Alcohol Addiction

Primrose Lodge offer full medical detox and rehabilitation for those suffering with a dependency to alcohol or alcohol abuse problem. Alcoholism presents in varying forms but has two common factors:

1. Once the sufferer starts drinking, they invariably lose control over the amount their consume and their actions whilst intoxicated
2. Despite wanting to stop, or attempting to stay stopped, they find themselves in a vicious circle of continuation or relapse.

Alcohol addiction is a life threatening condition, which more often than not requires professional help and intervention. Alcoholism has a very high mortality rate, with very few finding permanent recovery without the correct treatment and support. We understand just how destructive alcohol addiction can be, not only to the individual sufferer, but their family and loved ones also. We have therefore designed a comprehensive treatment programme, which effectively deals with the root causes of alcoholism and assists in the rebuilding of the individual and their personal relationships.

Do I Have an Alcohol Addiction?

The first thing to understand is that alcohol addiction is a chronic and deadly illness that can affect anyone. No one is immune from the illness of addiction and most individuals will know of at least one person or family member who shows the signs of having a problem.

NHS alcohol guidelines can be helpful in establishing if you or a loved one are drinking too much, but it does not necessarily mean you are an alcoholic or have an addiction. Those who do not have an addiction will be able to moderate their drinking or stop altogether if they wish to do so. Sometimes, they may even require a little medical help in doing this or a push from a loved one or family member, but they still have that power to make sane decisions when it comes to alcohol and their health. Those that suffer with an addiction or an abuse problem are very unlikely to be able to stop under these conditions. There may be repeated attempts and repeated failures at maintaining control and sobriety. What they are suffering from is not a lack of will power, but a devastating brain disorder that dictates a compulsion to drink. Even when their experience shows it is a very, very bad idea, they are compelled to drink regardless of what the possible consequences might be to themselves and to others.

An alcoholic is not necessarily the stereotypical park bench drinker, who has lost all and cares very little for anything or anyone else other than alcohol; it is not necessarily the individual who drinks behind closed curtains, avoiding the world and needs a drink in the morning to steady themselves. Yes, it is true that alcoholism does take on both of these forms, but there is a far bigger picture of what true alcoholism and alcohol addiction is; answering these questions may help you to determine if professional help is required for you or a loved one:

• Once you start drinking, you are unable to control the amounts you consume
• Whilst intoxicated your personality changes considerably
• You often regret and feel shame around your actions after a drinking bout
• You drink essentially for the effect and often binge on alcohol.
• You drink despite good reasons not to: health warnings, relationship breakdowns, loss of jobs, strained finances, depression or another recognised mental health illness.
• You keep the majority of your drinking hidden from others in order to avoid being questioned
• You regularly drink alone
• If you do drink with others, you lose control of your behaviours and often break your own moral code of personal conduct, leading to feelings of shame and anxiety the next day
• You need alcohol in order to be able to face life and function
• Without alcohol you feel ill at ease, agitated, restless and lost, without purpose and empty
• You set yourself goals around controlling your drinking but are unable to stick to them
• Drinking is affecting other areas of your life
• You know in your heart you must stop, but you cannot
• If you go without a drink, you develop withdrawal symptoms such as: shaking, anxiety, insomnia, sweating, nervousness, nausea or vomiting,

If you are at all unsure whether you or your loved one have an addiction to alcohol, please call and speak to one of our members of staff who will be happy to help and advise you.

Alcoholism Is an Illness

Alcoholism and Addiction is a medical illness. If you or a loved one is suffering from alcohol addiction, it is important to remember that you are suffering from a condition that may well require alcohol rehab; alcohol rehab being the most intensive and comprehensive start to recovery possible.

It can be difficult to admit that you have little or no control over your drinking, but rest assured this is the first step in recovery. The second step is asking for and accepting help. There is no shame in admitting that you have a problem with alcohol and that it is beyond your mental control. You are not responsible for suffering from addiction, however you are responsible in seeking and maintaining the correct treatment. Much like any other chronic illness, addiction requires daily management. Primrose Lodge will instil in you the basics of recovery and show you exactly how to maintain your recovery on leaving treatment. We also provide 1-year free aftercare to all of our patients that complete their treatment. This is extremely helpful in keeping on the right track and staying focused on recover. It also gives us the opportunity to support you through any problems you are experiencing as a newly sober person. The family after alcoholism can be difficult to repair, but rest assured that by keeping active and focused on recovery, what once seemed impossible and out of reach, can very much become an achievable goal.

Recovery from alcohol addiction is possible with the right treatment, care and support; that is our experience. On a daily basis, we witness individual’s recovering from this seemingly hopeless illness. We behold the miracle of individual transformation all the time; we take pride in the fact we are able to assist in the process and help save lives.

Medical Alcohol Detox

Attempting to stop alcohol abruptly or without medical support when there is a dependency present is extremely dangerous and can be life threatening. If you have a physical dependency to alcohol, Primrose Lodge can facilitate a full medical detox. On admission, our doctors will conduct a comprehensive clinical assessment of your treatment needs. From there, a detox regime, using an approved detox medication will be prescribed. Our doctors and therapeutic staff will monitor and review you throughout the process, to ensure you maximum comfort and safety at all times. You will be immediately relived for your physical need for alcohol by the prescribed medication. This will be reduced gradually over several days until you are free from both alcohol and the prescribed detox medication.

Understanding and Treating Alcoholism

Primrose Lodge treats each individual as a whole person, which means our treatment programme has medical, psychological, and holistic aspects. We also provide a free aftercare programme to ensure on-going support and care.

For permanent sobriety to be achieved, more than just a detox is required. The individual must undergo a complete change in their thinking and behaviours in order to stay sober. Many individuals will detox from alcohol and find themselves within a matter of weeks or months, drinking again; this is the grave nature of alcoholism. The sufferer has a complete and utter inability to leave alcohol alone for good and all. We have therefore devised a rehabilitation programme that addresses the psychological aspect of alcohol addiction as well as the physical. We individualise the treatment delivered to each and every person to ensure maximum success. Our rehab programme is powerful and effective; using a number of proven and cutting edge addiction treatments, we treat the mental reliance and compulsion, providing the individual with complete freedom from alcohol. Our highly qualified and experienced clinical team, who have a passion for helping others recover from this life threatening illness, deliver all of our treatments. We guarantee our patients will leave our care, looking, thinking and feeling very different to when they came in. The only requirement being that they fully engage in treatment and give themselves over to the process of recovery.

We firmly believe that no one has sunk too low or is too far in their addiction to recover. We will to all we can to help each and every patient recover from their addiction and realise their true potential.

Government Guidelines for Safe Alcohol Consumption

If you are suffering from alcohol addiction, and your experience shows you are unable to control the amount you drink, there is no safe amount of alcohol; complete abstinence is strongly recommended as the only way to recover.

Government guidelines can be useful in determining if you are drinking more than your body can safely process. They can be a starting point to admitting you have a problem.

If you are drinking over and above the recommended government guidelines, yet are unable to reduce or stop completely, call us for further information on how we can help.

The current government guidelines for safe drinking are:

• For Men it is no more than 14 units a week, with a recommendation of no more than three units in any one-day and at least two alcohol-free days per week.
• For women it is no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, with a recommended limit of no more than three units per day and, again, two alcohol-free days per week.
• The guidelines for pregnant women are that they should drink no more than 1-2 units once or twice a week.

If you or your loved one need help for a problem with alcohol, don’t delay life saving treatment; call us now for a free assessment or informal chat. We can help you take the right steps towards a full and permanent recovery from addiction to alcohol.