When you first embark on your addiction recovery journey, you will find that you have a fair number of rehab options, from the most restrictive being inpatient hospitalization and residential to outpatient services as the least restrictive. The variety of treatments can be comforting and overwhelming for you or your loved one.
In this article, we will tackle two key treatment modalities – inpatient and residential – and discuss some of their differences. You’ll find that both can factor significantly into your treatment, depending on the severity of your addiction and any co-occurring mental health issues you might have.
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Inpatient Hospitalization
Sometimes you see the words inpatient and residential bandied about as if they’re one and the same, but they have some essential distinctions. Inpatient care generally occurs in hospitals and other facilities with full-time medical staff. It is the place to go for more urgent treatments, such as overdose reversals, stomach pumps, and medical detoxification.
While some may choose to enter a hospital or inpatient substance abuse center on their own, more often than not, they are forced into care by circumstances resulting from their abuse (e.g., drug-related accidents, overdose, or court-mandated rehab).
According to American Psychiatric Association guidance materials, inpatient hospitalization is highly recommended for substance abusers who experience the following:
- Overdose that can’t be treated safely in the ER or a drug rehab outpatient setting.
- Serious medical complications associated with drug or alcohol withdrawal or are at high risk for those kinds of issues.
- Other medical conditions that preclude detoxification in outpatient settings.
- Have a history of either not participating in or benefiting from lower levels of treatment.
- Co-existing mental disorder that by itself requires hospitalization or that negatively affects the patient’s ability to participate in or benefit from less-restrictive care.
- Their substance abuse presents an immediate danger to themselves or others.
The APA further states that “patients should be treated in the least restrictive setting that is likely to be safe and effective.” Inpatient hospitalization is not meant to be a long-term solution. Instead, the immediate concern of inpatient care is the safety and survival of the substance abuser. Once they are medically and emotionally stable, they can talk with addiction professionals about the next steps in the recovery process.
Residential
At this point, your care experts may recommend enrolling in a residential facility. Residential treatment programs for substance abuse represent longer-term options, usually anywhere from a month or two to nine months.
Going into a residential program means taking time away from your job, schoolwork, family, or other responsibilities and spending significant amounts of money (even with insurance). Unlike at an inpatient facility, where doctors and nurses will labor to make you well with or without your cooperation, residential treatment depends solely on your commitment and level of engagement.
Residential addiction recovery centers provide patients 24-7 access to care, individual and group counseling, medically-assisted treatments, socialization, skill-building, resilience training, and many other critical programs. In addition, residential rehabs provide a continuum of care after discharge through partial hospitalization and outpatient solutions, sober living facilities, and alumni support group activities.
Some of the key benefits of getting into a residential alcohol or drug rehab include:
1. Structure
Often, one of the main things substance abusers lack is daily structure. It’s challenging to manage your activities and keep a consistent schedule when your alcohol or drug cravings consume you. Not to mention all the time you waste recovering from each binge.
A residential facility plans almost every minute of your day, filling it with regular therapy and counseling sessions, recreational and mindfulness activities, and scheduled meals. This structure allows patients to begin arranging their lives without substances instead of around them.
2. Community Support
Your friends and family often comprise your core support group and are intrinsic to your recovery, but sometimes you need a living situation apart from them for a time. Your treatment center has a host of addiction and mental health professionals to help you progress in your recovery journey.
In addition, the people who surround you every day are traveling this road with you. Addiction thrives in isolation and secrecy. Living with others in addiction recovery teaches you to accept and offer support in a safe, nonjudgmental space. Equally important, your loved ones will have the opportunity to stop worrying and focus instead on healing along with you.
3. Removal From Temptation and Normal Routine
The beauty of residential treatment is that it takes you out of your current harmful environment and eliminates the temptations that go along with that. When you’re in an addiction recovery center, you don’t have access to alcohol, drugs, or other harmful substances.
Your cravings haven’t gone away, but now you have put yourself into a place where you can learn to manage them. And then, you can turn your focus to the deep-seated reasons behind your addictions and learn how to deal with them using healthier coping strategies.
As you can tell, inpatient hospitalization and residential programs have essential, albeit different, functions in substance abuse recovery. If you or a loved one is experiencing substance abuse issues, talk with your doctor or a local addiction recovery center today.
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Residential therapy depends on your degree of dedication and participation, as opposed to inpatient facilities where physicians and nurses work to get you well with or without assistance. Additionally, residential rehabs offer continuum treatment beyond release. These are the advantages of getting into residential alcohol or drug treatment facilities.
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