Can I Get Free Help For Addiction Without Seeing a GP?

Free Addiction Rehab Treatment is available to all. There maybe some hoops to jump through but the goal is worth the work.

Wherever you are in the United Kingdom there is free advice, support and treatment for addiction. While there is the option of private treatment, not everyone can afford it and, depending on where you go for treatment, it can be cost prohibitive for those seeking free addiction rehab treatment solutions.

If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice our expert and experienced addictions clinicians are happy to help. We provide a Free Rehab Referral Service as well as 24 Hour Addictions Help.

It doesn’t matter where you live in the UK. Your local authority provides services without charge. This could be methadone for a heroin addiction, a community alcohol detox or groups for cocaine addiction. No one is turned away from free addiction rehab opportunities.

Your local authority holds the funding, raised through council tax and money from central government. Whether you pay council tax or not, you are entitled to free help. Sadly, you can only get help in the area where you live but this is to ensure continuity of care for your recovery efforts, especially in the context of free addiction rehab treatment options.

The services provided by your local authority may be bought in from the NHS, private companies, charities and 3rd sector providers. What services they actually provide is solely down to the contract between the local authority and the chosen contractor for those seeking treatment without paying.

For some their service provider may be able to fund them a stay in a rehab center. For others this will not be on offer. All will provide Methadone and Subutex for Heroin addiction and some will also provide injectable Subutex (Buvidal). At this time, none will provide medication for addictions to other substances. A large number will, where clinically safe, provide a community alcohol detox as part of free addiction rehab programs.

Budgets are very tight, and becoming more and more stretched. This means that residential rehab may not be available or, where it is, it may be a very short stay that can be provided. There will be a lot of hoops to go through before funding for such treatment is approved for anyone seeking free addiction rehabilitation.

Funding decisions are not made by the service you get help from but by senior staff at the local authority known as commissioners. They hold the purse strings and are accountable for their decisions. Thus a service is only going to put you forward for consideration of rehab if you attend meetings, follow the guidance given, and adhere to your treatment plan (Methadone, etc) to qualify for free addiction rehab treatment.

What type of rehab can I get for free?

All local authority services will provide help for you in the community. This is usually in the form of keywork sessions, groups, prescriptions and help with housing, benefits, etc. Depending on need, the service may provide transport to and from appointments and accompany you when you see other professionals such as probation or the GP—key components facilitating addiction rehab treatment for free.

For alcohol clients, it is usually possible to have an alcohol detox at home, provided free of charge by your local authority service provider as part of a broader rehab plan focused on free addiction treatment. There are national clinical guidelines around who can have an alcohol detox at home and these are very clear.

Ordinarily, if any of the following apply you would not be eligible for home alcohol treatment:

• Drink more than 30 units a day
• Have undergone an alcohol detox within the last six months
• Experience non-alcohol related seizures
• Prescribed certain medications
• Significant clinical risk due to pre-existing conditions

If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice our expert and experienced addictions clinicians are happy to help. We provide a Free Rehab Referral Service as well as 24 Hour Addictions Help.

Free rehab

Where it would not be safe to be treated at home for alcohol, your local authority service may provide a period of residential treatment which includes a detox. This aspect of care comes after a period of engagement with the service and you’re required to demonstrate a level of commitment to your recovery before the service applies for funding from the service commissioners, as part of free addiction rehab treatment.

Local authority services usually have “blocked beds” at rehab centers meaning they have negotiated significantly reduced rates for a number of clients in a twelve-month period. While in the private sector every center integrates detox and rehab together, there are certain local authority funded units that provide detox only, a crucial part of the rehab initiative without financial cost.

Getting a detox is absolutely essential on the trajectory of recovery. However, this is just one element and without rehab, it is likely you will relapse quickly even after benefiting from free addiction rehab treatment.

Paying for rehab, where detox and therapy are integrated, may not cost anywhere near as much as you might think. While it is usual for clients to go for 28 days, for alcohol clients there are centers which will provide shorter treatment programs depending on clinical need.

Some centers will provide a course of treatment over seven days. With private treatment, you decide where you want to go and when. There is no requirement to engage with local services though it is always advisable. We always advise you speak with your GP before undertaking treatment but we understand why you might not want to do this.

If you need Free Clinician Drug Advice our expert and experienced addictions clinicians are happy to help. We provide a Free Rehab Referral Service as well as 24 Hour Addictions Help.

Recent Posts