With the cost of living shooting up, including inflation on food and energy price hikes, millions of people are feeling the squeeze. The Bank of England says inflation could rise to 7% this year. With such pressure on paying for the basics, what happens if you need addiction help now? If money is stretched, and you or your loved one is addicted, where do you turn for addiction treatment? In this blog, we look in detail at what your addiction is costing you. We also answer the very common question: how much does rehab cost? Click for Help Me Stop’s affordable prices and info about our Online Rehab and face-to-face Dayhab.
But first, to all those who are in active addiction right now, there is help. To all relatives and friends who are watching a loved one suffer, there is support for your loved one, and for you too. Not all of it is free (that’s a whole different blog post about why specialist drug and alcohol treatment isn’t accessible for ALL who need it). But there are low and no-cost options for people with addiction, including these alcohol support services. No one who is addicted needs to feel alone or forgotten.
Rather than thinking how much does rehab cost, ask what addiction is costing you
If you need addiction treatment, it’s worth looking at what your addiction is costing you. This is much more than just the monetary value of drugs and alcohol. It’s all the associated costs too, the missed opportunities, and lost relationships.
There are massive costs to health too. We have covered this in detail elsewhere. Click for alcohol addiction facts, the health impacts of cocaine and prescription drug addiction facts.
- Consider the financial cost of alcohol addiction: If you’re drinking every day, spending £8 per day on wine or beer, then this is an annual spend of £2,920. Add a bottle of vodka, gin or whiskey each week and that adds at least another £650 for the cheapest products in mainstream retailers, up to around £2500 per year for higher end products in supermarkets.
- The financial cost of cocaine addiction: The street value of cocaine is typically between £50 and £100 per gram, depending on purity. If you’re buying a gram of cocaine every weekend, this will set you back between £2,600 and £5,200 per year. If you’re using more regularly, getting through 3 grams per week, then this could cost up to £15,600 annually.
- The associated costs of addiction: These are the late night taxi rides, the lost wallets and smashed mobile phones, the cost of chasing around after drugs, expensive alcohol deliveries, the broken belongings. Again, it’s hard to put an exact figure on it, but in active addiction, these costs can run into many thousands each year.
- The cost of lost relationships: Now, this one you absolutely cannot put a price tag on. One of the saddest facts of addiction is the damage it does to people. The person who is addicted loses their relationship with themself. Friends and family suffer, distance themselves or cut off completely. You cannot assign a monetary value to that but the cost is enormous.
- The cost of missed opportunities: It’s hard to pinpoint all of the missed opportunities in active addiction. Business opportunities or promotions at work that passed by. Last minute cancellations to family days out or even holidays. Often, you might not be aware of great things you’ve missed out on. Ask yourself, has addiction got in the way of your progress, life path or adventures?
When you consider all of these things, the investment in treatment for alcohol addiction and/or drug addiction looks very different. Help Me Stop’s Online Rehab is £2,400 for six weeks of intensive addiction rehab, with an additional 12 weeks of aftercare. Our face-to-face Dayhabs are £3,600 in London and Winchester, for six weeks of treatment, also with 12 weeks’ aftercare. Within weeks in some cases, a few months in others, the cost of rehab will be covered by the money you save on addiction.
Dave: ‘I found it affordable. The cost, my partner pointed out to me, it’s the rest of my life.’
But what if I don’t have any money for rehab?
Please don’t despair. There is still addiction help available for you. With willingness, you can start your addiction recovery today. Here’s what we suggest:
- First thing’s first, see your GP. Be honest. It’s really important to tell them what you’re drinking, how much, and whether you’re using recreational and/or pharmaceutical drugs. This includes any over-the-counter medications like codeine. If you’re addicted to alcohol or certain drugs like opioids or benzodiazepines, get medical advice before you stop. If you’re physically addicted, (i.e. you experience moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to stop), then you may need a medically-assisted detox. Your GP can advise and refer you. Again, not all help is free, but if you are serious about stopping, they should be able to signpost you to options for a safe detox. They might also refer you to free community drug and alcohol services, although there is quite often a waiting list.
- Secondly, build and invest time in your recovery support network. You are going to need people around you in addiction recovery. Supportive people, who want the same thing as you and who get where you’re at. You can research what’s local in terms of community and voluntary support groups for addiction. Visit our alcohol support services page for links and contact details to nationwide services. For drug addiction, check out Narcotics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous.
- Consider what support you have from family and friends. You certainly don’t need to tell everyone what you’re doing, and actually, we probably would advise against involving lots of relatives and friends too early in your recovery. But the value of family support is undeniable and can make all the difference in recovery. If there are one or two people you really trust in your peer group or family, then let them in. Remember, they won’t be able to provide expert advice, but they may be able to help with practical things like picking up detox medication or searching online for local support groups.
- If necessary, talk to your employer. This very much depends on your personal circumstances and preference, but in the first few days and weeks of addiction recovery, you may need some time out to focus solely on your recovery. Particularly if you’re going through a detox, or you have a pattern or stopping and starting, then you might need some time for you to establish a firm footing. You don’t need to tell your employer everything. You can also get support from your GP with an employer’s note. Remember, the most important thing is you getting sober or drug-free, and accessing regular support to help you stay on track.
- Most importantly, believe in yourself. It’s such a big step to admit alcohol addiction or drug addiction, it really is. If you’ve found that lucidity, then that’s a brilliant start. It’s a recovery cliche, but it really helps to take one day at a time. Just deal with the day you’re in, stick with the people who want you to succeed, and you can achieve sobriety.
If I go private, how much does rehab cost?
Private rehab for addiction comes at a very wide range of costs.
Help Me Stop’s Online Rehab is the most affordable intensive rehab for addiction in the UK, at just £2,400 for six weeks of intensive treatment, plus aftercare. We’ve taken out all of the non-essential costs of treatment, including accommodation, round-the-clock staffing, catering, and facilities costs. Your treatment therapist meets with you online, Monday to Friday, for six weeks. You can choose between morning and evening streams, to fit with your work and family commitments. You also have a one-to-one counselling session, once a week. And you will build supportive relationships with your peers.
Our London Dayhabs and Winchester Rehab are £3,600 for our six-week programme. They are slightly more time commitment than our Online Rehab, with the programme running Monday to Friday, for a section of each day.
There are other providers in the UK and abroad who offer residential addiction treatment. The lower cost residential options in the UK tend to start around £1500 per week, and usually recommend a 28-day stay. So this equates to £6000 for a four-week treatment programme. More expensive rehabs can be tens of thousands of pounds. Whilst cost isn’t always the first or only consideration for some people, it is a barrier to many. This is why Help Me Stop launched, to provide high quality addiction treatment to many who were previously outpriced.
Confidential addiction treatment at Help Me Stop
If you want to take the next step with Help Me Stop and book an assessment for drug addiction or alcohol addiction treatment, please contact us here or call 0208 191 9191. There is no charge for the initial assessment. If we are the right fit for you, great. If not, we can refer you to a more suitable service.
