How We Treat

Every patient journey at Athena begins with a compassionate, non-judgmental clinical assessment. This is not a formality - it is the most important clinical step in the entire treatment process, because treatment can only be effective when it is accurately matched to individual need.

The initial assessment is conducted by a senior clinician along with a clinical psychologist - typically a consultant psychiatrist or specialist addiction physician - and covers:

Full substance use history: substances used, frequency, quantity, duration of use, and previous withdrawal experiences

Psychiatric and psychological history: current symptoms, previous diagnoses, prior treatment history, family mental health history

Medical history: physical health conditions, current medications, allergies, and any complications arising from substance use

Social and occupational history: family situation, living circumstances, employment, social supports, and any legal or financial concerns

Motivational assessment: understanding the patient's readiness for change and any ambivalence about entering treatment

Risk assessment: screening for self-harm, suicidal ideation, aggression, severe withdrawal risk, and any need for immediate medical stabilisation

From this assessment, the clinical team formulates a diagnostic impression, identifies any co-occurring mental health conditions (dual diagnosis), determines the appropriate level of care, and develops a personalised treatment plan. Patients and families receive a clear, jargon-free explanation of the proposed approach, expected duration, and what to expect at each stage.

For patients with physical dependence on alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, or other substances, the first clinical phase is medically supervised detoxification. Attempting withdrawal without medical support is dangerous - particularly for alcohol and benzodiazepine dependence, where withdrawal can cause seizures and life-threatening complications. This is why home detox is not recommended for moderate to severe dependence.

Athena's detox protocol is evidence-based and individually tailored to the substance involved:

Alcohol detox: benzodiazepine tapering using symptom-triggered or fixed-schedule protocols, CIWA-Ar (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol) monitored, thiamine supplementation, electrolyte management, and continuous vital sign monitoring

Opioid detox: buprenorphine-assisted withdrawal or symptomatic management using clonidine and loperamide, COWS (Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale) monitored

Benzodiazepine detox: gradual diazepam equivalence tapering over a period appropriate to severity - never abrupt cessation

Stimulant and cannabis detox: primarily symptomatic management and intensive psychological support; physical withdrawal is less medically dangerous but psychologically demanding

Prescription drug misuse: tailored taper protocols depending on the specific medication, dosage, and duration of use

Medical detox at Athena is not the end of treatment - it is the carefully managed gateway into comprehensive rehabilitation. Psychological support and psychoeducation begin during detox so that patients are prepared and motivated for the therapeutic work ahead.

Many patients arriving at Athena have co-occurring psychiatric conditions that require stabilisation alongside or immediately after detoxification. Depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and psychosis are all common in individuals with addiction and untreated psychiatric conditions are one of the strongest predictors of relapse.

Athena's psychiatrists conduct a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation once patients are medically stable enough for accurate assessment. Acute intoxication and early withdrawal can mimic or mask psychiatric symptoms, which is why timing the psychiatric evaluation correctly is itself a clinical skill.

Where medication is indicated - antidepressants, mood stabilisers, antipsychotics, anti-craving medications , this is initiated and titrated carefully, with regular review. Patients and families receive transparent communication about the purpose of any medication prescribed, its expected effects, typical timeline for response, and any potential side effects.

This is what dual diagnosis treatment means in practice: addiction and mental health conditions are assessed together, treated together, and reviewed together. Treating only one while ignoring the other is clinically incomplete and increases the probability of relapse.

Once medically and psychiatrically stable, patients enter the core rehabilitation phase - the sustained therapeutic work that builds the psychological foundation for lasting recovery. This is where the deeper work happens: understanding the roots of addiction, building emotional regulation skills, changing entrenched behavioural patterns, and learning how to live differently.

Athena's rehabilitation programme uses a range of evidence-based therapeutic modalities, individualised to each patient's diagnosis, personality, and recovery goals:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is the most extensively researched psychological treatment for both addiction and mental health conditions. At Athena, CBT sessions help patients identify the thought patterns and beliefs that drive substance use and emotional distress, develop cognitive restructuring skills to challenge and replace unhelpful thinking, and build practical behavioural strategies for managing triggers, cravings, and high-risk situations. CBT skills are directly transferable to real-life situations - they do not stay in the therapy room.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills
DBT - particularly its skills training component , is used for patients with significant emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, self-harm histories, or borderline personality features. DBT skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness are taught in individual and group formats.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
For patients with ambivalence about change or recovery, Motivational Enhancement Therapy builds intrinsic motivation by exploring personal values, goals, and the discrepancy between current behaviour and desired life direction. MET is particularly effective early in treatment and for patients who have entered treatment under pressure from family or circumstance rather than by their own choice.

Psychoeducation
Knowledge is protective in recovery. Athena's psychoeducation programme ensures that every patient understands the neuroscience of addiction - how dependence develops, why cravings occur, what happens to the brain during withdrawal and recovery - as well as how their specific medications work, the stages of recovery, and the early warning signs of relapse. Patients who understand what is happening to them engage more meaningfully with every other component of treatment.

Group Therapy
Daily group therapy sessions form the social backbone of rehabilitation. Groups provide peer learning, shared accountability, normalisation of experience, and the development of interpersonal skills in a safe, therapeutically facilitated environment. Hearing that others have faced the same fears, made the same mistakes, and found a path forward is often as therapeutically powerful as individual sessions.

Mindfulness, Yoga & Wellness
Alongside clinical therapy, Athena's wellness programme supports physical recovery and emotional regulation through guided mindfulness practice, gentle yoga, breathwork, sleep hygiene work, and stress management. These practices give patients tools they can continue using independently after discharge - a breathing exercise, a mindfulness pause, a grounding technique - that support long-term recovery in everyday life.

Addiction and mental health conditions do not affect individuals in isolation , they affect entire families. Research consistently shows that family involvement in treatment significantly improves recovery outcomes and reduces the likelihood of relapse after discharge.

Athena's clinical protocol integrates structured family therapy and family education sessions throughout the treatment process. These sessions serve several distinct clinical purposes:

Psychoeducation for families: understanding what addiction is, how it develops, and why it is not a moral failure or a choice - but a treatable clinical condition

Communication work: developing healthier communication patterns between patient and family members, reducing blame, and rebuilding trust

Boundary-setting: helping families understand the difference between supportive involvement and enabling behaviour

Addressing family trauma: acknowledging and beginning to process the impact that the patient's illness has had on partners, parents, children, and siblings

Discharge preparation: aligning the family around the aftercare plan, understanding what the first weeks at home will look like, and knowing how to respond if early warning signs of relapse appear

Discharge planning at Athena begins on the first day of treatment - not the week before discharge. This is a deliberate clinical choice: the aftercare plan needs to be built alongside the patient's progress in treatment, adjusted as new information emerges, and fully understood by the patient and family before the transition home.

Every patient leaving Athena receives a comprehensive, written aftercare plan covering:

Continuing psychiatric and psychological care: scheduled follow-up appointments with their treating psychiatrist and therapist, with clear guidance on what to do between sessions

Relapse prevention strategies: a personalised written plan identifying the patient's specific triggers, early warning signs, coping tools, high-risk situations, and crisis contacts

Medication management: clear instructions on any prescribed medications, how long to continue them, what to do if side effects occur, and when to seek a medication review

Family guidance: a clear brief for family members on how to support the first weeks at home, what healthy involvement looks like, and when to call Athena's aftercare team

Workplace and lifestyle reintegration: for patients returning to demanding professional environments, practical guidance on managing stress, workload, and social situations that may present as triggers

Crisis plan: explicit instructions - who to call, what to do, where to go - if cravings become overwhelming or early relapse warning signs appear

Athena's structured 12-month aftercare programme provides ongoing professional support after primary treatment ends through scheduled follow-up consultations, telephone or online check-ins, and access to our aftercare coordination team. The first six months after discharge represent the highest-risk period for relapse - this is when aftercare support is most clinically important.

You do not need to have all the answers before calling us. Our care team will help you understand the clinical picture, explain what treatment involves, answer your questions about costs, confidentiality, and visiting, and guide you through the admission process. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - including for urgent or same-day admissions.

You will receive regular updates from the clinical team, respecting both your need for reassurance and your family member's right to confidentiality. Family counselling sessions will be arranged at clinically appropriate points in the treatment timeline. The care team will always be available to answer questions between scheduled updates.

You will be included in the discharge planning conversation. The aftercare plan will be explained to you clearly, and you will leave with direct contact details for the aftercare coordination team. You are not expected to manage the transition home alone.

The aftercare team remains available throughout the 12-month post-discharge period. If you notice early warning signs of relapse or have concerns between your family member's scheduled appointments, you can contact the aftercare team directly. Early intervention is always better than waiting.