If you or a loved one suffers from alcohol use disorder or alcoholism, inpatient alcohol rehab can help. With inpatient alcohol rehab, the individual is admitted into a facility for a program that will generally last 30, 60 or 90 days. During that time, the affected person can detox from alcohol under medical supervision then receive the appropriate treatment and counseling without distractions from the outside world, allowing the individual to focus solely on recovery.
Excessive consumption of alcohol leads to chemical changes within the brain. With continued alcohol use, an individual may no longer feel good unless he or she drinks. As tolerance increases and the person drinks more, dependence can develop. An individual may experience withdrawal symptoms if he or she stops drinking and may not be able to quit even upon multiple attempts to quit.
When someone overuses alcohol, it can negatively impact employment, relationships, health and self-esteem. It costs the workplace in missed days and lowered productivity and the health care system in chronic disease care and emergency room visits. The costs to society include increased crime rates, motor-vehicle accidents and death.
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Benefits of Inpatient Alcohol Rehab
While there’s the option to enter outpatient treatment or inpatient treatment, someone who struggles with excessive alcohol consumption or who’s had difficulty quitting in the past may have a greater chance of success when attending inpatient treatment for the following reasons.
Comprehensive Treatment
After being admitted to an inpatient treatment center, an individual is offered a wide range of services in a structured setting. Because the person remains in the facility, he or she is able is able to attend to multiple treatment programs in a shorter period of time. While at inpatient rehab, an individual may have access to some therapies that might not otherwise be available or easily accessible if he or she wasn’t admitted to an inpatient facility.
24/7 Medical Supervision
An inpatient setting provides around-the-clock medical supervision, which is especially important during the withdrawal process and for anyone with health problems. Qualified staff are always on duty to attend to an individual’s medical needs. Someone who struggles with co-occurring conditions, such as mental health disorders, or polysubstance addiction can get the appropriate help while at an inpatient treatment center.
Elimination of Triggers and Temptations
Since an individual stays in a safe, secure environment during inpatient rehab, he or she can avoid exposure to the temptations or triggers that could cause the person to grab a drink. Although each day at an inpatient facility is scheduled and highly structured, downtime is still available. Without outside distractions, the individual can place more focus on the treatment program and getting better. In fact, some people choose to attend inpatient rehab in a different state to further reduce the risk of familiar triggers and temptations.
Access to Supportive Resources
The longer a person stays in treatment, the better the chances of maintaining sobriety. Inpatient treatment is only the first step in maintaining a life free from alcohol use. While in the program, an individual may be directed to attend an outpatient program after completing the inpatient treatment. An aftercare plan will be created that may include continued participation in 12-step groups and other recovery activities. If needed, a person may also receive assistance with housing and family services as well as providing resources that can address any vocational or employment concerns.
What to Expect in Inpatient Alcohol Rehab
At an inpatient center, an individual will have a full day with scheduled sessions in addition to downtime to process the information. Activities will change over the duration of the stay and are based on where the person is at in the recovery process.
Medical Detoxification
The first step is to help the individual to go through the withdrawal process as safely and comfortably as possible. For someone who has been drinking for a long time, detox can reduce blood flow to the brain and has the potential to be fatal without supervision. Medications will be provided when necessary to ease an individual’s discomfort during the process, which can last from approximately three to 10 days.
Individual and Group Therapy Sessions
As a part of the structure of an inpatient environment, an individual is expected to attend various treatment sessions. Group therapy allows a person to connect with others who share similar goals to provide a sense of support and community in a safe setting. A person will also learn about alcohol addiction to help with recovery during group and individual sessions.
Someone who’s at an inpatient treatment facility will also have one-on-one counseling sessions with a licensed professional for individual and family therapies as well as to learn how to identify issues and develop life skills and coping mechanisms to assist with recovery and to prevent relapse. These are some of the therapies that might be available during inpatient treatment.
Behavioral Therapy
Because behaviors are learned, behavioral therapies are designed to help a person to identify harmful behaviors and replace them with those that are more beneficial. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is most commonly used, but an inpatient alcohol rehab center may also offer other behavioral therapies:
- Dialectic behavior therapy (DBT) helps an individual to learn skills and coping strategies to prevent relapse and for a better quality of life.
- Motivational interviewing (MI) increases a person’s motivation to help abstain from drinking.
- Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) works to replace irrational beliefs so that the individual can manage thoughts, feelings and behaviors in a realistic way for a happier life.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) mimics REM sleep, where the brain processes information to promote healing from within to reduce the impact of trauma.
Holistic Therapies
In addition to behavioral therapies, many inpatient treatment centers offer a range of holistic treatments that help to heal the mind, body and spirit. Alternative therapies can allow for creative expression while giving helping an individual to learn how to live a healthier lifestyle.
- Music and art therapies allow for creative expression and may help an individual to find a new hobby to pursue.
- Nutrition and exercise are important to keep the body healthy.
- Massage, meditation and yoga can help a person to reduce stress.
- Animal therapy helps an individual to learn how to interact with other living beings, reduces anxiety and improves the therapy environment.
- Horticultural therapy uses gardening to stimulate the five senses while providing feelings of overall wellbeing.
- Acupuncture stimulates specific trigger points in the body and may help to ease withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings, enhance sleep and improve emotions.
- Sound therapy uses sound waves to interact with and alter brainwave patterns, which can have a positive impact on health and healing.
Aftercare Planning
Although an individual will only be at an inpatient alcohol rehab center for a certain amount of time, the recovery process doesn’t stop here. For someone to be able to maintain a sober and healthy lifestyle, continuing care is needed. After all, the longer an individual stays in treatment, the better the chance of successful recovery. An aftercare plan will address what a person needs to do following release from inpatient treatment to maintain sobriety.
The most common aftercare plans provide a continuum of care so that the individual can be confident and have the support that’s necessary to prevent a relapse. This generally includes continued counseling through group meetings and individual sessions and attendance at sobriety support groups or 12-step meetings. An individual may also feel more comfortable with a temporary stay at a sober living home or a halfway house for additional support and to help with the transition from treatment to getting back to everyday life.
If additional treatment will benefit the individual following inpatient rehab, this person may be referred for outpatient alcohol rehab for more therapy before moving on to the traditional continuum of care provided by most aftercare plans.
How to Choose an Inpatient Alcohol Rehab Facility
With so many options available for inpatient alcohol rehab, it can be difficult to choose which facility would be right for you or your loved one. It’s important for a person to decide what’s most important to him or her during the recovery process. This can help to make it easier by narrowing the search to those inpatient treatment centers that provide what an individual is looking for. Here are some factors to consider when selecting an inpatient alcohol rehab facility.
Licensing and Accreditation
It’s important that a facility is properly licensed and accredited to provide the desired services. An inpatient treatment facility will have to show that it meets the criteria to receive the proper licensing and accreditation. Before deciding on an inpatient rehab center, a person should also consider the success rate of others who’ve completed the inpatient program at certain milestone, including one, five and even 10 years following treatment.
Staff Credentials and Experience
Along with the rehab center having the appropriate credentials, the staff should as well. Here are a couple of questions to consider: How many years of experience do the medical providers, counselors and support staff have? Are they properly credentialed and licensed to perform the work they’re doing?
Treatment Programs and Services Offered
Although most inpatient alcohol rehab centers provide detox, group and individual therapy and aftercare planning, not all will offer specific therapies that may be important to an individual, such as animal therapy or art therapy. A person should ask what specific therapy programs are available while in treatment as well as if medications are used during the detox and treatment processes if that’s important to the individual.
Quality of Facilities and Amenities
Many inpatient alcohol rehab centers provide a stark, sterile environment, such as at a hospital. If an individual would like the setting to be more residential and offer more amenities, it’s important to find out everything that a facility has to offer before making a decision.
Cost and Insurance Coverage
A person should be able to receive help with alcohol recovery without worrying about how much it will cost. Unfortunately, cost can be a factor when choosing an inpatient facility, but many insurance plans will cover part or all of the cost for approved programs. An interested individual can speak with his or her insurance carrier to see which facilities are covered and make a choice from there. Additionally, some inpatient alcohol rehab centers offer financial assistance to those who qualify, so someone without coverage for alcohol treatment should look into this option.
Key Takeaways
Alcohol use disorder affects the individual in all areas of life. Because of changes that occur in the brain due to long-term alcohol use, it can be extremely difficult for someone to quit drinking alone, and the detox process can be dangerous without supervision. Although there are different treatment options, inpatient alcohol rehab is the most effective for those with severe addiction to alcohol or who’ve had trouble quitting in the past.
When attending an inpatient alcohol recovery program, and individual will receive 24/7 medical supervision, receive comprehensive treatment away from the distractions of everyday life, avoid potential triggers that could lead to relapse and have access to support and additional resources that otherwise may not be accessible.
Could you or a loved one benefit from inpatient treatment? If so, it’s important to reach out for support. You don’t have to go through this alone. Restoration of self-confidence and a purpose is possible. Learn how to live life free from the grips of alcohol addiction with inpatient alcohol rehab through Live Free Recovery Services. Call today for more information or if you have questions.