Castle Craig Hospital Review

Choosing a rehab facility to help you overcome alcohol and drug addiction is one of the most crucial decisions you’ll ever make. If you’re searching for a treatment centre, look no further.

Fortunately, Castle Craig Hospital readily provides high-quality and appropriate treatment options for people suffering from substance abuse disorders.

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Castle Craig Hospital is a world-renowned residential rehab clinic based in West Linton, Edinburgh, Scotland, with over 30 years of expertise in providing high-quality support and treatment to people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction all over the UK.

They have a medical staff of dedicated and caring distinguished specialists from Europe and the United States to ensure favourable and effective treatment outcomes. If you want to know more about their services and therapeutic community, keep reading this Castle Craig review.

Castle Craig Hospital Overview

Castle Craig is one of Scotland’s oldest and Europe’s leading inpatient addiction centres. It was established in 1988 by Peter and Dr Margaret Ann McCann.

Their vision for 12-Step treatment in the UK began in 1981 when Peter established the Life Anew Trust, a charity that advocated for effective addiction treatment.

In 1982, Peter McCann consulted with rehabilitation clinics in the US to develop an effective treatment program. The directors of the Hazelden Center in Minnesota provided him with invaluable support and guidance.

In April 1983, Peter and Margaret Ann founded Clouds House, a non-profit drug and alcohol treatment centre in Wiltshire. After successfully implementing the treatment program at Clouds for five years, Peter and Margaret Ann relocated to Scotland in 1988.

Castle Craig then became the first rehab clinic in Scotland to implement the 12-step facilitation program. The clinic is regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and was awarded “Exceptional” for leadership.

Castle Craig also aims to make addiction treatment more accessible. Catch Recovery, a part of the Castle Health Group, is an outpatient assessment, therapy, and aftercare service provider based in South Kensington, London, for those recovering from behavioural and substance addictions. Catch Recovery offers in-person therapy and online therapy.

Castle Craig remains an independent and family-run clinic represented on the Board of the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions by Peter McCann. They take pride in their proven and effective treatment of 10,000 patients with consistently high success rates.

You can be confident that your treatment team is led by expert doctors who have received extensive training, are entirely GMC registered, are engaged in continuous professional development, and are subjected to external, independent annual appraisals.

Castle Craig’s staff comprises the board of directors, medical director, consultant psychiatrist, certified addiction therapists, resident doctors, nursing team, and various consulting staff. The medical treatment programme is led by the medical director, who is the consultant psychiatrist.

They use an evidence-based treatment that has been proven effective since 1988. Recent research shows that 73% of their patients achieve long-term abstinence while 92% manifest overall improvement.

Aside from treatment therapies for drug and alcohol addiction problems, Castle Craig offers other treatment expertise in gambling addiction, trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, medication abuse, grief, sexual compulsion, and eating disorders.

Castle Craig is always willing to lead the way in its field of expertise. It excels in complementary therapies ranging from personal fitness training to equine therapy, art group to meditation, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy to music.

The hospital has a fantastic location in the peaceful countryside of the Scottish Borders. It provides a calm and beautiful place conducive to healing and recovery.

The whole place is situated in a 50-acre private woodland that can guarantee patients’ privacy and rest during their recovery.

Services Offered by Castle Craig Hospital

Here are the services offered by Castle Craig:

Addiction Treatment Programme

Therapists work directly with patients and always go the extra mile to establish a personalised treatment programme. This allows patients to address their behavioural addictions in a safe environment they helped create.

Castle Craig’s addiction treatment program addresses the following:

  • Alcohol Addiction
  • Drug Addiction
  • Opiate Addiction
  • Prescription Medication Addiction
  • Cocaine Addiction
  • Stimulant Addiction
  • Benzodiazepine Addiction
  • Gambling Addiction
  • Dual-diagnosis Disorders

The treatment program at Castle Craig includes the following:

  • Foundation programme that lasts 4-6 weeks
  • Advanced programme for those who require longer-term treatment
  • Continuing Care Intensive
  • Continuing Care Extended

Types of Treatment

Castle Craig offers the following four types of treatment programmes that address a patient’s mental, emotional, and physical needs:

Targeted care

These therapies focus on the underlying causes of addiction, investigating the reasons for addictive behaviour.

Lasting Recovery

These are treatments that focus on how to get not only sober but also stay sober.

Life skills

This involved training patients to cope with difficult situations in the real world using methods other than their addiction.

quality care

This refers to the patient’s access to and direct contact with their team of psychiatrists, doctors, and nurses around the clock.

Treatment options

12-Step Approach

Patients are introduced to the Twelve Steps through group therapy and reading materials at the beginning and attend Narcotics Anonymous/Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Edinburgh or nearby towns.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a psychological treatment involving thinking and talking. It seeks to identify negative beliefs and assumptions that lead to destructive behaviour.

CBT can be provided in a community clinic or a residential setting. Individual or group sessions may be delivered, depending on the needs of the individual. A doctor or therapist will recommend the length of treatment and tailor the program to your specific needs.

EMDR

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a novel treatment that assists patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in processing suppressed negative memories and emotions.

It allows a person to achieve their therapeutic goals quickly, with visible changes that do not fade over time.

Individual Therapy

One-on-one person psychotherapy is an integral part of the treatment process. This allows patients to talk and express concerns in complete privacy and confidentiality. Addiction specialists will deliver this therapy.

Following an initial assessment, patients are assigned a focal therapist based on their specific needs to achieve the best possible outcome. Patients can expect eight to twelve hours of individual therapy during a four to six-week stay.

One-to-one therapy incorporates the following techniques

  • Humanistic Therapy
  • Integrative or Holistic Therapy
  • Person-Centred Therapy

Group Therapy

Group therapy is beneficial in the social lives of patients. Knowing they are not alone can give them hope and, in the same way, provides an excellent place to interact and learn from a world other than themselves.

Trauma therapy

Trauma therapy is a mental health treatment used by counsellors to assist clients in overcoming psychological trauma.

The following are the main goals of trauma therapy:

  • accept the reality of the past
  • reduce or eliminate symptoms of trauma
  • prevent alcohol or drug use as a coping mechanism
  • shift focus from past to present
  • improve daily functioning
  • overcome addictions associated with trauma, if any
  • gain skills to prevent relapse

Family Therapy

Family members’ participation in substance and gambling addiction treatment and strong support networks of friends and colleagues is critical to successful recovery.

The support of friends, family, and colleagues is critical to successful recovery, but the same network may be traumatised by the addiction and require support.

Family therapy helps patients and families reconnect, communicate, and mend damaged relationships.

Complementary Therapies

Castle Craig believes complementary therapies enrich mental, physical, and spiritual health, allowing patients to reconnect with their thoughts and feelings and build new lives free of drugs, alcohol, and mood-altering behaviours.

Complementary therapy ensures you receive all the help you can get. Alongside Craig’s 12-Step treatment programme are the following therapies and activities:

  • Aromatherapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Equine therapy
  • Massage
  • Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
  • Mindfulness Meditation & Relaxation
  • Kinetic Chain Release Therapy
  • Connective Tissue Release Therapy
  • Alpaca Walking
  • Fitness and gym

Alcohol Rehab

Castle Craig uses the 12 Steps in conjunction with other treatment methods because alcohol addiction is a primary, chronic brain disease requiring patients to undergo an abstinence-based program to achieve long-term recovery.

Alcoholism is frequently associated with other conditions, such as depression, eating disorders, or sleeping disorders. In developing individualised treatment plans, they consider the comorbidity of these conditions.

The programme includes alcohol Detox. Without the proper medical and emotional support, abrupt abstinence from drugs or alcohol can be extremely difficult and dangerous.

The unit adheres to NICE quality standards, including QS11 Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis and management, and has ten single, en-suite bedrooms, a large sitting room, and a 24/7 medical centre staffed by full-time medical staff.

The detoxification process typically lasts one week. Withdrawal from alcohol will almost undoubtedly present symptoms that will be managed medically.

Medical tests for patients requiring alcohol withdrawal:

  • Complete blood count or Urea and electrolytes
  • Calcium, magnesium, phosphate
  • Liver function tests
  • Breath alcohol, Glucose, INR

Comprehensive alcohol history assessment includes:

  • Total AUDIT score or AUDIT-C
  • Date and time of first drink
  • Units consumed per day
  • Drinking pattern
  • Dependence
  • History of fits and intake of medicines
  • Medical History due to alcohol
  • Concurrent illicit use of drugs
  • Previous detox and symptoms
  • Social circumstances
  • Involvement with other hospitals or treatment service

Patients will receive assessments from an addiction case manager to determine the severity and underlying conditions of the alcoholism.

Drug Rehab

Castle Craig’s residential (or inpatient) drug rehab program (Addiction Treatment Programme ATP) requires a patient to stay in the treatment facility for 4-5 weeks.

During this time, the patient will concentrate solely on recovery and coping with other mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression.

Residential addiction treatment deals with the following:

  • Detoxing and withdrawal symptoms
  • Addressing initial cravings
  • Dealing with temptation and access to drugs or dealers
  • Relapse prevention

Behavioural Rehab

You will first be assessed when you contact Castle Craig for help with your behavioural addiction. An assessment allows your therapist to understand your current situation better, determine the best course of action, and develop tools and plans to service you.

When you arrive for treatment, you will be asked questions over the phone and receive more in-depth psychological and clinical evaluations.

Castle Craig Hospital Contact Details

To find out how Castle Craig can help you, call them through their 24/7 line. You may get in touch with them through the following details below:

  • Address: Blyth Bridge, West Linton, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, EH46 7DH
  • 24-hour Helpline: 0808 256 3733
  • Email[email protected]

Outpatient Therapy London

  • Address: 33 Thurloe Place, London, UK SW7 2HQ
  • Telephone: 02045792603
  • Email: [email protected]

Castle Craig Hospital Reviews

Suppose you want to see other reviews from several patients. In that case, you may visit their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn social media pages to see what so many people say about them. Meanwhile, here are some excellent reviews from their recent patients and current staff.

Grateful and happy to be able to create and live a fulfilling, safe, and secure life, helping others on their road to recovery. Recovery and being clean and sober feel “normal” to me nowadays, but today I look back on the road I was on and the struggles I’ve overcome. Just for today! – Walter

I have worked with the team from Castle Craig on and off for many years. When you need safe and high-quality treatment for addiction, there are very few options within the UK. Castle Craig has always been one of a very small group of UK treatment providers that we trust, and the McCann family who owns it are widely known and respected within the world of inpatient treatment. When you need reliable, safe, and trustworthy inpatient treatment, we recommend Castle Craig. – Barny Guthrie, Chief Executive, Clinical Partners

The Castle is a fantastic place. Before I went there, I was an alcoholic and an addict in despair. Without the fantastic care from all the staff I would still be a wreck. Castle Craig saved my life and for that I will be eternally grateful. – Donna

I have always had excellent experiences with Castle Craig. They are responsive to any queries – even the most challenging. CC provides a safe and supportive space for clients to take an honest look at themselves, and ascertain what changes need to be made.

The McCann family provide an excellent backdrop to a rigorous and well designed treatment programme. Knowing the family are there reassures that the centre has integrity and strong foundations.

Thank you Castle Craig. – Virginia Graham, Private Addictions Counsellor, London

Summary

The most difficult step toward recovery for many people struggling with addiction is admitting a problem. When you need help dealing with your addiction, Castle Craig can help you begin your treatment and recovery journey.

Castle Craig is a leading European addiction treatment clinic with over 30 years of experience bringing recovery to more than 10,000 persons and their families. They have established tools and treatment strategies for people suffering from addiction, many of whom have other complex conditions.

Castle Craig’s professional therapists dedicated their lives to therapeutic addiction treatment. They have a special place for you to start a new life. Call Castle Craig now.

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