Many individuals seeking to recover from drug or alcohol addiction find their route to healing at residential addiction recovery centers. The benefits of inpatient addiction recovery tend to be as comprehensive as the programs themselves, spanning physical recovery, psychological insight, life skills training, the building of healthy social bonds and emotional healing.
Benefits of Inpatient Addiction Recovery Programs
While recovery in any form can allow patients to journey to sobriety, addiction science has repeatedly shown that inpatient addiction recovery programs offer heightened success rates for those in recovery – on average, at a rate at least 15 percent higher than their outpatient counterparts. Below, we’ve listed just a few of the benefits of inpatient addiction recovery programs.
On-site Detoxification Programs
For many addicted individuals, one of the most frightening prospects of recovery is the physical withdrawal from alcohol or drugs. Inpatient addiction recovery programs offer a nurturing atmosphere in which this process takes place, providing medical supervision and treatment of withdrawal symptoms so patients can recover in the highest level of comfort available. Additionally, psychological and emotional counseling is available during the withdrawal process, to further reduce cravings and combat depression, anxiety or stress surrounding detoxification.
Nutritional and Fitness Programs
One of the ways in which inpatient addiction recovery programs help patients position themselves for sobriety is through a heightened, nurturing focus on the physical body’s recovery process. Exercise techniques are taught by personal trainers and certified fitness professionals, allowing patients to experience the mood-enhancing and stress-reducing effects of physical activity. Nutritionists and chefs prepare balanced, vitamin-intensive meals that allow the body to begin to repair itself from the aftermath of addiction, affecting both mental and physical health in a positive manner. Group activities and sports allow patients to develop social, teambuilding and interactive skills alongside physical strengthening.
Mental Health Treatment and Therapy
While many outpatient addiction recovery programs only have the bandwidth to offer group counseling or addiction education sessions, inpatient addiction recovery programs can offer the intensive level of therapy often required to achieve sobriety. Clinical therapists work with patients using a variety of modalities in settings ranging from one-on-one to group sessions. Medication types and levels can also be assessed by mental health professionals, as well as psychological diagnostic testing services aimed at uncovering any underlying mental health issues that may contribute to addiction. Patients receive confidential, caring therapies that can include Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), stress reduction therapy, expressive arts therapies and even hypnotherapy at some facilities.
Transitional Support at Addiction Rehabilitation Programs
When patients graduate from addiction rehabilitation programs, sobriety truly begins in earnest. Patients face the challenge of returning home, facing familiar temptations, relationships and environmental triggers that may place their newfound sobriety in jeopardy. While many rehabilitation programs experience relatively high graduation rates, relapse rates can also be staggering. To address this issue, many rehabilitation centers provide transitional planning for patients. Working with a dedicated aftercare specialist, patients can identify potential triggers for addiction and make plans to adjust their environment, gather supportive systems back home, arrange for ongoing therapeutic and medical attention, and position themselves for successful sobriety.
