The drug addiction treatment that we provide at North London is evidence-based and guided by best practice. Our intensive, London-based drug rehab consists of:

• 7-day medically assisted withdrawal detoxification, to remove all traces of drugs from your body and manage drug withdrawal symptoms
• An abstinence-based treatment model, based on the 12-Step model
• Access to on-site 12-Step support groups
• Intensive inpatient (residential) treatment
• Step-down to day care treatment if required
• Therapy delivered in a number of different formats including:
  • 1:1 therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Couples therapy
• Tried and tested therapy types including:
  • Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
  • Mindfulness
  • Psychodrama
  • Equine assisted therapy - for more information on equine assisted therapy, the benefits we see when using horses as part of addiction treatment, and to view our equine therapy video, please visit our equine assisted therapy page
  • Holistic therapies such as art therapy, yoga and meditation
• Trauma reduction programme
• Free aftercare for 12 months, ensuring that you receive the support that you need when you leave treatment

You can read more about drug addiction treatment on our approach to addiction treatment page.

Our team at North London possess an extensive knowledge base and unrivalled clinical experience in drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation. We deliver individually tailored treatment and are also able to prescribe medication and provide medical intervention as part of your drug addiction treatment programme, if appropriate.

Although the drug addiction treatment team at North London is mainly led by our highly qualified consultants, we also provide valuable input from our dedicated peer supporters. These individuals are former patients who have chosen to return to North London to offer support, empathy and hope to current patients. Our peer supporters are an inspiration to our patients as they demonstrate the positive outcomes that can be achieved, and also offer a different perspective to drug addiction patients, encouraging them to explore and challenge themselves in new ways.

It is possible for individuals to become addicted to a wide variety of drugs, ranging from legal prescription drugs, to illegal substances such as cocaine or heroin. Prescription drug addictions usually develop as a result of individuals taking the drug for a legitimate medical reason before becoming addicted to it, whereas illegal drug addiction may develop as a result of peer pressure or curiosity.

Some of the most common drug addictions that we treat include:

• Prescription drug addiction - prescription drugs are typically prescribed by doctors or other medical professionals in order to offer short-term pain relief following an injury or operation. However, these drugs can cause individuals to experience feelings of relaxation and euphoria, which some people can find very addictive
• Cocaine addiction – cocaine is a powerful illegal drug which is usually snorted in powder form, although it can also be injected. Cocaine causes users to experience intense euphoria which can cause individuals to become addicted quickly and develop a high tolerance to the drug
• Crack cocaine addiction – crack cocaine, also referred to as simply ‘crack’, is the crystallised form of cocaine. Crack is heated and smoked and takes its name from the characteristic cracking or popping noise that it makes when it is exposed to heat. The effects of crack cocaine appear much more quickly than in cocaine, but these often peak quickly and subside after only a few minutes
• Heroin addiction – heroin is a dangerous opiate drug and is most commonly injected, although it is also possible for heroin to be smoked or snorted. Heroin is a derivative of morphine, and due to its strong painkilling effects, this drug can be highly addictive. This causes tolerance to heroin to build extremely rapidly, which means that people find that they need to take more and more of the drug in order to experience the desired ‘high’
• Ecstasy addiction – ecstasy, or ‘MDMA’, is a powerful stimulant drug, which is usually swallowed in tablet form, although it can also be snorted as a powder. Ecstasy causes a release of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, also known as the brain’s ‘feel good’ chemicals, and as such, causes users to experience feelings of intense happiness, closeness and intimacy, as well as extreme euphoria and energy. These effects mean that ecstasy is common amongst club and party-goers, and has become widely regarded as one of the most popular ‘club drugs’
• Cannabis addiction – cannabis is one of the most widely abused drugs in the UK. This drug is taken from the cannabis plant and is usually smoked, although it is becoming increasingly common for it to be baked or cooked in various foods, or even brewed into tea. Cannabis is known to make individuals feel peaceful and relaxed – effects which are highly addictive to some people
• Amphetamine addiction – amphetamine, also known as ‘speed’, is a stimulant drug that comes as a powder and often has the appearance of small crystals. Amphetamine can be consumed via a number of different methods including smoking, snorting, injecting, or dabbing it onto the gums, and it results in extreme bursts of energy, confidence, alertness and euphoria
• Ketamine addiction – ketamine, which is also known as simply ‘ket’, is a powerful hallucinogenic and anaesthetic drug that was initially designed to be used in a hospital or veterinary setting, in order to manage pain during human and animal operations. Ketamine can come as a white, grainy powder which can be snorted or swallowed as a tablet, or in liquid form which can be injected
• New psychoactive and illicit substance (legal high) addiction – new psychoactive substances, also widely referred to as ‘legal highs’, are psychoactive substances that usually contain a whole host of unknown chemicals that haven’t gone through the necessary testing in order to understand the effects that they have on the human brain and body. Illicit substances are substances that are easy to obtain and can cause psychoactive effects when they are abused e.g. sniffing glue and solvents. New psychoactive and illicit substances typically mimic the effects of illegal drugs and can cause addiction, significant impairment and even death. One of the most commonly abused new psychoactive and illicit substances is a drug known as spice

As well as regularly taking and administering drugs, the following are all common signs and symptoms that you, or someone that you know, may be struggling with a harmful drug addiction:

• Increased tolerance towards the drug(s); finding that you need to take more of this in order to experience the desired effects
• Experiencing withdrawal effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or excessive sweating, if you haven’t taken the drug(s) for a certain amount of time
• Focusing more and more time on obtaining and using the drug(s)
• Ensuring that you have a constant supply of the drug(s)
• Spending lots of money on the drug(s), even if you can’t afford this
• Lying to loved ones about your drug use
• Taking the drug(s) for stress relief
• Driving or engaging in other risky behaviours when under the influence of the drug(s)
• Social withdrawal
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Increased anger and irritability
• Sleep problems, including insomnia

Read more about the signs and symptoms of drug addiction.

You don’t have to struggle with drug addiction; call our drug addiction treatment clinic today on 0800 840 3219, send us an email or arrange your free drug addiction assessment.