When you come to terms with the fact that you need help to recover from an addiction, your next step in the process is determining what kind of help you need. Typically, people assume that inpatient addiction treatment programs are better than outpatient treatment programs. While it’s easy to see why this is a popular belief, it’s not necessarily true. In fact, each type of treatment as both benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to understand what each program entails. In the most general terms, inpatient addiction treatment is preferable for those who need help getting clean before they can go through a rehab program.
Once they get through a medically supervised detox, patients typically move into a residential treatment facility where their progress can be supervised. While an outpatient recovery program provides more freedom, it doesn’t come without its own set of responsibilities. Individuals who prove they’re unable to meet these obligations on their own may be advised to switch to an inpatient program. Those who find more success with outpatient treatment can experience the advantages this type of therapy provides, including family and community support.
What Does Inpatient Addiction Treatment Entail?
Inpatient addiction treatment is an intensive experience that helps recovering addicts adjust to sober living without distractions. They live in a facility with other recovering addicts and participate in many types of therapy. Each day, the individual has a strict schedule to follow from establishing a time to wake up in the morning and a time to go to bed in the evening. In between, the individual’s activities are monitored and organized, ensuring he attends meetings and therapy sessions. Since many people become addicted to drugs or alcohol as a means of self-medicating for mental illness, the individual is evaluated upon his or her initial intake. If the individual is found to suffer from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or any mental illness, a treatment plan will be developed that includes mental health therapy.
Additionally, peer group meetings help recovering addicts share their experiences and learn how to cope with stress and triggers that caused them to use in the past. Until family participation can be incorporated into therapy, peer group sessions help recovering addicts find a sense of emotional support. While individual sessions with a professional therapist help the individual confront the issues that led to the addiction, peer support helps by providing understanding and encouragement to stay sober.
Comparing Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment
A quick overview of the differences between treatment programs can make it easier to determine which program is best for your situation. Inpatient features include:
- Patient lives in the facility
- Treatment is more expensive
- 24 hour medical support
- Programs are short, lasting from 28 days to six months
- More successful in treating serious addictions
Outpatient features include:
- Patient lives at home and attends daily therapy sessions
- Treatment is less expensive
- Patient can rely on family and social support networks
- Treatment programs are longer, lasting from three months to a year
- Daily treatment sessions can last up to 10 or 12 hours a day
- Works best with mild addictions
If you’re considering treatment, it’s important to select the program that will work best for you.
