SPOTLIGHT
Vernon Hartshorne, head of treatment at Help Me Stop explains why he
believes recovery should be part of everyday life.
A new DAyhAb treAtment centre sets out
to mAke recovery AvAilAble to everyone
who neeDs it.
“I believe there’s only one
thing that matters about
addiction treatment; that it
works. And once you’ve
worked out what works,
you make it available to as
many people in need of
help as you possibly can.
Like most people in
recovery, I’ve always
believed in helping the
many not just the few.”
Vernon Hartshorne
For Vernon Hartshorne, that dream was the starting point for Help Me Stop and
began with a series of ‘what ifs’; What if there were a model that allowed people
to recover at their own pace at an affordable cost? What if they could continue to
live at home, work and look after their children while in treatment? What if centres
were located in modern, well-equipped premises on the high street, as easy to
walk into as a corner shop? What if we combined the interventions we know
contribute to successful treatment as recognised by the World Health
Organisation: CBT, mindfulness, art therapy, one-to-one counselling underpinned
by a 12-Step approach?
Help Me Stop is a flexible Dayhab programme that enables people to recover in
the real world, instead of taking them away from their homes, families and jobs. And
at £2,500 for a five-week, 160-hour programme, it’s a fraction of the cost of most
residential rehabs. Similar models have become the norm in many parts of the U.S,
and have success rates that are as high, if not higher, than residential rehab.
Hartshorne says Help Me Stop’s approach is “built on solid foundations of
experience and expertise in addiction, commenting that, “At Help Me Stop we know
what works because all our therapists have had personal experience of addiction
and recovery. We understand what saves lives. We know how to flip anger and
resentment into love and compassion for self and others, to bring about a sense of
purpose and inner contentment. By taking the best treatment approaches and
leaving the rest, we deliver effective, high-quality treatment.”
Help Me Stop’s founders knew from their own experiences in addiction
therapy that what works has, until now, been only available to the very few. And
they felt that wasn’t good enough. Hartshorne said: “Thousands of addicts die
every year never knowing recovery is available. If your problem is addiction we
have the solution.”
The first Help Me Stop centre opens May 2019 in West London. Located in a
former bank, the airy, light-filled premises are comfortable and welcoming. Having
18 | drinkanddrugsnews | Rehab Guide 2019
worked in high-end treatment centres all over the world, Hartshorne says he’s
“Immensely proud that we’re bringing rehab to the high street. Addiction is a
common problem affecting people from all walks of life – it’s about time recovery
became commonplace too.”
Although more interested in people than stats, Hartshorne knows his facts and
figures commenting that; “According to Eric Bowman, a lecturer in psychology and
neuroscience, 22% of people who drink alcohol will become dependent. Almost
everyone will know someone, or know of someone with a drink or drug problem,
but do they know how and where they can get help?”
Hartshorne points out, “Alcohol and drug problems wreak devastation and
destruction. They are not a problem waiting to happen. They’re here with us, right
now, tearing lives and families apart.” But, he says, “Help Me Stop has a solution
that works. Our Dayhab programme is recovery in the real world.”
Designed to fit around daily life, clients can take their 160 hours of treatment at
times that fit their schedule. So, for example, clients who work or study can create a
schedule where they attend during the day, early mornings, evenings or weekends.
Or a parent with young children could come in during school hours, or whenever
they have childcare available. It’s flexible enough the make sure everyone can find a
way to make treatment part of their lives.
If you have a problem with alcohol or drugs, or you know someone who does,
Help Me Stop could be just the solution to help you stop the cycle of addiction and
start to live life to the full again.
Vernon Hartshorne is head of treatment at Help Me Stop.
The first Help Me Stop centre opens in Acton, West London in May 2019.
Help Me Stop plans to open five centres in London and the south east of England
over the next year.
020 8191 8920 • [email protected] • www.helpmestop.org.uk
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com