Drug Treatment Options

Everyone’s recovery is different

The best route to go down will depend on your individual experience, your personality and unique circumstances. You always have a choice when it comes to your recovery. Talking through your options with peers, supportive friends and family, clinical professionals and recovery workers can help.

Making Changes Yourself

If it’s safe for you to do so, you can take steps to cut down yourself. Take your time and if you use most days, don’t stop suddenly. Gradual reduction is the safest way to quit.

Click here for ways to safely quit drugs or reduce your use.

Click here for relapse prevention advice for when things don’t go to plan.

Peer Support

Recovery group meetings are more accessible than ever, with many offering online sessions since the COVID19 pandemic. Groups can be a great way to share your experience with others facing similar challenges. Supportive and non-judgmental settings, it can be easier to make lasting changes when others are supporting you.

There are groups for people struggling with any drug addiction, and they can differ in their approach.

Click here to see a list of recovery groups and apps.

Residential Detox

Our residential treatment centre accepts referrals from across the UK. Birchwood is a 20 bed facility in the Wirral that transforms lives with residential care.

A residential stay can be a great opportunity to get some respite from a chaotic lifestyle,  break destructive routines, make positive changes and achieve sustained recovery.

Birchwood improves physical and emotional health and wellbeing, and makes sustained recovery possible by:

• Resolving physical dependence on drugs and alcohol
• Supporting recovery journeys
• Improving self worth, confidence and self esteem
• Improving access to learning and education
• Increasing the visibility of recovered peers
• Creating an aspiration for change through co-production and peer support
• Providing safe, sociable activities
• Placing an emphasis on self directed recovery
• Facilitating meetings with family and carers to resolve conflicts and communication breakdown
• Offering advice and guidance to families and carers, and including them in post discharge plans

You can contact Birchwood on 0151 6700 033, or email enquiries@birchwoodtreatment.com

Medication

If you are dependent on heroin or another opioid, our clinical teams can look to prescribe you a medication such as methadone or buprenorphine following your assessment. This medication can help you cut down or stop using.

If you decide this is the right course for you, our doctors can work with you to determine the right dose and stabilise you. We will work with you to achieve your personal goals, and don’t push abstinence on anyone.

Click here to learn more about services in your area.

Buvidal

Buvidal is an addition to our opiate treatment toolbox. A long-acting buprenorphine injection that is provided on a monthly, or weekly, basis.

Kaleidoscope is now making this treatment available to you, alongside all currently available treatments. Previously you may have been offered buprenorphine in a tablet form, for example, Subutex, Espranor or Suboxone.

Buvidal has had a positive impact on the recovery of a number of our service users, however it will not suit everyone. It is important that you make a well-informed choice when it comes to the right treatment for you, and our clinical teams are on hand to offer you support and guidance.

Here Kaleidoscope’s clinical leads, Dr. Mohan De Silva and Dr. Bern Hard answer questions from Tommy and Rondine, who both have lived experience of addiciton.