Inpatient Rehab Advantages
Often, addicts fail to recognize the severity of their problems until they are struck with a crisis that requires treatment intervention. According to the 2015 UNODC World Drug Report, “The magnitude of the world drug problem becomes more apparent when considering that more than 1 out of 10 drug users is a problem drug user, suffering from drug use disorders or drug dependence.” Most have attempted to quit on their own, without success, and will be in need of multiple services to address health, family, legal, economic, or other demands that may or may not be directly related to their substance abuse.
Inpatient rehabs are professionally staffed and specialized environments where the patient lives and undergoes the treatments that address their problems from the detox stage to living a stable, healthy, and happy life free from substance abuse. So much can happen when a person becomes dependent on substances, that oftentimes, an outpatient treatment program just isn’t enough and whenever possible, taking advantages of an inpatient rehab can save a great deal of suffering down the road.
Inpatient Detox Advantages
Withdrawals from certain types of drugs or alcohol can be horrendous, if not dangerous. This is a crucial time for the person to feel their needs are being met as so much of their minds are being occupied with cravings and getting over the pain. This may involve interventions for medical or mental health issues, including the use of medications to relieve the pain and unpleasantness of withdrawals. Just one slip can derail the process and lead them back into using again.
Around the clock care and access to counselors, clinicians, and other treatment professionals who understand what the patient is up against, is extremely beneficial to keep the person safe and comfortable throughout the detox process. For most people entering detox, anxiety or depression are almost a given with the sheer suffering they have endured or expect to endure. The adversity of their situations can make it very difficult for them to recover without treatment continuity and support. The specialized help they get from an inpatient detox increases their likelihood of completing the detox phase and motivating further recovery efforts.
Psychological Advantages of Inpatient Rehab
Beyond the recognizable effects of dependency to substances, are the long-term neurological forces that contribute to the deregulation of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in substance abusers. According to the NIDA, “the same sort of mechanisms involved in the development of tolerance can eventually lead to profound changes in neurons and brain circuits, with the potential to severely compromise the long-term health of the brain.”
Ranging from 30 days to several months, an inpatient rehab can be more helpful for those with severe or chronic conditions by integrating counseling, behavioral therapies, and supportive services in the most expedient manners. Care providers are always on hand to help deal with any problems that may arise and secluded from outside influences, the patient has the time to focus on self recovery goals. Other psychological advantages include social interactions with others in recovery and the knowledge that your welfare can be entrusted to those who have your best interest at heart.
Physical Advantages of Inpatient Rehab
People who have been using large amounts of drugs or alcohol or using them for a while tend pay little regard to the nuances of physical deteriorations as their eating, rest, and other healthy habits diminish. Restoring physical health is a big part of the inpatient rehab process; and without it, few changes in any other area of their life can be significantly improved.
In an inpatient rehab, medical interventions can be combined with proper rest and relaxation techniques, nutrition, exercise, and other therapies to address healing avenues that are important to long-term and significant recovery. According to the SAMHSA, recovery is defined as “A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” The ability to work, go to school, and engage in normal activities without feeling run down or suffering from other physical impairments is crucial to finding meaningful purpose and happiness.
Decreasing the Risks of Relapse
One of the biggest problems, we, as a society face, is the unanticipated rise in overdoses from drugs that occur when a person relapses after attempting to detox and leaving the sanctuary of a rehab program too early. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Recent scientific advances have revolutionized our understanding of addiction as a chronic, relapsing disease and not a moral failure.” Inpatient rehab has many advantages over an outpatient rehab for those who remain susceptible to relapse when they return to their home environments.
Intensified services, an enforced sobriety atmosphere, frequent evaluations and immediate responses, and time to heal can make all the difference in the world to a recovering addict and their potential for relapse. Staying motivated and in treatment long enough will be the key that optimizes recovery potentials and the ability to manage stressful situations with a greater degree confidence in the future.