of daily sessions. Each group session is limited to 10 people thereby allowing better interaction within a small unit, hence ensuring maximum benefit.
It is a lot cheaper than attending a rehab centre, saves you time and avoids conflict with crowds. It is flexible and can be delivered to you in the comfort of your home or wherever you are, and at your convenience. Your confidentiality is also maintained. Telemedicine (Teletherapy) is now a common method of assessing and managing patients, and widely used in general practice and hospital clinics in the UK.
Teletherapy can be used to offer therapy sessions for all forms of addictions as well as many mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and personality disorders.
You may want to engage in some remote or online therapy sessions following your home detox. Rehab Healthcare can help you facilitate this if it is an option you would like to engage in supporting your addiction recovery. Studies have shown that the success rate of online rehab is equally good in comparison to attending a rehab, but the latter is marginally better. Whichever option you prefer, Rehab Healthcare can help you.
What about Detox in a Rehab Centre?
Medical detox can be carried out at home and in a rehab clinic. While both are safe, rehab centre offers the additional benefit of further professional support as well as being able to undergo psychological intervention and counselling with the Therapy Team in the rehab. There is also a benefit in interacting with other patients undergoing recovery addiction problems. Hence the reason it is much more expensive. Rehab Healthcare can help you facilitate a residential rehab should this be the option you prefer.