Approach to addiction treatment
Outlining our approach to addiction treatment and explaining what's included in our addiction treatment programme.
Addictions develop when someone becomes repeatedly involved with a particular substance or activity, despite the harm it causes to them. This behaviour is repeated because the person derives some form of pleasure or value from it, which causes them to seek it out more and more, until they develop a psychological or physical dependence to the substance or activity. Addictions can have a damaging effect on all areas of a person’s life, including their relationships, performance at work, personal finances, as well as their physical and psychological health.
At Priory, we'll place you at the centre of your addiction treatment programme, ensuring that you receive a tailored treatment plan in order to produce the best possible outcomes for you.
Priory is currently offering 10% off private self-pay addiction inpatient treatment, for admissions until 31st August inclusive. Get a free initial assessment with a therapist, to help you take the first step towards recovery. Call us on 0330 056 6023 to find out more. T&Cs apply.
At Priory, we understand that reaching out for help can be a challenging time for you. That’s why we aim to make this step as accessible and straightforward as possible by offering a free, no-obligation addiction assessment at all of our addiction rehabilitation hospitals, to help you to discuss your addiction in confidence.
This initial assessment provides you with the chance to:
Your initial addiction assessment can be scheduled at a time that's convenient for you, while guaranteeing the utmost discretion and confidentiality. Ultimately, the aim of our free addiction assessment is to put your mind at ease and help you develop an understanding of how you can achieve a healthy, fulfilling and addiction-free life.
Priory is currently offering 10% off private self-pay addiction inpatient treatment, for admissions until 31st August inclusive.
Get a free initial assessment with a therapist, to help you take the first step towards recovery. T&Cs apply.
If you're struggling with an alcohol or drug addiction, an important first step in your addiction treatment journey may be a medically assisted withdrawal detoxification or ‘detox’, before you start addiction therapy.
Alcohol detox and drug detox can differ slightly, but detox involves removing all traces of addictive and harmful substances from your body, while managing withdrawal symptoms. The detox process at Priory typically lasts for 7 to 10 days and is delivered by our highly trained, multidisciplinary teams of consultants and other addiction specialists. Our detox experts also offer medical intervention and prescribe medication during detox, if needed, in order to ensure that you're physically stable, ready to start addiction therapy. You'll also benefit from 24-hour mental health nursing support for the duration of the detox process.
The addiction treatment programmes that we offer at Priory consist of patients staying at one of our hospitals, usually for a 28-day period. Whilst 28 days is the recommended treatment length for addictions, we can consider flexible treatment lengths, if appropriate, at some of our hospital sites. As part of your residential programme, you'll be able to tackle the physical symptoms of your addiction through our detox service, before receiving intensive therapy to address the underlying causes and triggers for your addictive behaviours, and reduce the chances of addiction relapse.
You can read more about Priory’s inpatient addiction treatment offerings by visiting our inpatient treatment page.
Day care treatment for addictions is typically used as a step-down in treatment intensity once you've completed your 28-day inpatient treatment programme. However, it can also be used as an entry-point at some of our hospital sites, depending on your needs. This form of therapy consists of you attending a Priory hospital for a set number of days each week, depending on the intensity of the support that you need, and taking part in addiction therapy groups. However, unlike our residential programme, you won't stay at the hospital overnight and will return home following a day of therapy.
Outpatient treatment for addictions is when you attend hourly therapy sessions, usually on a weekly basis, with appointment times that can be flexible to you. Outpatient therapy can be delivered at our hospital sites as well as through our national Priory wellbeing centre network.
Whether it takes place on an inpatient, day care or outpatient basis, we can deliver addiction therapy in a number of different formats at Priory. These include:
We also offer a wide range of therapeutic techniques as part of addiction treatment at Priory, which can be delivered in an inpatient, day care or outpatient capacity, and in different formats, depending on your personal needs. The types of therapy that we can offer at Priory include:
For more detailed information on each of the types of therapy that we offer at Priory, you can visit our therapy types page.
At Priory, we're dedicated to your ongoing recovery, which is why we offer 12 months of free aftercare to everyone who completes their 28-day addiction treatment programme with us.
Our exceptional aftercare programmes consist of ongoing access to support groups, continuous networking assistance, talks and advice for patients, as well as family support groups. In addition, all of our patients will finish their addiction treatment programme with a tailored continuing care plan to support you in your ongoing transition from hospital back to your day-to-day life.
Our expert team of addiction psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and other specialists consist of leaders in their field. Our team is committed to remaining up to date with current research, to ensure that our practice is guided by the very latest thinking in addiction treatment, and adheres to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. As such, we're extremely well-placed to provide high quality treatment for a wide range of addictions and addictive behaviours, producing the most positive outcomes for everyone we support.
Our addiction treatment programmes are predominantly led by our expert consultants, but you'll also have input from our network of peer supporters throughout your treatment. Our peer supporters are former patients who have completed the addiction treatment programme themselves at one of our Priory hospitals. These people choose to return to the hospital and take part in addiction therapy groups to offer inspiration, hope and guidance, and share their positive recovery experiences with current patients. Our peer supporters can offer a different perspective to our patients, allowing them to explore and challenge themselves in unique ways.
At Priory, we deliver comprehensive addiction treatment and help, using a wide range of established techniques, enabling you to tackle your addiction and make a full and sustainable recovery.
We are a registered and approved provider for all of the UK's leading private medical insurers. All of the services we offer at Priory can be funded through private medical insurance. This includes:
All clients will have access to our highly skilled and accredited clinicians, many of whom are published experts in their fields of treatment. Whatever your needs, we're committed to working with you to get your life back on track.
We have addiction treatment centres located throughout the country, ensuring that you can access the support you need in a location that's convenient for you. To find your nearest addiction treatment centre, please use the search form below.