Individuals in need of treatment for any type of substance abuse issue can benefit greatly from inpatient drug rehab. Inpatient drug rehab makes treatment a more efficient and effective process, and anyone who wants to get the most out of their time and effort in treatment needs to consider inpatient drug rehab as a primary option. While both outpatient and inpatient drug rehab can lead to positive progress for treatment clients, there are a number of reasons inpatient drug rehab is the more superior option. Outpatient drug rehab offers certain advantages in terms of convenience for the treatment client, although these advantages can often work against the individual in the end. So before choosing an outpatient drug rehab over an inpatient option, speak with a treatment counselor about the pros and cons of either option and weight the advantages and disadvantages of each. It is very likely that an inpatient drug rehab will be your choice in the end.
The primary advantages of outpatient drug rehab are convenience as stated above. Someone who may want to be discreet about their treatment may choose such an option because they can maintain their work schedule, home life, etc. and still take part in a moderate level of treatment each week. The downside of such an approach is that this leaves treatment clients exposed to influences and circumstances which can jeopardize any progress they make in treatment. So if someone has a huge win in treatment that day in outpatient drug rehab, and then returns home to an abusive spouse and decides to use drugs or alcohol as a result, any progress thus far is null and void. The individual and treatment counselors are back at square zero, if the treatment client even decides to return to outpatient treatment following this setback.
Another beneficial aspect of inpatient vs. outpatient drug rehab is that individuals in inpatient treatment will not only be in a distraction free environment as stated above, so that they can reap the full rewards of treatment and sustain these gains, but there is no access to drugs or alcohol. This is obviously not the case in a less committed environment such as a therapy group, outpatient drug rehab, etc. Unfortunately, not only can someone in drug rehab not be trusted by others in this regard, they will tell you very explicitly that they cannot trust themselves. It has nothing to do with being a bad person or not having enough willpower as someone who hasn't had any experience with addiction would assume. It's very easy to pull the willpower card if someone doesn't understand how dependency and addiction works, and anyone who thinks it is as easy as saying no to drugs or alcohol once dependency is an issue needs to become educated themselves. The reason drug rehab exists is because it is rarely ever as easy as saying no. This is a primary reason specifically that inpatient drug rehab is going to prove more effective in the majority of cases, and why individuals who choose an inpatient drug rehab are going to have more success during and following treatment.
With understanding comes resolution, for both the treatment clients in inpatient drug rehab and their loves ones. As stated above, it can be difficult for loved ones to understand why someone would choose drugs and alcohol over their friends and family, and destroy their health and own life in the process. It is important to understand first that addiction is a multi-faceted problem that manifests itself on the surface with physical issues. If someone is dependent to heroin for example, they will pretty much crave it every moment of every day and these cravings cause them to seek out and use the drug at all costs. If they don't continuously use the drug, the body responds with very punishing physical symptoms that can make the person feel so ill that they can't stand it anymore, and they will again seek out and use the drug. This is an example of the viscous cycle of any type of addiction, and why most people who are addicted and dependent to just about any drug find it so hard to quit. In inpatient drug rehab, these acute physical manifestations of dependency will be the very first thing treatment clients will address in treatment. When someone stops using alcohol or drugs they will literally begin to detox from these substances, so this process is properly known as detox or detoxification in inpatient drug rehab.
During detox in inpatient drug rehab, treatment clients will very likely experience moderate to severe physical symptoms, and some may even experience anxiety and depression. The range of detox symptoms can vary, and how long they last can also depend on what kind of history the individual has with which drugs, and how long they have been using these drugs. Someone with only a brief history of drug use may not be in detox for long, while someone who has been using methamphetamine for 10 years will need a significant amount of support and help from detox specialists to endure the withdrawal symptoms they may experience. There are drugs which cause less severe physical symptoms, but have a severe impact psychologically and emotionally where depression can be so severe in some instances that individuals can become suicidal. No one experiencing such withdrawal symptoms should be alone, and being in an inpatient drug rehab provides an extremely beneficial environment in such cases where individuals will have the medical and emotional support they need so that there are no negative outcomes.
There are also instances when being in an inpatient drug rehab during detox is not only a beneficial option for obvious reasons, but for health reasons. Aside from offering critical support and general detox services during withdrawal, medical intervention is sometimes necessary for certain drugs and for alcohol. Alcohol is an example of a withdrawal and detox process that should never be taken lightly. While alcohol can seem like a benign drug because it is so widely abused, the risks are very great when someone abruptly stops using alcohol after long-term daily use. It is very likely that medicines will need to be administered in inpatient drug rehab for this type of detox to avoid seizures and other serious symptoms which are typical during alcohol detox. No one should ever attempt to detox themselves from any drug for this reason and others, and always seek professional assistance in an inpatient drug rehab setting.
Inpatient drug rehab programs offer treatment on either a short term or long term basis, so individuals can expect to be in treatment anywhere from 30 to 90 days depending on which option they have chosen. Because it can take as long as 30 days in some cases just to overcome the superficial and acute physical obstacles once someone becomes abstinent, it is highly advisable for individuals to commit to a more lengthy treatment plan of at least 90 days in inpatient drug rehab. Becoming physical stabilized is only a small feat, and following detox the most beneficial aspects of inpatient treatment include education, therapy, and the self introspection required to resolve the true causes of a treatment client's addiction. Many of these causes will be purely environmental, and treatment clients will be encouraged to make important lifestyle changes so that they can continue to flourish and prosper in their lives once they leave inpatient drug rehab. Another circumstance which often prompts substance abuse and can only be resolved in inpatient drug rehab are pre-existing and possibly undiagnosed or mistreated co-occurring mental health disorders. Treatment specialists will assess such circumstances and determine what services can be provided during inpatient drug rehab to help individuals with co-occurring mental health disorders so they can be properly treated instead of using drugs or alcohol to self medicate.
If you are trying to decide whether inpatient drug rehab is right for you or someone you love, don't hesitate to speak with a professional treatment counselor and get all of your questions answered today so that treatment and recovery can begin right away.