Shardale Alcohol Rehabilitation Philosophy

At Shardale, we do not refer to people as ‘alcoholics’, nor do we subscribe to the belief that dependent people have a disease known as ‘alcoholism’. We feel that this view of labelling people as sick is not only totally disempowering but also relieves that person of the full responsibility for their behaviour – behaviour that we maintain is always chosen. What we do believe, is that many people behave in irresponsible and misguided ways in attempts to meet their needs, and that these can result in harm being done to all aspects of their lives, their relationships, and to other people’s lives too.

Our goal at Shardale is to help people to choose to stop drinking, to rebuild their lives and to begin to make much more healthy, more constructive, need-satisfying choices. Essential to making these choices is the quality re-connection with other people, so that they may begin to lose the perception that alcohol is the solution to all problems.

To this end Shardale provides, as the necessary component of change, a warm, accepting, trusting and empathic environment. Change occurs when there is a belief and confidence in a better future and this is the role of the therapeutic environment.

There are certain toxic attitudes that are sometimes present in approaches or programmes, and these kill attempts at change and growth; these include: criticising, arguing, belittling, shaming, demanding, demeaning, dismissing, and the like. Helpful behaviours, on the other hand, include: attending, trusting, respecting, helping, listening, empathy, modelling and encouraging. Our experience tells us that change is possible when the environment is conducive – and a change that can last.

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