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What Is Inpatient Rehab For Alcohol Addiction?

Inpatient rehab is a tremendously helpful method of treatment for alcoholism. If you’re struggling with an alcohol addiction, an inpatient rehab program is the treatment method that is the most likely to help you achieve and maintain long term sobriety.

Inpatient rehab is a level of care which involves a patient living at a treatment facility for several weeks or months. Essentially, inpatient rehab patients take a break from regular life to focus full-time on recovery. During inpatient rehab, a team of treatment professionals will help you detox from alcohol, begin therapy, and develop your recovery plan. Inpatient rehab takes place in a safe, comfortable, and alcohol-free environment where doctors, nurses, and therapists provide 24/7 support.

One of the most significant advantages of inpatient rehab is that you will be able to accure sober time. While you’re living at a treatment facility, you will not have an opportunity to drink alcohol. This first step to sobriety will prepare you for a successful recovery after treatment. In fact, research studies have proven that inpatient rehab significantly increases the likelihood that patients will go on to live a sober life. Being able to experience sobriety, even early sobriety, will help you to see your world with clear and sober eyes.

Is Inpatient Rehab Right For You?

Inpatient rehab can benefit anyone who struggles with alcoholism. However, for some people, inpatient rehab really is the ideal approach. For example, inpatient rehab is necessary for people who suffer from severe alcoholism and live at risk of life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, such as seizures and delirium tremens (DT’s). At an inpatient rehab facility, a person can detox safely under medical supervision, begin a structured regimen of anti-addiction medications, and completely avoid the risk of relapse for a prolonged period of time. This level of support is simply not possible with outpatient rehab.

Inpatient rehab is also best for people who lack a place to go where they can reliably avoid alcohol. Friends and family can sometimes be dangerous company for a person in recovery if they do not support that person’s endeavors to stop drinking. By contrast, an inpatient rehab facility is guaranteed to be an encouraging community where sobriety is everyone’s goal. For treatment to be successful, sometimes it’s just best to get away for a while, and some people feel better starting treatment in a new place with new people.

The Different Types Of Inpatient Rehab

If you’ve decided you’re ready for inpatient rehab, you have many options. In addition to the thousands of treatment centers which offer inpatient rehab, there are also different types of inpatient rehab available. Your inpatient rehab experience may encompass both long-term and short-term treatment.

For long-term inpatient rehab, you can join a therapeutic community. Patients usually stay at therapeutic communities for 6 to 12 months. A therapeutic community is a form of residential treatment. While some therapeutic communities offer detox, many patients who join therapeutic communities detox from alcohol at an intensive care facility first and then utilize a therapeutic community as a setting for recovery. Either way, a therapeutic community will provide you with a supportive atmosphere for therapy, positive re-socialization, and vocational training. Patients in therapeutic communities also have the opportunity to receive treatment for co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Some therapeutic communities even specialize in helping men, women, adolescents, or people with criminal records. In therapeutic communities, the whole structure is designed to build recovery lessons into day to day life.

For short-term inpatient rehab, you can find a facility which offers intensive, hospital-based or free-standing rehab treatment. Both of these rehab options are also residential treatment, but they typically last no more than 30 days. During intensive inpatient rehab, patients detox from alcohol and receive counseling.

Recovery housing/halfway houses are typically the final stage of inpatient rehab. Patients who have left intensive care or therapeutic communities often benefit from spending a few more weeks at a sober living home as they transition back into normal life. While at a sober living home, patients have more time to practice sobriety and also learn more about finding a job, managing finances, mending relationships, and getting involved in a support group in post-treatment life. Halfway houses are more structured than sober living homes, so some patients progress from rehab, to halfway houses, to sober living homes.

How to Choose An Inpatient Rehab Facility

Since there are thousands of inpatient rehab centers available, it is important to choose the one that’s right for you. This decision will require some research, but here are some important factors to consider as you weigh your options.

  • Does the facility offer inpatient rehab for alcohol addiction?
  • If you have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, does the facility offer treatment for alcoholism that’s co-occurring with your condition?
  • What kinds of therapy does the facility offer?
  • Does the facility have a valid license and accreditation?
  • Which types of medical professionals work at the facility?
  • Does the facility provide short-term or long-term inpatient rehab, or both?
  • Is the facility center close to your home or far away from you live?
  • Does the facility accept payment through your insurance?

How Do I Prepare For Inpatient Rehab?

Once you have selected an inpatient rehab facility, you will need to prepare to start the program. To best prepare, ask the facility what you should bring and make sure to pack whatever you need to be comfortable while you’re there. Additionally, prepare yourself to weather withdrawal and to talk about your feelings and experiences with others. It takes courage and a willingness to recover to start the process of rehab, and it will take even more for the process to succeed. You will have to believe in your power to achieve sobriety in order for inpatient rehab to be effective. Ultimately, you will be responsible for your recovery, even during long-term residential treatment.

Get Help Today With Starting Inpatient Rehab

The rest of your life is ahead of you. Now is the time to end your addiction to alcohol and set yourself up for health and happiness in the future. If you struggle with alcoholism or someone you love cannot stop drinking, Contact a treatment provider today to learn more about treatment options.

  • Author: Nathaniel Yerby | Last Updated: March 2, 2022

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    Nathaniel Yerby

    Digital Content Analyst

    Nathaniel Yerby is a writer and researcher. He is a graduate of the University of Central Florida.

  • Medical Reviewer: Deborah Montross Nagel

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