Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Alcohol addiction can be difficult to name, especially when life still appears to be functioning from the outside. Many people who come to Promis are still working, caring for family, or drinking in ways that look socially acceptable. Privately, alcohol has started to take up more space than they want it to.

A problem with alcohol is not defined by one stereotype. It may look like drinking every day, drinking heavily in bursts, needing alcohol to sleep, hiding the amount, drinking to manage anxiety or low mood, or repeatedly promising to stop and then finding that the same pattern returns.

Promis is a mental health and addiction clinic in London and Kent, with weekly psychiatric input. Treatment looks at the whole person: stopping safely where withdrawal risk is present, and working with the emotional and relational reasons alcohol became important in the first place.

Clinically reviewed by Robin Lefever, Managing Director & Therapist. Last reviewed: 17 September 2026.

At a glance

• Who it is for · People whose drinking has become hard to control, and relatives who want to understand the options. High-functioning drinking counts.
• What is treated · Daily drinking, binge or loss-of-control drinking, alcohol with anxiety, depression, trauma or other substances, and relapse after previous detox or rehab.
• Levels of care · Outpatient and day patient support, medically supervised detox where it is needed, residential treatment at Hay Farm in Kent and Kendrick Mews in London, and aftercare.
• How assessment works · A confidential first conversation, then a clinical assessment of drinking pattern, withdrawal risk, physical health, medication, mental health, sleep, relationships and any other substances.
• Aftercare · Triggers, warning signs, support contacts and a plan for cravings or lapses, agreed before treatment ends, with ongoing therapy and family involvement where needed.

To take a next step, arrange an assessment or call London on 0207 581 8222 or Kent on 01304 841 700. Enquiries are confidential and there is no pressure to decide on the call.

What is alcohol addiction treatment?

Alcohol addiction treatment is structured clinical support for people who cannot reliably stop or cut down, even when drinking is causing harm. It is not defined by a particular amount. Treatment assesses the drinking pattern, withdrawal risk, physical and mental health, what alcohol has been doing for the person, and whether outpatient support, detox, residential care or aftercare is the safest next step.

At Promis, treatment begins with assessment rather than a fixed programme. Where detox is required, it is only the first stage. Lasting change depends on understanding what alcohol has been doing (calming anxiety, softening trauma, avoiding conflict, easing loneliness, numbing depression, or providing a sense of control) and replacing that function.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for emergency care.

When is withdrawal medically risky?

For someone who has been drinking heavily every day, suddenly stopping can be medically dangerous. Severe withdrawal can involve seizures and a confusional state called delirium tremens, which is a medical emergency.

Do not stop abruptly on your own if you are physically dependent. Reducing or stopping should happen with medical advice, and often with supervised detox.

Get emergency help now (call 999 or go to A&E) if any of these are present after cutting down or stopping:

• A seizure
• Confusion, disorientation or not knowing where they are
• Hallucinations
• Severe shaking, sweating, vomiting, or a racing heart that is getting worse
• Collapse, or the person cannot be roused

Promis is a voluntary clinic and is not an emergency service. In those situations the right first step is 999 or A&E, not a clinic enquiry.

Medical advice before stopping also matters if someone drinks in the morning to steady themselves, has previously had seizures, hallucinations, severe confusion or delirium tremens, or is using alcohol with benzodiazepines or other sedatives. Home detox is only for people an assessment has judged safe for that setting.

When is residential treatment needed?

Residential treatment is often the safest option when alcohol dependence is significant, withdrawal risk is present, previous attempts to stop have not lasted, or home life contains strong triggers. It provides medical monitoring, structure, distance from alcohol, and daily therapeutic support.

At Promis, residential care can include detox, individual therapy, group work, psychiatric input, family support, relapse prevention, and planning for life after treatment. Day patient or outpatient care may suit people who do not need 24-hour care and who can remain safe at home between sessions. Assessment decides.

What happens during an assessment?

Assessment at Promis is a confidential first conversation to understand what is happening and what kind of help would be safest.

The initial call covers the immediate concern, current risks, treatment history, and whether residential, day patient, outpatient, detox or family support may be appropriate. The clinical assessment then looks at drinking pattern, withdrawal risk, physical health, medication, mental health, sleep, relationships, family situation and any other substances, before recommending a pathway.

If Promis is the right fit, the team can discuss availability, admission, insurance, transport and what to expect. If another service is more suitable, they will say so. Families can request advice without the drinker's involvement at that stage.

How does Promis treat addiction and mental health together?

Alcohol addiction often overlaps with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, stress, relationship strain, or other substance use. Promis is a mental health and addiction clinic with weekly psychiatric input, so these are treated as one picture rather than two waiting lists.

Care is formulation-led: the team builds a shared map of what is driving and maintaining the drinking, then keeps therapy, medical treatment and family work aligned with that map. Treatment may include medically assisted withdrawal, psychiatric review, individual therapy, group therapy, relapse prevention, family work, trauma-informed therapy, CBT, DBT skills, and support for co-occurring mental health difficulties.

Medication to support relapse prevention may be considered where clinically appropriate, alongside psychological treatment.

Outpatient support, detox, residential treatment and aftercare

This is a guide, not a self-diagnosis. The right level of care is decided with a clinician.

• Outpatient support · What it involves: Regular therapy while you live at home, including online options, with psychiatric input where it would help. Day patient care is the more structured version: more contact, still sleeping at home. · Who it suits: Milder alcohol problems, a stable home, or step-down after residential treatment. · What happens next: Keep going as long as change holds. If withdrawal risk or relapse rises, step up.
• Detox · What it involves: Medically supervised withdrawal, with monitoring and medication support where appropriate. Detox makes stopping safer. It is not a complete treatment on its own. · Who it suits: Physical dependence, morning drinking, withdrawal symptoms, or a history of complicated withdrawal. Unmanaged solo stopping is not safe here. · What happens next: Move into ongoing treatment once stable.
• Residential treatment · What it involves: A stay at Hay Farm (Kent) or Kendrick Mews (London): medical monitoring, structure, distance from alcohol, and daily therapy. Detox can sit inside this when it is needed. · Who it suits: Significant dependence, withdrawal risk, repeated relapse, or a triggering or unsafe home. · What happens next: A planned step-down, with aftercare and family work agreed before discharge.
• Aftercare · What it involves: Check-ins, therapy, relapse-prevention work, family involvement and psychiatric follow-up where needed, after the main programme ends. · Who it suits: Anyone leaving structured treatment. The highest-risk moments often arrive after the immediate pressure has passed. · What happens next: Stay connected. The plan already says who to call if cravings or lapses appear.

To take a next step, arrange an assessment or call London on 0207 581 8222 or Kent on 01304 841 700.