Last Updated:

July 22nd, 2025

Gabapentin Rehab Treatment | What to Expect

Gabapentin was developed to treat epilepsy and nerve pain and it is still prescribed for that in the UK and around the world. But in recent years, there has been a big rise in overdose deaths linked to gabapentin, a sign that addiction may be causing people to take more than they should. If you are struggling with gabapentin addiction, every day it goes untreated is a day your life is potentially in danger. Professional gabapentin addiction treatment means having doctors, therapists and a whole team behind you to help you come off gabapentin safely and start healing.

Gabapentin-tablets

What is gabapentin addiction treatment?

Gabapentin treatment is usually broken into three parts. Each one focuses on something different but they all work together to help you recover:

  1. Gabapentin detox is when you start lowering the dose with help from a medical team until you are down to none at all. Your team will make sure your body handles the changes without things getting out of control.
  2. Then comes gabapentin rehab which is more about your head and heart than your body. You will talk in therapy about how it all started, what got hard and how to move forward without needing gabapentin to hold your life together.
  3. Aftercare is the final part which is often forgotten. It keeps you on the path you have begun during parts one and two and provides extra therapy and other forms of support to make that path clearer.

How to tell if you need gabapentin addiction treatment?

Not sure if things have gone too far with gabapentin? Look closely at yourself and answer these questions:

  • Do you snap at people when you haven’t taken gabapentin?
  • Is it hard to focus at school or work because you have taken gabapentin or you’re craving it?
  • Have you lied about how much gabapentin you’re taking?
  • Do you know gabapentin is messing up your life but you still can’t stop?
  • Do you feel like you need gabapentin just to survive a normal day?
  • Have you told yourself “this is the last time” more than once?

If any of that sounds familiar, let’s look at gabapentin addiction treatment one step at a time:

Step one: Gabapentin detox

When your body gets used to having gabapentin every day, your brain starts acting like it now needs it. At this point, taking gabapentin is no longer a choice that is just in your hands, it is a physical dependency. If you then suddenly decide you are going to stop, your system can go into a bit of a meltdown. That is called gabapentin withdrawal and it can make quitting alone rough and even risky.

At a proper gabapentin detox centre, however, you will be looked after by people who know exactly how this works. They will check what you need medically, make a plan to lower your dose safely and keep an eye on you the whole time. If anything feels off or hits too hard, they can change the plan or maybe give you medicine to help you through.

Gabapentin withdrawal timeline and detox symptoms

Coming off gabapentin can feel different for everyone. Sometimes it starts within as little as 12 hours but other times, it can take up to a week before anything changes. Most people are through the worst in 5 to 10 days but if you’re tapering slowly, it can take a lot longer until all the gabapentin withdrawal symptoms cease. This is quite unpredictable as things like your age, your gabapentin dose, how long you’ve been on it or if you’ve also been using alcohol or other drugs all make a difference.

Some common gabapentin withdrawal symptoms include:

 

  • Feeling twitchy, anxious or on edge
  • Pain in your body
  • Getting confused or spaced out
  • Headaches, dizziness and nausea
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Constant sweating

There are also less common but potentially more dangerous gabapentin withdrawal symptoms:

All of this sounds a bit heavy and it can be if you attempt gabapentin detox on your own. But knowing what to expect will hopefully help you feel a bit more in control.

Step two: gabapentin rehab

Once the withdrawals start to ease up, it’s time for gabapentin rehab. If you’re doing detox and rehab together all in one place, you won’t have to adjust to somewhere new right away and that takes a bit of the pressure off.

Addiction doesn’t usually show up out of nowhere as it is often tied to underlying issues that have been too hard to deal with alone. Gabapentin may have helped numb those for a while but the consequences are now outweighing the benefits.

Gabapentin rehab looks at what you were trying to numb and how things spiralled. You may have originally got gabapentin from a doctor or maybe not. Somewhere along the way, however, things have escalated beyond your control. Through therapy, you will get help figuring out what happened and what life might look like without the prison of addiction.

group-therapy-session

What to expect from gabapentin rehab

Gabapentin rehab isn’t exactly the same everywhere but there are a few types of therapy you should look out for. These are the ones that have proven to be most effective:

  • Private therapy so you can talk to an expert one-on-one about your problems and get real solutions
  • Group therapy, which can sound intense but allows people to open up and share stories
  • Behavioural therapy to look at how habits form and why your brain keeps pulling you back to gabapentin
  • Family therapy to provide a space to clear the air with loved ones
  • The chance to set your own goals during Motivational interviewing
  • Yoga, art and meditation therapy to give you some peace and time to take stock

Step three: Aftercare and gabapentin relapse prevention

Finishing rehab isn’t the end of the road but is the first real step of a lifelong journey. Aftercare is the bit that helps you keep going once you’re out in the world again, enabling you to deal with the unpredictable. Important parts of aftercare include:

Gabapentin relapse prevention planning
One of the most important things before you leave is to talk to your team about what could throw you off your recovery path. For example, it could be certain people, places or situations. You can make a plan for how to handle them without gabapentin.
Further therapy
Just because you’re not in the building anymore doesn’t mean the support should disappear. Most gabapentin rehab centres make it so you can still take part in therapy, usually on an outpatient basis. This will hopefully be free and can really make the change a lot smoother.
Rehab alumni
Some centres have group chats, meetups or little alumni communities you can stay part of. It helps to stay in contact and can also make recovery a part of your social life.

Find gabapentin addiction treatment today

Starting anything new is scary, especially something as important as this. Addiction Helper will walk you through all your gabapentin addiction treatment options so you can make the right choice for your recovery. Get in touch with us today.

Reclaim Your Life Today

Our compassionate team are ready and available to take your call, and guide you towards lasting the lasting addiction recovery you deserve.

Reclaim Your Life Today

Our compassionate team are ready and available to take your call, and guide you towards lasting the lasting addiction recovery you deserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the UK’s gabapentin addiction treatment options?
In the UK, there are a few ways to get help with gabapentin addiction. You can go to a private rehab centre, which usually means you get in quicker and have detox, therapy and aftercare support in one place. If that’s not an option for you, there is also free help through the NHS, though it might take longer to get a spot. You could also try support groups like Narcotics Anonymous, where you can meet people who have been through the same experiences.
How long should I commit to gabapentin addiction treatment?
It is different for everyone but gabapentin detox might last a few days or stretch to two weeks, depending on how your body reacts. Rehab usually lasts about four weeks but you can take more time if you need it to work through everything that is affecting you. Aftercare often includes free outpatient counselling for a year and alumni events like meetups or message boards to keep you connected.
Is a home gabapentin detox safe?
It is tempting to just stop taking gabapentin on your own, especially if you feel ready to quit. Unfortunately, this can shock your system and bring on some serious withdrawal symptoms. It’s much safer to go through gabapentin detox somewhere with trained staff who know what they’re doing and can set you up for what comes next in recovery.

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