When it comes to treating addictions, there are two basic types of treatment programs: outpatient and inpatient. With outpatient treatment, the individual continues going about their everyday life, attending work, staying in their own home, and participating in their personal life. During the day, they attend counseling sessions that are designed to help them manage their addictions.
Since outpatient treatments are unsupervised, they are usually only effective for mild addictions. When people are extremely addicted to a substance or activity, they usually are unable to control themselves when left to their own devices. That is why inpatient treatment is far more effective for more severe addictions.
With inpatient rehab programs, people who are suffering from addictions move into a treatment facility for a specific amount of time. During that time, their schedule is extremely structured and they are continually supervised. Their days are filled with activities from the time they get up in the morning until the time they go to bed at night.
If you or a loved one are considering inpatient treatment, it can be a little bit difficult to know what to expect – especially if you have never been through a rehab program before. Learning a little bit more about how these programs operate can take some of the fear out of the equation, making the process a lot less intimidating.
For substance-related addictions, patients usually go through a medical detox period when they first check in. Most treatment facilities have a special medical wing set up where doctors supervise patients as they detox from drugs or alcohol. During detox, a number of different side effects can crop up as a result of withdrawal. Assistance is available to help ease these symptoms, making them more manageable to deal with.
After the detox period is over, the patient usually moves into a room in another part of the facility. At that point, they start participating in the program with other patients. Their days are usually filled with activities like individual counseling, group therapy, and informative classes. All of these activities are designed to teach patients how to understand and overcome their addictions.
Most rehab facilities also have fun activities available for patients. For instance, they may go on field trips together as a group or they may work on projects like arts and crafts at the facility. The activities are usually quite fun and can help patients build their social skills. Learning how to socialize when sober is important to master before heading back out into the real world.
As the inpatient rehab program winds down, patients begin to learn transitional skills that will help them adapt to living outside of the treatment facility. These skills are designed to help patients return to their normal lives without falling back into their old habits again.
All in all, these treatment programs are highly effective. When an addiction becomes quite severe, going through an inpatient program is usually the best option. Because patients are continually supervised, they are less likely to relapse during the treatment period when compared to outpatient treatment.
