The admission to addiction rehab process, although straight forward, can seem daunting if you are unsure what to expect. We hope that the information on this page will help to answer some of the questions you may have and ease your concerns.

Step 1 – Assessment

Once you have completed an assessment with an Addiction Helper admissions team member, you will be advised of suitable treatment clinics and a plan of treatment tailored specifically to meet your individual needs and requirements. Addiction Helper will advise you of the treatment clinic that they feel is ideally suited for your treatment plan, and provide some other options for you to consider.

Step 2 – Choosing your addiction rehab clinic

Once you and your family have selected a clinic from the options provided by Addiction Helper, a date of admission will then be agreed, so that bed availability can be checked with the clinic. Addiction Helper will do this for you, and where there is no availability for the date you want, you will be advised of an alternative date or an alternative addiction rehab clinic that can accept you on the date you want.

Step 3 – Reserving your place

As soon as an admission date has been agreed with yourselves and the clinic, Addiction Helper will offer to take a deposit so that the bed can be reserved in your name. Once a deposit has been paid, the bed will be kept for you and no one else will be able to take your place. Rehab places are booked on a daily basis and unless you pay a deposit, there is no guarantee that the bed will still be available on your date of admission. Once a deposit has been paid Addiction helper will send you confirmation of your booking and deposit by e-mail.

Step 4 – Transport

On the day of your admission, if transport to the clinic is a problem for you, Addiction Helper can arrange for you to be collected and taken to the clinic. This could be due to being too unwell to travel on your own, not being able to find a family member or friend that can take you, or may be losing your driving licence as a result of your addiction. If the addiction rehab clinic you have chosen requires you to travel by airplane, arrangements will be made so that you are collected from the airport and taken straight to the doorstep of the clinic. In instances where you are too afraid to fly on your own, Addiction Helper can provide a Sober Companion to fly with you.

Step 5 – Arriving at the rehab clinic

When you arrive at the treatment clinic, you will be met by a member of the clinics admissions team. The admissions team will book you in, discuss any outstanding payment for the agreed treatment plan and take you to see the clinics doctor. They will then help you to settle in and explain all you need to know about how the treatment will work and what will happen for the duration of your stay. The road to recovery can then begin!

Doctor’s Assessment

On arriving to the clinic, you will be booked in to see the Doctor so that a full assessment of your physical and mental health needs can be assessed. You will need to supply details of your GP (who will not be contacted unless in exceptional circumstances or you consent to the clinic contacting them). The doctor will also need details of any prescription or over the counter medications that you have been taking together with the frequency and dosage. You will be required to be as honest as you possibly can around your illicit drug and or your alcohol intake. This is very important as your medicated detox (if needed) will be dependent initially on the information you supply. If, during the assessment, the Doctor is alerted to any urgent physical problems, this will be addressed further with an appropriate course of action. If the doctor feels that a full psychiatric assessment is required, this will be carried out as soon as possible to ensure yours and others safety at all times. Once a medicated detox plan has been written up, the doctor will pass the plan on to the counselling and medical team to adhere to regime. You will be reviewed continually throughout your detox to ensure your safety is a priority. If in the event any problems occur, the doctor will immediately review your plan.

Sick Note

If you require a sick note for your employer, the doctor can also arrange this for you. It is not necessary to see your own Doctor first. Discretion will be used in writing the sick note, so that your position of employment is not threatened in any way.

Things to Remember

When you are preparing for your rehab admission, it is important that you take all medications, prescribed and non-prescribed with you to the treatment clinic. If you are unsure, it is best to take them anyway and the staff and doctor will decide if they are relevant to your detoxification.

It is always advisable to take loose, comfortable clothing if you will be detoxing, books and magazines can also be helpful to pass time if you are too unwell to engage in therapies.

During your admission to a rehab clinic, your personal belonging will be checked for any unauthorised items. The clinic will be able to advise you what these items are, but generally anything that could threaten yours or other safety or the recovery process.

It is also important that you do not attempt to self-detox prior to your admission as this could be dangerous to your health.

Finally, please remember that Addiction Helper is here to support you in preparation for your admission; we are always on hand to provide support and answer any questions that you may have.