Top 10 Benefits of Inpatient Drug Treatment
Inpatient treatment can help you get your life back together!
1. A Controlled Environment
For many addicts, the issue of being in their regular environment and dealing with their cravings can be very difficult. Triggers are often everywhere, making them want to start abusing again. In inpatient rehab, you won’t have to deal with these types of triggers because you’ll be in a controlled environment, away from the temptation of getting drugs easily. It can help you focus better on your recovery and not feel that you need to be constantly fighting your addiction, especially when you do not yet have the tools to do so.
A type of inpatient drug treatment called therapeutic communities, or TCs, usually has patients staying in a facility from 6 to 12 months. According to the NIDA, “TCs focus on the ‘resocialization’ of the individual and use the program’s entire community – including other residents, staff, and the social context––as active components of treatment.” This can often be very beneficial because the patient’s entire community and all of their social interactions during this time will be catered toward helping them stop their drug abuse. This is a kind of treatment that won’t be as consistent in an outpatient center.
3. Specialized Care
In many instances, there are patients who need specialized care during drug addiction treatment. Some may even need 24-hour care for health problems that drug abuse has caused or mental disorders that are concurrent with abuse. In inpatient treatment, patients are able to receive this kind of specialized care from doctors, nurses, and therapists. There are often hospital-like settings and treatments that would only be available to patients in those specific facilities but can be to those in inpatient centers. These treatments and settings are sometimes needed for those with the more intense disorders, which drug addicts often have.
4. Managed Visits
Family visits are encouraged, but they can be controlled by both you and your doctor(s). If there is someone who wants to visit you who will not be beneficial to your treatment, they will not be admitted. On the other hand, you can receive visits from those who want to help you get better and who are encouraging your recovery. These kinds of managed visits can allow you to have control over who you see and what kind of influence comes to you from your daily life instead of having these influences unfiltered.
5. More Holistic Treatments
Often, more holistic services, classes, and treatments are available to those who attend inpatient rehab. These facilities are usually more expensive but can offer other treatments and classes such as:
- Yoga
- Acupuncture
- Exercise classes
- Nature walks
- Art therapy
- Crafting
- Tai Chi
According to the NCBI, there are ways for patients to express thoughts and feelings through holistic treatments that they otherwise might not be able to through more traditional treatments. And since many inpatient facilities have these treatments as supplements to the more formal ones, there is a special opportunity for patients in inpatient treatment to learn more about holistic treatments and benefit from them.
6. Social Support
Patients with poor social support systems at home are “predicted to have a better outcome in inpatient treatment,” according to the NCBI. This is because going to a facility during the day is only half the battle, and those who do not have a lot of support at home will get what they need if they stay overnight at an inpatient facility. They will not have to go to an empty apartment or home; they will be surrounded by other individuals all the time.
7. Other Programs
While holistic treatments are widely used in inpatient facilities, there are also other programs that are used to help treat patients and ready them for their transition back into their regular lives. For example, many drug addicted individuals have lost their jobs as a result of their constant drug abuse, and inpatient facilities often provide vocational counseling so that these individuals can find new positions. Some facilities also provide
- Nutritional classes so patients can learn good ways to care for and nourish their bodies with proper nutrition
- Financial classes that can help them better balance their finances after treatment
- Resume building and interview skill building classes that help patients prepare for job interviews
- Law advice and case help
8. Length of Stay Requirements
Many times, patients who attend inpatient treatment are required to stay for a specific amount of time. This can be extremely beneficial because “generally, for residential or outpatient treatment, participation for less than 90 days is of limited effectiveness, and treatment lasting significantly longer is recommended for maintaining positive outcomes” (NIDA). Patients who are checked into this type of facility by a mandatory order will need to stay for the duration of the program, but those who choose to check themselves in can leave early but will be legally going against the advice of their physicians.
9. Specialized Treatment Facilities
According to the NIDA, inpatient treatment and especially TCs “can be modified to treat individuals with special needs, including adolescents, women, homeless individuals, people with severe mental disorders, and individuals in the criminal justice system” (NIDA 1). Individuals in these types of groups often experience better results when they are able to discuss similar issues with those who have the same background or other common experiences as them. This can actually be extremely beneficial to someone belonging to one of these specific groups.
10. Aftercare Help
When leaving inpatient treatment, aftercare may be necessary. A patient may not be ready to go completely back to their old life or even to a new one with all the responsibilities that this can entail. Therefore, inpatient facilities will often set up aftercare options for patients, helping them choose the right one based on their needs. Some patients may have jobs lined up or waiting for them and can stay at a sober living facility and pay rent. Others may need a halfway house and the ability to build themselves back up with help. Either way, inpatient facilities can help patients find good, steady aftercare programs, even if they are only looking for a self-help group to facilitate the continuation of what they learned in treatment.
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