Last Updated:
January 29th, 2026
Rehab: Addiction treatment
When you’re deep in addiction, just the thought of stopping can feel impossible, even when you desperately want to. Rehab treatment removes you from your usual environment and surroundings, giving you the medical care and therapy needed to actually stop and stay stopped. Whether you’re struggling with alcohol addiction, drug addiction, or behavioural addiction, rehab gives you room to work out what’s happening and learn how to live without substances or harmful behaviours.
What is rehab for addiction?
Addiction rehab is a treatment programme that helps you stop using drugs and prepare for life without them. It brings together medical care, talking therapies, and hands-on support, hopefully in a setting away from your usual triggers and routines. Many people need detox first if they’re physically dependent on substances, and then rehab therapy tackles the mental and behavioural parts of addiction recovery.
Different substances and behaviours need different approaches, though the basic ideas of addiction recovery stay the same across types:
Alcohol rehab
Alcohol treatment typically starts with medically supervised alcohol detox, followed by intensive therapy looking at why you drink and what keeps you drinking.
Drug rehab
Drug addiction treatment changes depending on the substance. Each drug affects your brain differently, so therapy focuses on your particular patterns of use and why you can’t stop. Rehab will usually begin with drug detox, and then therapy and aftercare to keep you on track.
Prescription drugs rehab
This is treatment for prescription drug addiction, which involves medications which you may have originally been using legitimately. Treatment focuses on safely tapering off these medications while addressing the real problems, like pain, insomnia or mental health struggles, that led to dependency.
Legal high/novel psychoactive substance rehab
Substances like Spice or mephedrone present unique challenges because their effects can be unpredictable, and research is limited. Rehab provides a safe space to stabilise while working through the stresses and struggles in your life that have culminated in legal high addiction.
Behavioural rehab
Compulsive behaviours around gambling addiction, sex addiction, gaming addiction, or shopping/compulsive buying addiction follow similar patterns to substance addiction. Treatment helps you understand triggers and teaches you to manage emotions and stress better.
When is rehab necessary?
If you are questioning whether you need rehab, that question itself often matters more than any other signs. However, rehab may be necessary for you if:
- Your substance use or compulsive behaviour keeps causing problems despite your attempts to stop
- You have tried quitting before and keep returning to old patterns
- Your health is suffering
- Your relationships are breaking down
- You’re struggling to manage work and daily responsibilities
Some people enter rehab after a health scare, and others when they realise they can’t stop alone. There is no single threshold that makes rehab “necessary”, but if you are in any doubt, a professional assessment can help you decide.
Who can benefit from addiction rehab?
Rehab works for anyone genuinely wanting to change their relationship with substances or behaviours. You don’t have to hit rock bottom first, as early intervention often makes recovery easier, though people at every stage can benefit.
Whether you’re dealing with substance addiction or compulsive behaviours, rehab can be a life-changing treatment. It is also very beneficial for people with co-existing mental health problems like depression and addiction or anxiety and addiction, as rehab can help with both at the same time.
What are the rehab options in the UK?
You can access rehab treatment through inpatient residential programmes or outpatient services. Each approach has different benefits:
Inpatient rehab
This means staying at the rehab centre for your entire programme, which can be anywhere from one week to three months. Being physically away from your home environment means you can’t easily access drugs or alcohol, and your sole focus becomes getting well.
Inpatient rehab centres may offer a 10-day package,14-day package, 28-day package, or 90-day package. Extended programmes allow more practice building new habits before you face real-world triggers again. Private centres admit you immediately, with rehab costs depending on where you go and how long you stay.
Outpatient rehab services
Outpatient services are offered privately and by the NHS, and mean sleeping at home each night whilst travelling to the clinic for scheduled appointments. This can work if you have reliable people at home supporting you, safe and stable housing, or if your job or childcare responsibilities make residential treatment impossible. The main difficulty is maintaining motivation when surrounded by your usual triggers every evening. Our outpatient vs inpatient guidance can explain how to decide which approach fits your situation.
What to expect in a rehab programme
Inpatient rehab treatment combines multiple approaches, which typically include one-to-one counselling sessions, group therapy with others in recovery, educational workshops about addiction science, and wellness activities supporting your physical and mental health. Key therapies and support types in addiction rehab include:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
- Individual and group counselling
- 12-Step facilitation
- Motivational interviewing
- Trauma-based or focused therapy
- Family support
- Mindfulness and meditation
- Family therapy
- Art, sound and music therapy
- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Yoga therapy
- Physical fitness
- Nutrition
- Acupunture
- Equine therapy
You should always check which approaches each rehab centre you are considering provides before making your treatment decision.
What happens on a typical day in rehab?
A day in a rehab follows structured routines combining therapy, education, wellness activities, and personal time. You will attend both one-to-one counselling and group sessions, participate in workshops or skills training, and have time for reflection or socialising with other residents. Meals happen at set times, creating predictable rhythms to your day. The consistent schedule provides stability and keeps you engaged, which matters when you’re adjusting to life without substances or addictive behaviours.
Aftercare and staying well post-rehab
Leaving rehab marks the beginning of recovery rather than the end of treatment, but maintaining a sober life after rehab requires ongoing effort and support. The real challenge comes when you return to normal life and need to apply what you learned while dealing with triggers and stress.
That is why good rehab programmes include aftercare planning before discharge, which might involve arranging outpatient therapy, connecting you with local support groups, or scheduling follow-up calls with your counsellor.
Relapse prevention techniques learned in rehab need reinforcement through regular check-ins, while fellowships like AA meetings and NA meetings offer free, ongoing support across Britain. Other options include personal psychotherapy, or specialised groups for behavioural addictions like Gambling Anon, SLAA meetings, and Grey Sheets. While not everyone finds these 12-step programmes helpful, many people credit fellowship attendance with maintaining their recovery.
How we help you choose an addiction rehab centre
Choosing a rehab can feel incredibly overwhelming when you are already struggling. Recovery.org can make this easier by understanding your specific situation, budget, and treatment needs, then finding you the right place. Contact us today to speak with someone who understands what you’re going through and can provide honest information about your options.