Understanding Inpatient Addiction Therapy

If you have taken the first step to recovery and admitted that you have a problem, we applaud your courage. The next step is to consider what treatment option will work best for you. A cursory search through the internet or even just a phone book will provide you with an overwhelming amount of options, and may not include the details that would help you make the best choice for your unique situation. To help you make an informed choice, Rehab-Finder.Org would like to explain the specifics and benefits of inpatient treatment for your substance abuse.

More than just recovery from addiction, these facilities focus on resocialization, giving the patient the tools they need to develop personal accountability and lead productive lives.

Rehab-Finder.Org counselors believe it’s important to note that almost all addiction treatment begins with a detoxification process. This is no simple process, and can have harmful – even fatal – side effects, depending on the substance from which your body is cleansing itself. Aside from the physical symptoms, there can also be acute mental stress involved as well, as something you have come to believe you needed to survive is being withheld.

Sometimes it’s necessary for therapists to engage in a medically managed withdrawal, which means that the mental and physical reactions to withdrawal are mitigated with medication. This is most common when it comes to abuse involving benzodiazepines, opioids, barbiturates, alcohol, and nicotine. Though outpatient treatment includes detoxification out of necessity, the discomfort and potential danger of the process alone is one very good reason to consider inpatient therapy.

Here are some other reasons inpatient addiction therapy might be the best choice for your needs:

• You tried outpatient treatment, and it wasn’t enough.
• You have a dual diagnosis, meaning that you struggle with both addiction and mental illness.
• You are physically incapable of staying away from drugs and/or alcohol due to environmental conditions.
• There aren’t any outpatient treatment facilities in your area.

Short Or Long-Term Inpatient Care?

Once Rehab-Finder.Org has helped you determine whether inpatient services are right for you, it’s time to consider whether you require long-term or short-term inpatient care. Long-term residential treatment usually involves 24-hour care in what’s known as a therapeutic community, with stays ranging anywhere from six to 12 months. More than just recovery from addiction, these facilities focus on resocialization, giving the patient the tools they need to develop personal accountability and lead productive lives. Treatment plans are very regimented, and encourage patients to confront their damaging beliefs and self-destructive behavior patterns. Unpleasant as this may be, it’s necessary in order to create healthy and beneficial patterns of interaction. The services at such an extended-care facility might even include job training and accommodations for those with special needs.

On the other end of the spectrum are short-term residential centers. The stay at one of these facilities generally lasts anywhere from two to six weeks, and they often provide services based on a modified (and intense) 12-step approach. Originally designed with alcoholics in mind, the need for short-term inpatient therapy increased when cocaine addiction became so prevalent in the 80s. Now short-term inpatient treatment centers address a variety of needs in less time than the long-term residential centers, but the onus is on the patient to develop an aftercare program and remain in contact with their support group once they leave the facility.