Help Me Stop

Help Me Stop is a national network of affordable, accessible, self-pay alcohol and drug treatment centres, with the first being opened in London this week.

The first of a national network of affordable, accessible, self-pay alcohol and drug treatment centres, Help Me Stop, opens in London this week.

Help Me Stop’s dayhab programme is adapted from an intensive outpatient treatment model successfully pioneered in the US.

Studies from the Twin Town dayhab centre, which has five units in Los Angeles, report continuous abstinence for 76% of clients nine months after completion of treatment – a figure which is comparable to, if not higher than, residential outcomes.

More than 10 million adults in England drinks at levels that pose a risk to their health, 1.6 million of which have some level of alcohol dependence.

Help Me Stop’s treatment approach is based on this model.

A five-week, 160-hour programme at Help Me Stop costs £2,500.

This is significantly less than a five week stay in residential rehab, which costs an average of £25,000.

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Help Me Stop’s dayhab programme follows the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for addiction treatment, and combines cognitive behavioural and person-centred therapy with a 12-Step approach.

Treatment is delivered by experienced British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) therapists, all of whom are in long-term recovery themselves.

Chip Somers, Help Me Stop's Clinical Advisor

Chip Somers, Help Me Stop’s clinical advisor, is a psychotherapist and addiction specialist who has worked with a number of high-profile clients, including Russell Brand.

He says: “Current treatment options open to those with alcohol or drug problems are woefully limited. Local authority services are virtually non-existent, while vastly expensive residential rehab facilities are out of reach for most. It’s shocking that less than 3% of people seeking help for alcohol or drug issues currently receive the treatment they need.

“Help Me Stop will change all that. Our affordable and flexible dayhab programme is the first of its kind in the UK. Not everyone can afford to put their lives on hold for weeks at a time to go to rehab. The beauty of dayhab is that it’s designed to fit around daily life: people can stay at home, look after their children, or continue to work or study while receiving treatment. This is rehab in the real world - accessible to all.”

Less than 20% of people in need of treatment for alcohol dependence are getting the support they need.

Tim Smith, chief executive and founder of Help Me Stop, adds: “Collaboration is a hugely important part of our philosophy. Early conversations with professionals suggest demand for treatment overwhelmingly outstrips supply, and our aim is to provide an easily accessible facility that can work in close co-operation with other professional services. Far too many people are in desperate need of help but simply don’t know where to turn.”

Help Me Stop officially launches in West London this week and is already taking referrals, offering assessments and running pre-treatment therapy groups. More sites will open across London and the South East of England over the next two years.