Free Rehab Clinics in the UK

Last Updated: September 18th, 2014

Free Rehabs

We assume you are visiting our website because you are suffering from alcohol abuse or addiction or you know someone who is. You might also be aware there are some free rehab programmes available in the UK. Let’s talk about these free programmes and what they can, and cannot, offer you.

We’ll start by first letting you know we are an independent referral organisation specialising in helping alcoholics and their families get the treatment they need to overcome addiction. We make it our business to stay abreast of what every clinic in the UK offers at any given time. This lets us match everyone who contacts us with the appropriate treatment programme.

You should know that we work with private clinics all across the country. However, we also maintain information regarding programmes offered by alcohol charities, support groups, and the NHS. Our goal is to make sure you receive the help you need regardless of your circumstances or ability to pay.

Free Rehab Options

We cannot discuss the free rehab options available without first explaining that there are many different types of treatment. What you will find through the NHS is significantly different from what is available through a private clinic. Here are the most common types of rehab programmes available:

Outpatient Programmes – Outpatient programmes are typically what you get from the NHS and alcohol rehab charities. They consist mainly of counselling and support provided through daily or weekly programmes lasting for several hours apiece. At the end of each day, the recovering alcoholic returns home.

Residential Treatment – Residential treatment is what you will find at a private rehab clinic. This type of treatment involves living at a residential facility for the duration of the programme, typically lasting between 6 and 12 weeks.

Counselling – Because counselling is such an important tool in alcohol rehab it is something offered by just about every programme. That said, you could also avail yourself of counselling only, through alcohol charities or professional counsellors.

Detox – Technically, detox and rehab are two separate things. However, detox is a necessary part of rehab if it is to be successful. Detox breaks the physical addiction to alcohol by separating the recovering alcoholic from his/her drink.

Now that you know the different types of services offered, let us consider the idea of free rehab. When we say ‘free rehab’, we are talking about services offered by the NHS and various alcohol charities. They are services any alcoholic or alcohol abuser can avail him or herself of.

To access those services through the NHS, you will likely have to visit your physician first. He or she will make the determination regarding what type of help you need. It may be different depending on whether you are assessed as an alcohol abuser or an alcoholic.

Effectiveness of Free Rehab

Free rehab services offered by the NHS and alcohol charities can be very beneficial to the alcohol abuser or individual in the early stages of alcoholism. Through counselling, group support and certain medications (when deemed appropriate by a physician), many of these individuals can achieve sobriety. Nevertheless, for the chronic alcoholic, free rehab programmes are usually of little long-term value.

The chronic alcoholic is not likely to be helped by free programmes because he or she is able to return home to their circumstances and enablers every day. They need complete separation in order to break their addiction. That’s where a residential treatment programme becomes extremely important.

Unlike free programmes, residential rehab completely isolates the alcoholic from both his or her drink and their circumstances. The physical separation forces their body to break its physical addiction to alcohol. The separation from circumstances makes it possible for counselling and support to get at the emotional and mental addictions.

How Do I qualify For Free Rehab?

For you, the idea of free rehab might be one of cost. In other words, you may agree that residential rehab is the best course of action for yourself or someone you love, but you do not believe you have the financial resources to pay for it. That’s understandable. If there is no way to financially afford residential treatment then, by all means, free rehab services are better than nothing at all.

That said, one of our jobs is to discuss financial issues with our clients to see if there is any way private, residential rehab can be obtained. There are a number of different options:

private medical insurance
grants from alcohol charities
donations from family and friends
commercial financing.

If we explore all of the financing options with you and still come up empty, we can help you get into free programmes offered by the NHS. If you complete these programmes and still find long-term sobriety out of reach, the NHS might be willing to place you in a residential programme at a private clinic. Though this is not a regular practice for the NHS, they have been known to go this route for chronic alcoholics who have no other hope.

Getting Help Now

Discussing free rehab versus a paid residential treatment programme is of no value if you are not willing to get the help you need. Experts agree that the addict unwilling to seek treatment cannot be helped no matter what programme he or she is enrolled in. So now the choice is yours.

If you are visiting our website because you suspect you may have a drinking problem, you need to want recovery before anyone can help you. If that’s not the case with you, take a few minutes and think about your loved ones. Did you know your alcoholism is just as destructive to them as it is to you? For their sakes, get some help.

If you are visiting our website on behalf of someone you love, you can still take action by contacting us today. We will make you aware of all the treatment options available to your loved one; will help you understand cost issues; we will even make our recommendations and advise you on conducting an intervention.