Residential Rehab
Residential rehab means staying at Abbington House throughout treatment, with medical, therapeutic and personal support around you while the drinking or drug use is interrupted and the reasons behind it are worked through.
Michael Williams
Why residential treatment helps
People don’t usually come into residential treatment with everything figured out. Some are unsure whether they’re ready. Some need detox first. Others need enough space and structure to begin thinking clearly.
Residential rehab at Abbington House creates a pause from daily pressure, familiar routines and access to alcohol or drugs. Each day follows a clear routine, creating stability and predictability. Alongside this, therapy and treatment explore what has been happening physically, emotionally, mentally and practically, helping you build the foundations for lasting recovery.
Treatment takes place at our centre in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, in a small residential setting where people can settle in and take part in the work at a pace they can manage.
Most people stay for around 28 days, with support around them day and night.
How residential treatment works here
How residential treatment works here
Residential treatment at Abbington House brings the main parts of recovery together in one place: daily structure, medical support, therapy, group work, family support, aftercare planning and community.
The programme is shaped around each person: their safety, physical health, mental health, addiction history, relationships, home life, and what has been happening around them. For some people the main concern is alcohol. For others it is drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, heroin, prescription medication or more than one substance.
Where addiction sits alongside anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, trauma or another mental health difficulty, treatment is adapted for dual diagnosis.
Each person works with a therapist who reviews their treatment through the stay, so support can change as their needs become clearer.
What happens in rehab
What happens in rehab
One of the most common questions people ask is, "What actually happens in rehab?" While treatment is tailored to the individual, most stays follow a similar journey: settling in, building stability, exploring the issues behind addiction, and preparing for life after rehab.
The first day
Most people arrive feeling nervous, exhausted, relieved or some combination of all three. When you arrive, you'll be welcomed by a member of the team, shown to your room, and given time to settle in. There is no expectation that you'll immediately open up or share your story with a group of strangers.
The first week
If a detox has been planned, it will begin under medical supervision based on the assessment completed before admission. Some people spend much of their first day resting. Others want to meet people and get a sense of the routine. There is no right way to feel. The focus is simply on helping you feel safe, comfortable and supported as you settle into treatment.
The first week is often about finding your feet. For many people, it's the first time in a long time that they haven't been caught up in drinking, using, hiding it, recovering from it, or worrying about the next time.
It can take a few days for your body and mind to adjust. Sleep may be disrupted, your appetite may come and go, and emotions can feel unpredictable. Some people feel relieved to be there. Others feel uncertain, restless or overwhelmed. Most experience a mixture of different emotions.
If you're completing a detox, the focus during these early days is on keeping you safe, comfortable and medically supported.Alongside this, you'll begin getting to know the routine, meeting the people around you, and starting one-to-one and group therapy at a pace that feels manageable.
The aim isn't to throw you straight into the deep end. It's to create enough stability for you to engage with treatment and start thinking about what recovery could look like.
A typical day
Once people begin to settle, the days take on a consistent shape. Mornings usually include breakfast, medication where needed, and group or wellbeing sessions. Afternoons may include one-to-one therapy, family sessions where appropriate, practical recovery work, physical activity or time outdoors.
Evenings are quieter, with dinner, group time and space to slow down before bed. The time between sessions matters too. Meals, walks, conversations and ordinary shared time often become part of the work.
Who you will be in treatment with
Who you will be in treatment with
People come to Abbington House from different backgrounds, ages and circumstances. Some are here mainly because of alcohol. Others because of drugs, prescription medication or more than one substance. Some also have anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD or other mental health difficulties alongside the addiction.
What people usually have in common is that stopping – and staying stopped – has become impossible and they need time away from daily life to understand what's been happening.
Group work is part of treatment, but nobody is expected to share more than they are ready to. Most people arrive unsure about being around others. That is normal.
As the weeks go on
Once you’ve had time to settle in, therapy then begins to explore things in more depth. People start to look more clearly at what’s been driving the drinking or drug use: triggers, relationships, coping, mental health, stress, avoidance and the patterns that have kept things in place.
The final stage turns towards what comes next. Conversations focus on aftercare, support systems, risks, routines, family, work and what feels realistic after leaving. For people staying longer than 28 days, the work continues to deepen over time.
Length of stay is reviewed during treatment, rather than treated as a fixed assumption for everyone. You can read more about length of stay.
What treatment includes
The different parts of treatment work together rather than separately. Detox, therapy, structure, family support and aftercare are not separate pieces added on afterwards. They form part of the same residential stay.
Medically Supervised Detox
Medically Supervised Detox
For people who need to stop alcohol or drugs safely, detox can be provided as part of residential treatment where clinically appropriate, with nursing staff available day and night.
Therapy
Therapy
One-to-one and group therapy help people understand what alcohol or drugs have been doing for them, what sits underneath the addiction, and what may need support next.
Complementary therapies and wellbeing
Complementary therapies and wellbeing
Sound therapy, art therapy and Reiki are available alongside the main therapeutic work. These can help people settle, regulate and find expression in ways that do not always rely on talking.
Physical activity, time outdoors and shared activities also form part of the rhythm of the week.
Food and nutrition
Food and nutrition
Regular meals help restore routine, physical steadiness and basic self-care after a period where drinking or drug use may have affected eating, sleep and health. Meals are prepared fresh each day.
Dietary requirements are catered for by our in-house Chef. Learn more about nutrition at Abbington House.
Family support
Family support
Addiction rarely affects only one person. Family support continues for 16 weeks, focused on communication, boundaries and rebuilding trust where appropriate.
Aftercare and the Abbington Community
Aftercare and the Abbington Community
After residential treatment, people are offered one year of aftercare, with lifetime access to the Abbington Community beyond that.
What residential rehab is not
Residential rehab isn’t just about stopping drinking or using drugs. For some people, detox is an important first step. But while substances are a major part of the problem, they’re not the whole story.
Much of the work at Abbington House focuses on understanding what’s been happening underneath the addiction. That might include difficult emotions, past experiences, relationship patterns, mental health challenges or ways of coping that no longer work.
When residential rehab may be appropriate
Residential rehab may be appropriate when attempts to stop at home have not held, when withdrawal needs medical support, when the home environment has become too difficult to manage treatment within, or when alcohol or drug use is sitting alongside mental health difficulties, family strain or repeated relapse.
It’s not always the appropriate first step for everyone. Some people may be better supported by a GP, local drug and alcohol service, outpatient therapy or urgent medical care, depending on what is happening. If you’re trying to understand whether treatment needs to happen residentially or around life at home, our residential vs outpatient rehab page explains that decision in more detail. If distance from home is part of the decision, our travelling for rehab page may also help.
The first conversation is partly about understanding the right level of support.
Speak to our team
There is no need to be certain that residential rehab is the right answer before speaking to someone. Many people make contact unsure, some for themselves, others for a partner, parent, son, daughter, friend or colleague.
A confidential conversation can help you understand whether residential treatment is appropriate, what support may be needed, and what the next step would look like.
You can also read more about how admissions work and treatment costs.