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Treatment options in Hastings & East Sussex
Drug & Alcohol Rehab in Hastings: the main options, compared
The real routes to drug and alcohol addiction treatment in Hastings, from free NHS and council support and peer groups to private residential rehab and treatment abroad, with the honest costs and how to access each.
Checked for accuracy on 28 July 2026. Next review due July 2027. This page is general information about our programme and is not a substitute for advice about your own situation.
Stopping alcohol or benzodiazepines abruptly can be dangerous if your body has become dependent, because severe withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, can follow. Speak to a doctor or the local service below before you cut down. In a life-threatening emergency call 999 (or 112), and for urgent non-emergency advice call NHS 111.
You do not have to pay to get help in Hastings. The NHS and council service, STAR, is free and is the right first step for most people, covering everything from an initial assessment to ongoing addiction treatment, and there is free peer and family support alongside it. Private residential rehab is faster and more intensive but costs from around £1,500 a week, and treatment abroad can cost less than a private UK stay. Below are the main options, side by side, including what each covers if you have a dual diagnosis of addiction and a mental health condition.
Speak to a clinician about treatment from Hastings
Confidential, no obligation, and no referral fee is paid to anyone for sending you here.
Free drug and alcohol services in Hastings
Start here, before you consider paying for anything. These services are free, they are local, and for a great many people they are enough on their own. We publish them because a centre that only tells you about its own programme is not giving you the full picture.
| Where to go | What they do, and how to reach them |
|---|---|
| STAR Drug & Alcohol Service, East Sussex the commissioning authority | Free drug and alcohol treatment for Hastings is commissioned by STAR Drug & Alcohol Service, East Sussex. Their page lists the current provider, which changes when contracts are retendered, so we link the authority rather than a service name that may be out of date. |
| Your GP, or NHS 111 | The NHS advises starting with your GP, who can assess you, advise on safe options and refer you into local treatment. Call NHS 111 for urgent advice that is not an emergency. |
| Talk to FRANK | Free, confidential drugs advice 24 hours a day on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. Its find-support tool lists local services for any postcode. |
| Drinkline | The free national alcohol helpline on 0300 123 1110, weekdays 9am to 8pm and weekends 11am to 4pm, for you or for someone you are worried about. |
| We Are With You | Free, confidential support for drug, alcohol and mental health problems, in person in many areas and by webchat everywhere. |
| Adfam | Support and information for families and friends affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use. |
Checked 28 July 2026. Commissioned services are retendered periodically, so confirm the current provider with the authority before you travel to an appointment.
AA and NA meetings in Hastings
Mutual aid meetings are free, they run most days, and there is no waiting list, no referral and no assessment. You can walk into one this week. They work alongside whatever else you choose rather than instead of it, and plenty of people use them and nothing else.
| Fellowship | How to find a meeting near Hastings |
|---|---|
| Alcoholics Anonymous | Search your town or postcode on the AA Great Britain meeting finder to see every meeting near Hastings, in person and online, with days and times. The helpline is free on 0800 917 7650. |
| Narcotics Anonymous | If drugs are part of the picture, search the UK Narcotics Anonymous meeting finder for meetings near Hastings. The helpline is 0300 999 1212. |
| Cocaine Anonymous | For cocaine and crack specifically, in person and online, with a national helpline on 0800 612 0225. See Cocaine Anonymous UK. |
| SMART Recovery | A secular, CBT-based alternative to the twelve-step approach, free, in person and online. Some people much prefer it, and you are not required to choose one. See SMART Recovery UK. |
| Al-Anon | For the family and friends of someone drinking, which is its own burden and deserves its own support. See Al-Anon UK. |
What actually happens at a first meeting
You do not have to speak, and you do not have to give your surname. Most meetings open with a reading, someone shares for a while, and others speak if they want to. It lasts about an hour, and it is free, though a basket goes round for the room hire. Nobody takes a register and nobody will ask you to commit to anything.
An open meeting can be attended by anyone, including family. A closed meeting is for people who think they may have a problem themselves. If the first group does not suit you, the next one along will feel different, because each has its own character. The usual advice is to try three before deciding it is not for you.
We link the official finders rather than print a timetable, because meeting times and venues change and a stale listing sends someone to a locked door. Checked 28 July 2026.
Private residential rehab for people in Hastings
There are no residential drug and alcohol rehab centres based in Hastings itself, so a private rehab clinic near Hastings, or one further afield, is what most local searches for “drug rehab in Hastings” actually lead to. Residential detox and rehab for Hastings residents happen either by referral through STAR, where a stay is clinically indicated and can sometimes be funded, or privately at inpatient rehab facilities elsewhere. The nearest private residential rehab and drug and alcohol rehab clinic options are along the Sussex and Kent coast and in London. In practice a residential stay almost always means travelling, whichever route you choose, which is worth knowing when you weigh up treatment abroad against a treatment centre closer to home.
The benefits of residential rehab, over community treatment alone, are typically a supervised alcohol or drug detox where needed, a structured daily treatment programme, and time away from the people, places and alcohol and substances that keep the addiction going. Whichever rehab treatment centre you are looking at, whether it markets itself as a drug and alcohol rehab clinic, an alcohol rehab centre, or one of the addiction treatment services in Hastings, be careful with any website that lists a “Hastings rehab” and turns out to be a booking line for private rehab clinics somewhere else. Check where a centre actually is, ask what its addiction specialists and staff mix looks like, and confirm its current registration and rating on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) register before you commit to anything.
What treatment costs
These are indicative ranges from published directories and providers, not quotations, and every service sets its own fees. None of the addiction treatment options below charge a referral fee for pointing you toward one of the others.
- STAR and the NHS route: free. This is free addiction treatment, covering outpatient community treatment and, where clinically indicated, referral toward funded detox or residential care.
- Private residential rehab in the UK: typically from around £1,500 a week, with published directory listings commonly in the region of £12,000 to £40,000 a month at the luxury end. A residential rehab programme at this level usually covers detox where needed, a structured treatment programme and some aftercare planning.
- Treatment abroad: varies by country and centre. Sierra’s residential programme is £9,900 for 28 days, published, with any hospital detox billed separately.
Cost ranges checked 25 July 2026. Indicative published ranges, not quotes. Confirm every figure on the provider’s own page before you rely on it.
Considering residential treatment abroad?
Sierra Recovery, Málaga, Spain
Most people who look abroad are not chasing sunshine. They are trying to get far enough away from the people, the places and the routine that keep the drinking or the using going, because they have already discovered that stopping while all of that is still fifteen minutes away does not hold. That distance is the whole point, and it is the one thing a clinic near Hastings cannot give you.
Sierra Recovery is a working farmhouse on forty hectares of olive groves in the Málaga countryside, about forty five minutes from the airport and roughly three hours from most UK airports. It is small, the team is English-speaking, and the same clinicians treat you from the first day to the last. What follows is what that actually buys, stated plainly enough that you can compare it with anything else you are considering.
| What matters when comparing | Sierra Recovery |
|---|---|
| Is it actually licensed | A registered health centre entered in the Registro Andaluz de Centros, Servicios y Establecimientos Sanitarios (the Andalusian register of health centres, services and establishments) under N.I.C.A. 67331, authorised by the Junta de Andalucía. You can look it up yourself on the public register. |
| What it costs, in full | £9,900 for the 28-day residential programme, published on the site up front. All rooms are individual. You get an itemised written quotation before admission. |
| Who pays whom | No referral fees are paid or accepted, in either direction. Nobody earns a commission for sending you here, which is worth checking about any centre you are comparing. |
| What the clinical work is | Three group sessions a day five days a week, individual therapy three times a week, and a seventeen-module psychoeducation curriculum. The approach adapts the method of PROMIS Clinics, treating addiction in the United Kingdom since 1986. |
| Where the limits are | It is not a hospital and not a detox unit. Where a medically supervised detox is clinically needed it is completed in an appropriate medical setting before admission and billed separately. Qualified nurses are part of the team throughout the stay. |
| Who you speak to first | Our admissions team, all of them clinicians, working to the standards set by our clinical director. The assessment is free, and if a service closer to home suits you better, we will say so. |
| What happens afterwards | Aftercare is agreed before you leave: a session every week for a full year, online or in person at the PROMIS clinics in London, which is more than 48 sessions in the twelve months after discharge. A written handover goes to your GP so nothing has to be explained from scratch. |
Every figure above is published elsewhere on this site and can be checked. See pricing, regulation and licensing and the programme.
Which option is right for you
Start with STAR if you are unsure, if cost is the barrier, or if you want to stay near family and work in Hastings; outpatient support is often enough for long-term recovery on its own. Speak to your GP or NHS 111 if you need to start safely or the situation is urgent, especially if physical or mental health issues are part of the picture. Use AA, NA or Al-Anon alongside whatever else you choose, both during treatment and as aftercare afterwards. Private residential (inpatient) rehab in the UK makes sense if you need detox and rehab together under one roof, are not fit to fly, or need to stay close to home. Treatment abroad is worth considering only if a private UK stay is out of reach, distance from your usual triggers would help, and you can travel and do not need an immediate hospital detox. Addiction recovery is rarely only about the substance, so wherever you look, ask how the physical and mental health side of things, not just the alcohol or drug use, gets addressed. If you would like to talk any of this through honestly, our admissions team will tell you plainly whether Sierra is the right fit, or point you back to a local service if it is not.
Common questions about drug and alcohol rehab in Hastings
Is there free addiction treatment services in Hastings? Yes. STAR is the free NHS-commissioned drug and alcohol service across East Sussex, including Hastings, and AA, NA and Al-Anon are free support groups available in Hastings alongside it. Between them they cover most drug and alcohol misuse and drug and alcohol abuse situations without any private rehab clinic fees.
What is the difference between detox and a rehab programme? Detox is the medically managed process of clearing alcohol or a drug from the body and managing withdrawal symptoms safely. A rehab programme, whether outpatient through STAR or inpatient at a residential drug and alcohol rehab centre, is the structured treatment, such as group therapy, individual work and sometimes cognitive behavioural therapy, that follows to address the addiction itself and reduce the risk of relapse.
Are there drug and alcohol rehab centres in Hastings itself? No. There are no rehabs in Hastings itself, so a rehab centre in Hastings that appears in search results is almost always a directory or referral line for a drug rehab near Hastings, along the wider Sussex and Kent coast, in London, or abroad. STAR remains the right first call for services in Hastings itself.
What if I have a dual diagnosis? A dual diagnosis, a mental health condition alongside a drug or alcohol addiction, is common, and both STAR and private residential and treatment-abroad programmes should be able to tell you plainly how they support the mental health side alongside the addiction treatment options they offer.
What happens after residential rehab? Aftercare, ranging from AA, NA or Al-Anon meetings to a formal aftercare plan from your treatment provider, is what turns a short residential stay into long-term recovery, so ask any drug and alcohol rehab clinic you are considering what aftercare is included before you commit.
Why do these services use so many different names? Searches for drug and alcohol rehab Hastings, alcohol and drug rehab, alcohol or drug rehab, substance addiction and addiction to drugs, or for alcohol rehabilitation and drug and alcohol rehabilitation, all point to the same set of options set out above, whether someone is struggling with drugs or alcohol, needs an alcohol detox, or is weighing up one of the rehab treatment centres further along the coast.
Sources and verification
- STAR Drug & Alcohol Service, East Sussex (Change Grow Live), self-referral and support · phone 0300 303 8160
- East Sussex County Council, drug and alcohol support information
- Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain · UK Narcotics Anonymous, meeting finders
- Al-Anon Family Groups UK, support for families and friends
- FRANK, free confidential drugs advice
- CQC register, verify any private centre’s current rating and location
- Junta de Andalucía register, Sierra Recovery, N.I.C.A. 67331 · Sierra pricing
All figures dated 25 July 2026. Services, waiting times and prices change; confirm each on the provider’s own page before you rely on it.
Questions people ask
Is there a drug and alcohol rehab in Hastings?
There is no residential rehab centre based in Hastings itself. The free NHS and council service for the town is STAR, run by the charity Change Grow Live, which provides community assessment, keyworking, counselling, community detox where suitable and referral toward residential care when that is clinically indicated. You can self-refer to STAR online or by calling 0300 303 8160. Private residential rehab means travelling to a centre elsewhere in Sussex, Kent, London or, for some people, abroad.
How do I get free help for addiction in Hastings?
Start with STAR, the East Sussex drug and alcohol service delivered by Change Grow Live. It is free, and you can refer yourself by completing a short online questionnaire, by calling 0300 303 8160 or by emailing EastSussex.Firststep@cgl.org.uk. Your GP or NHS 111 can also start the process, and Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Anon run free meetings across the area with no referral needed.
How much does private rehab cost near Hastings?
As an indicative guide from published directories, private residential rehab in the UK typically starts from around 1,500 pounds a week, with listings commonly in the region of 8,000 to 18,000 pounds a month at the luxury end. These are published ranges, not quotes, and every centre sets its own fees. The NHS route through STAR is free. Sierra Recovery in Spain publishes a fee of 9,900 pounds for 28 days, with any hospital detox billed separately.
Is it safe to stop drinking or taking benzodiazepines on my own?
Not if your body has become physically dependent. Stopping alcohol or benzodiazepines abruptly can cause severe withdrawal, including seizures, which can be dangerous. Speak to a doctor, your GP or STAR before you cut down so any detox can be managed safely. In a life-threatening emergency call 999 or 112, and for urgent non-emergency advice call NHS 111.
Why does this Hastings guide mention a centre in Spain?
Because this page is published by Sierra Recovery, a registered health centre in Malaga, Spain, and we say so plainly. We are not based in Hastings. We list the free and local options first because they are the right starting point for most people, and we include ourselves only as one honest option for those who would consider treatment away from home. Where a local service is a better fit for you than we are, we say so.
From Hastings, admission can happen within days
Where no medical detox is needed first, the usual sequence is a free assessment, an itemised written quotation, and a flight. Málaga is around three hours from most UK airports. Where a detox is needed it is arranged first and that changes the timing, and we will tell you so at assessment, before you book anything.
Still not sure which option fits you in Hastings?
Tell a clinician what is going on and they will talk it through with you, including the free routes above, before anything is booked.
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Talk to a clinician today
You will speak to our admissions team, English-speaking clinicians who know the programme and the people in it. Callback within 24 hours.
Registered health centre. Authorised by the Junta de Andalucía, N.I.C.A. 67331.
Other areas we cover
See every location in our local treatment guides, or compare what treatment costs in the UK.
