Addiction Treatment Options Explained

If you’ve got to the point where you’re looking at treatment options, then it usually indicates a shift in your situation. Maybe it’s your own decision, maybe someone close to you is pushing, maybe you’re just exhausted. Whatever brought you here, this is a good place to be.

We know how overwhelming the treatment landscape can feel. There are dozens of approaches, an alphabet soup of therapy acronyms and a lot of conflicting advice about what works best. Some of it is genuinely helpful, but some of it is also just marketing, so we’ve created this guide to help you tell the difference.

Here, we’ll take you through every major treatment approach, what it involves, who it’s best suited to, what the evidence says and what it’s actually like, so you can make the decision that’s right for you.

New to all of this?
 Our guide What Is Addiction? explains how addiction develops and why it’s so hard to overcome. Understanding the “why” can sometimes help the treatment options below make more sense.

How Addiction Treatment Works

There’s no single treatment that works for everyone. Addiction is deeply personal, shaped by the substance or behaviour involved, how long it’s been going on, what else is happening in your life and what kind of support you have around you. Good treatment reflects that because it’s tailored to the individual rather than following a fixed programme.

In the UK, that can include a range of options, from GP support and community services to residential rehab, depending on what’s needed. It should starts with a thorough assessment, matching the level of care to the situation, and looking beyond the addiction itself to the factors driving it, with support continuing beyond the initial treatment period.

Most treatment journeys involve some combination of three things:

• Stabilisation: Getting physically safe, which may mean medically managed detox for certain substances.
• Therapeutic work: Understanding what drives the addiction and building new ways of coping. (Usually through individual therapy, group work or both.)
• Ongoing support: Aftercare, peer support and recovery communities that help you stay well once formal treatment ends.

The best treatment programmes address all three, in a sequence and at a pace that works for the individual. The worst ones rush through detox and skip the rest, or promise recovery in 28 days without any aftercare plan. Be wary of anyone who makes it sound simple.

Detox: Getting Physically Safe

Detox is the process of letting a substance leave your body while managing withdrawal symptoms. Detox without follow-up therapy is associated with very high relapse rates, so it’s important to understand that this isn’t treatment in itself, but it’s a necessary first step that makes treatment possible.

When Is Medical Detox Essential?

Not every substance requires a medically supervised detox. But some absolutely do, because withdrawal can be dangerous:

• Alcohol: Withdrawal can cause seizures and delirium tremens (DTs). A managed detox using chlordiazepoxide or diazepam, typically over 7–10 days, is the standard approach. This is not optional if you’ve been drinking heavily and daily.
• Benzodiazepines: Withdrawal can cause seizures and is potentially life-threatening. A slow, carefully managed taper, sometimes over weeks or months, is the only safe approach. Never stop benzodiazepines suddenly.
• GHB/GBL: One of the most dangerous withdrawals of all. Onset within hours, symptoms include psychosis, seizures and delirium. Inpatient medical management is essential.
• Opioids: Withdrawal can be extremely unpleasant but rarely fatal on its own. It can be managed with lofexidine, a methadone taper or buprenorphine. Many people transition to longer-term opioid substitution therapy rather than full detox.

Where Does Detox Happen?

• Inpatient detox takes place in a hospital or residential rehab facility, with 24-hour medical monitoring. The safest option for complex or high-risk withdrawals.
• Community detox is managed by your GP or a specialist nurse, with regular check-ins. Appropriate for less complex withdrawals where you have stable housing and some support around you.
• Home detox is self-managed with professional guidance and prescribed medication. Requires a low-risk withdrawal profile, a safe environment and someone who can stay with you. Not suitable for alcohol, benzo, or GHB withdrawal without close medical oversight.

Read more:

• What Is Detox? • Home Detox

Treatment Settings: Where Treatment Happens

When you begin your recovery journey, one of the biggest decisions you’ll face is where to have treatment. Each setting has genuine strengths and real limitations but the right one depends on the severity of your addiction, your home environment, your responsibilities and what you can access.

Residential Rehabilitation (Inpatient)

Residential rehab means living in a treatment facility, typically for 28 days to 12 weeks or longer. This mean you’re removed from your environment, your triggers and your normal routines. The programme is structured: detox (if needed), individual therapy, group work, psychoeducation and daily routine.

Who it suits: People with severe or long-standing addiction, those in chaotic or unsafe home environments, anyone who’s tried outpatient treatment without success and people who need the structure and separation that residential care provides.

What to know: Longer stays (60–90+ days) are consistently associated with better outcomes than 28-day programmes. Although the 28-day model is standard in private rehab, it might not always be long enough for deeper therapeutic work or meaningful behavioural change. If you can access a longer programme, the evidence says it’s worth it.

Cost: Private residential rehab in the UK typically costs £4,000–£15,000+ per month. NHS-funded residential places exist but are limited and require referral through your local drug and alcohol team. We cover more on this in our Rehab Cost UK guide.

Read more:

• Residential Rehab  • How Long Should Rehab Be?  • Private vs NHS Rehab

Day Programmes

Day programmes (sometimes called day rehab) offer structured treatment during the day, such as therapy, group work, psychoeducation, etc., while you go home at night. They bridge the gap between outpatient appointments and full residential care.

Who it suits: People with stable housing and some support at home, those who can’t take extended time away from work or family responsibilities, and anyone stepping down from residential treatment who needs continued structure.

Who it may not be suitable for: People in unsafe or unstable home environments, those with severe physical dependence requiring medical detox, or anyone who struggles to stay substance-free without full-time support.

What to know: Day programmes vary widely in intensity, some run a few days a week, others are closer to full-time. The level of structure and clinical input can differ significantly between providers.

Cost (UK): Private day programmes typically cost less than residential rehab but can still range from around £1,000 to £5,000+ per month depending on intensity. NHS and charity-based options are free but may have waiting lists.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment means regular appointments – typically weekly or fortnightly – with a counsellor, therapist or prescribing clinician. Choosing this type of treatment means you’ll continue living at home and maintaining your normal routine as much as possible.

This is the most commonly accessed form of addiction treatment in the UK, delivered through NHS-commissioned local drug and alcohol teams, charities like Change Grow Live (CGL) and Turning Point, and private therapists. Intensive outpatient programmes (IOPs),  involving three or more sessions per week, are an emerging option in the UK’s private sector that offer more support than standard outpatient without the commitment of residential.

Who it’s for: People with mild to moderate addiction, stable living situations and the ability to attend regular appointments without needing intensive supervision.

Who it may not be suitable for: People with severe dependence, high relapse risk, unsafe home environments or those who need medical detox or daily structure to stay safe.

What to know: The quality and intensity of outpatient support can vary significantly. Weekly counselling is very different from an intensive outpatient programme (IOP), so it’s important to understand what’s actually being offered.

Cost (UK): NHS and charity services are free at the point of access. Private therapy typically ranges from £50 to £150+ per session, with costs increasing for more intensive programmes.

Read more:

• Outpatient Treatment  • Online Therapy for Addiction

Therapeutic Communities

Therapeutic communities (TCs) are long-stay residential programmes — typically 6 to 18 months — where the community itself is the therapy. Residents take progressive responsibility for the running of the community, learn through social interaction, and hold each other accountable. Phoenix Futures is the main TC provider in the UK.

Who it suits: People with complex, long-standing addiction who need fundamental change in how they relate to themselves and others. The evidence base for TCs is strong for this population, but the time commitment is significant.

Who it may not be suitable for: People unable to commit to long-term residential treatment, those needing short-term stabilisation only or individuals who may struggle with the peer-led, highly communal model.

What to know: TCs are very different from traditional rehab, with the emphasis being less on formal therapy sessions and more on learning through community living, responsibility and peer accountability.

Cost (UK): Many therapeutic communities in the UK are NHS-funded or charity-run, meaning they may be free, but access usually requires a referral and waiting period.

Read more:

• Therapeutic Communities

Talking Therapies

Therapy is the core of addiction treatment. Whilst detox gets you physically safe; therapy is what helps you understand why you were using and how to build a life that doesn’t revolve around a substance or behaviour. There are several approaches, and the best one is the one that works for you.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is the most widely used and most researched therapy for addiction. It works by identifying the thought patterns and beliefs that drive addictive behaviou and teaching you practical strategies to interrupt them. NICE recommends CBT for most substance use disorders.

What does that look like in practice? Well, CBT helps you recognise your triggers, challenge the thinking that leads to use (“One drink won’t hurt,” “I deserve this”), and develop coping strategies that actually work. It’s structured, usually time-limited (12–16 sessions), and focused on what you can change now.

Read more:

• CBT for Addiction

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Motivational interviewing is a client-centred approach designed for people who feel uncertain about change, and many people with addiction do. The aim isn’t to lecture or confront, but instead, to help you explore your own reasons for wanting things to be different and build your internal motivation to act.

MI is often used in the early stages of treatment, particularly in initial assessments and brief interventions. It’s commonly combined with other therapeutic approaches.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT was originally developed for borderline personality disorder, but it’s very often used in addiction treatment, particularly where emotional dysregulation is a central feature. It teaches four core skill sets: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.

Read more:

• DBT for Addiction 

Person-Centred Counselling

Person-centred (Rogerian) counselling creates a non-judgemental, empathic space where you can explore what’s happening at your own pace. It’s non-directive (so the counsellor doesn’t tell you what to do or set an agenda) and the belief is that given the right conditions, people are capable of self-directed change.

This approach is widely available through NHS addiction services, charities and private practitioners. For many people, it’s their first experience of being truly heard without judgement.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-processing therapy that reduces the intensity of traumatic memories. It’s increasingly used in addiction treatment because trauma is one of the most powerful drivers of substance use. If you’ve experienced abuse, violence, neglect or other traumatic events, and your substance use feels connected to those experiences, EMDR may be worth exploring.

Read more:

•  Trauma-Informed Care

Other Therapeutic Approaches

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): A values-based approach that builds psychological flexibility. Growing evidence in addiction, particularly for chronic pain and co-occurring conditions.
• Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET): A brief (typically 4-session) structured approach based on MI. Used to build internal motivation in early engagement.
• Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA): Restructures your environment so that a non-using life is more rewarding than a using one. Covers social, vocational and recreational dimensions.
• Psychodynamic therapy: Explores unconscious patterns, attachment, and relational dynamics. A longer-term approach suited to people with deep-rooted interpersonal patterns driving their addiction.
• Contingency management: Provides tangible rewards for verified abstinence or treatment attendance. Strong evidence base, but under-implemented in the UK.

How To Think About Therapy Options

Different therapies suit different needs, and most treatment programmes use a combination rather than a single approach.

These therapies are generally helpful for:

• Understanding patterns behind substance use (CBT, person-centred counselling)
• Building motivation and readiness for change (motivational interviewing)
• Managing emotions and impulsivity (DBT)
• Processing trauma linked to addiction (EMDR)

They may be less suitable on their own if:

• You need medical stabilisation or detox
• Your environment makes it hard to stay safe between sessions
• You require more structured or intensive support than weekly therapy can provide

Cost (UK):
Talking therapies are widely available through the NHS and charities at no cost, though waiting times can vary. Private therapy typically costs £50 to £150+ per session, with specialist approaches like EMDR sometimes at the higher end.

Group Therapy and Family Therapy

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a core component of most treatment programmes, because there’s something that happens in a room full of people who’ve been through similar things that individual therapy can’t replicate: normalisation, accountability and the knowledge that you’re not the only person who’s ever felt this way.

Groups are facilitated by a trained therapist and may follow a specific model (CBT-based, psychoeducational, process-oriented) or be more open-ended. They’re used in residential, day and outpatient settings.

Read more:

• Group Therapy

Family Therapy

Family therapy addresses the dynamics within the family system that may be contributing to or being damaged by addiction, communication patterns, enabling behaviours, trust erosion and the trauma that family members carry.

CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) is a specific, evidence-based approach that teaches family members how to encourage treatment entry without confrontation. It’s the recommended alternative to traditional “intervention” models and has significantly better outcomes.

Read more:

• Family Therapy

Medication-Assisted Treatment

For certain types of addiction, medication can be transformative. This isn’t a shortcut and it’s not cheating, because it’s a clinically proven tool that reduces cravings, manages withdrawal and in some cases saves lives. Medication works best alongside therapy, not instead of it.

For opioid addiction:

• Methadone: A long-acting synthetic opioid that reduces cravings and prevents withdrawal. Dispensed daily from a pharmacy. The most established form of opioid substitution therapy (OST).
• Buprenorphine (Subutex, Suboxone): A partial opioid agonist with a lower overdose risk than methadone. Can be prescribed for take-home use. Increasingly the first choice for OST.
• Naltrexone: An opioid antagonist that blocks opioid effects entirely. Used after detox to prevent relapse. Requires complete abstinence from opioids before starting.

For alcohol addiction:

• Acamprosate: Reduces alcohol craving by modulating glutamate. Used post-detox to support abstinence.
• Naltrexone: Also effective for alcohol, reducing the rewarding effects of drinking and supporting reduced consumption.
• Disulfiram (Antabuse): Creates an unpleasant physical reaction if you drink. A deterrent-based approach that requires commitment and honesty.
• Nalmefene: Newer option licensed for reducing alcohol consumption, taken on an as-needed basis.

For nicotine addiction:

• Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): Patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers, sprays. First-line treatment, available over the counter.
• Varenicline (Champix): The most effective single medication for smoking cessation. A partial nicotinic receptor agonist.
• Bupropion: An atypical antidepressant also licensed for smoking cessation.

Read more:

• Medication-Assisted Treatment

Holistic and Complementary Approaches

Holistic therapies aren’t a substitute for evidence-based clinical treatment, but they can be a valuable complement to it. Many people find that recovery involves reconnecting with their body, their creativity, or their sense of purpose — things that addiction systematically erodes.

• Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP): Combines mindfulness meditation with relapse prevention skills. Teaches you to notice cravings and triggers without reacting to them. Growing evidence base.
• Yoga and movement therapy: Reduces stress, improves emotional regulation, reconnects mind and body. Trauma-sensitive yoga is specifically adapted for people with trauma histories.
• Art, music, and drama therapy: Creative expression as a therapeutic tool. Particularly useful for processing emotions that are hard to put into words.
• Equine-assisted therapy: Working with horses to develop non-verbal communication, boundary-setting, and emotional regulation. Available in some UK residential programmes.
• NADA acupuncture: A 5-point auricular acupuncture protocol used in some NHS and charity services. Evidence base is mixed, but many people report finding it helpful for anxiety and cravings.
• Nutritional therapy: Addressing the nutritional deficiencies that are common in addiction. Stabilising blood sugar, restoring micronutrients, and supporting gut health.

Read more:

•  Holistic Therapy in Rehab

Mutual Aid and Peer Support

Mutual aid — peer-led, non-professional support groups — is one of the most powerful and most accessible forms of ongoing recovery support. It’s free, it’s voluntary, and for many people, it becomes the backbone of long-term recovery.

12-Step Fellowships

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA), and related fellowships offer a structured programme of recovery based on 12 steps. They’re free, widely available across the UK (both in-person and online), and provide a built-in community and sponsor system.

The 12-step model has a spiritual foundation, it’s not necessarily religious, but it involves the concept of a “higher power.” This resonates deeply with some people but might alienate others. Both responses are valid. If the language doesn’t work for you, that’s OK because there are alternatives.

SMART Recovery

SMART Recovery is a CBT-based mutual aid programme that offers a secular, science-grounded alternative to 12-step. Its four-point programme covers building motivation, coping with cravings, managing thoughts and feelings, and building a balanced life. Meetings are facilitated and available online and in-person across the UK.

Other Options

LifeRing, Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS), and Recovery Dharma (a Buddhist-influenced approach) are among the growing number of alternatives. The right mutual aid programme is the one that feels right to you. Try a few before deciding.

Read more:

•  12-Step Programmes  • SMART Recovery

Aftercare and Continuing Support

Treatment doesn’t end when you leave rehab or finish your outpatient sessions. In many ways, that’s when the hardest work begins. Aftercare — ongoing structured support after formal treatment — is one of the strongest predictors of long-term recovery outcomes.

Good aftercare might include regular check-in sessions with a counsellor, alumni groups run by your treatment provider, continued attendance at mutual aid meetings, and a relapse prevention plan that you actually use. Recovery housing or sober living can provide a structured, substance-free environment during the critical transition period between treatment and independent living.

Read more:

•  Aftercare and Continuing Support  • Sober Living

What About Dual Diagnosis?

If you have a mental health condition alongside addiction — depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, BPD, or any other — you have what’s known as a dual diagnosis. This is the rule, not the exception: the majority of people with addiction have co-occurring mental health issues.

The evidence is clear that both conditions need to be treated together. Treating addiction while ignoring the underlying mental health condition — or vice versa — significantly increases the risk of relapse. When you’re evaluating treatment options, ask explicitly about their approach to dual diagnosis. A good programme will assess and address both from day one.

How to Choose the Right Treatment

There’s no formula for this, but there are questions worth asking:

• What substance or behaviour am I dealing with? Some addictions require specific medical management (opioids, alcohol, benzos). Make sure the treatment programme has the right clinical capability.
• How severe is the addiction? Longer, more intensive treatment is associated with better outcomes for severe or long-standing addiction. Don’t undershoot.
• Do I have co-occurring mental health issues? If yes, look for programmes with genuine dual diagnosis capability — not just a screening questionnaire.
• What’s my home environment like? If your home is chaotic, unsafe, or full of triggers, residential treatment may be more appropriate than outpatient.
• What can I afford? Be honest about this. Free and NHS-funded options exist, and they’re not inferior. Expensive does not mean better.
• What does the aftercare look like? Any programme that ends on day 28 without a clear continuing care plan should raise a red flag.

Our full guide: How to Choose the Right Rehab covers red flags, questions to ask, what good treatment looks like, CQC standards and how to compare programmes honestly.

Getting Started

You don’t need to have everything figured out before you make that first move. You don’t need to choose the “perfect” treatment path immediately, you just need to take the next step.

Where to start:

• Talk to your GP they can assess your situation, discuss options, prescribe where appropriate, and refer you to specialist services.
• Contact your local drug and alcohol team free, specialist, community-based services available in every local authority area in England.
• Call FRANK (0300 123 6600) for confidential drug information and support.
• If you’re in crisis: call 999, go to A&E, call Samaritans (116 123), or text SHOUT to 85258.

Our full support guide: How to Access Addiction Support in the UK covers every pathway, every option and how to navigate the system.

Open Recovery is an independent resource. We don’t accept advertising, we’re not affiliated with any treatment provider, and we’ll always tell you what’s free and publicly available alongside any private option. If something here helped, consider sharing it with someone who might need it.