Yeldall Manor > Programmes Home > Residential Rehabilitation > Our Approach

Our Approach

We view substance abuse as a disorder of the whole person, affecting some,or all, areas of functioning. These may include behavioural problems, confused values, deficits in educational or occupational skills, moral or spiritual problems, and/or family difficulties.

The philosophy of our approach is that recovery is possible - addiction has a cause, course and predictable outcome. Recovery is not just abstinence, rather it involves learning to live comfortably as a sober, productive member of the community. It involves learning how to work, develop personal relationships, strengthen family ties, practice positive leisure activities, all without the need for, and use of, drugs and/or alcohol.

Insights into personal problems is gained through group and individual counselling. Learning through experience, failing and succeeding and experiencing the consequences, are considered to be potent influences towards achieving lasting change.

The following principles guide our treatment approach:

Every participant, regardless of their circumstances, degree or type of addiction and/or extent of his emotional disturbance, is considered to be a person of worth and value.
Treatment is voluntary. We cannot force people to learn or grow - it is their choice.
Change comes as a result of action. It is important that residents participate actively in the programme.
Effective rehabilitation involves restructuring the resident's view of the world.
The movement toward recovery is possible for anyone at any time with no greater pre-requisite than a sincere desire to change.

The programme is not easy - it is not a soft alternative to continued substance misuse or to prison. It requires a genuine decision to want to change and a willingness to work with staff to identify and begin to address the issues underlying the resident’s substance misuse. It is inspiring to witness the change in men as they work through each stage of the programme, battling with issues long denied and becoming free from drugs and alcohol.

Our approach combines love and structured discipline. Love and acceptance for each resident as an individual provides hope and dignity for the future. Structure and discipline enable feelings and attitudes to be challenged as well as new ones tried and tested in a safe environment. By providing a clearly defined framework, men learn to change the way they have behaved, thought and felt over many years. This requires openness, honesty, co-operation, caring challenge and mutual support. Building positive relationships within the community and rebuilding relationships with family and friends is a vital part of recovery. Living with somebody with substance misuse issues is hard and adjusting to the changes they make in rehabilitation can be daunting for families.