Inpatient Drug Rehab Centers

Daily life in inpatient drug rehab centers is nothing like you have seen on television. Although rehabilitation is more than just fun and games, it can also be both enjoyable and enlightening, especially if you approach it from the right perspective.

Therefore, if you attend one of these programs, you are highly likely to meet caring counselors, make lifelong friends, be involved emotionally, and - over and above everything else - change your lifestyle forever by overcoming your addiction and putting your recovery and sobriety first.

In this guide, you will learn more about what goes on in inpatient drug rehab centers so that you have a clear understanding of what to expect. Eventually, you may end up realizing that these centers provide the most appealing and effective way to get and stay clean.

Understanding Inpatient Drug Rehab Centers

Inpatient rehabilitation and treatment means that you will get to live at the inpatient drug rehab centers where you will receive therapy for your addiction. Most of these centers will house anywhere between 10 and 30 patients. In some cases, the staff ratios can be quite high - even getting to 2:1.

In most cases, you will find that many people who undergo recovery at a residential - another word for inpatient - treatment facility will do so for about 30 days or longer. As such, inpatient drug rehab centers are considered to be the most intensive of all forms of drug treatment.

What Happens During Inpatient Rehab?

Some of the things you can expect when you check into inpatient drug rehab centers include:

1. Intake and Admission

After arriving at inpatient drug rehab centers, most people will be asked to check in with admissions specialists. In most cases, this specialist might be the same person to talk with over the phone (or met at an earlier instance).

The specialist will also ask you basic questions - or administer a questionnaire - about your experience with alcohol, detox experiences, as well as how you are feeling at that moment. They will also discuss with you all treatment options and suggestions recommended by the professionals working at the facility.

Since health is always the first priority, you might also undergo medical evaluation to check your temperature, blood pressure, and more. The specialists and doctors will also discuss all the medications you are using at the same time before a treatment plan is created. At this point, you should ensure that all your special needs are also addressed.

As far as possible, you should remember that everyone you meet at inpatient drug rehab centers dedicates their lives to helping you recover. Therefore, even if they end up rubbing you the wrong way or you don't like them, you should never forget that they are still dedicating themselves to helping you overcome your addiction.

In fact, you might be surprised to learn that some of them once had a problem with drug abuse and alcohol consumption. As such, you might want to give them some leeway - over time, you might find that they help you change your mind.

Whatever the case, you should ensure that you are as honest as you possibly can during the admissions and intake process. In case of any questions or queries about you treatment plan, you should always make sure you ask.

Once the basic intake meeting is complete, you will receive a tour of the facilities at most inpatient drug rehab centers. You will learn more about the treatment areas, group rooms, common areas and rooms, laundry area, and the kitchen as well as the cooking facilities.

During this tour, you will also be introduced to all the patients and staff you come across. At the end of it, you should feel welcome meaning that things will no longer seem as strange as you may have expected.

2. Detoxification

After checking in, you might have to undergo detox before you are officially admitted into most inpatient drug rehab centers. This is because the doctors will have to ensure that you are medically stable and not suffering uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms while trying to participate in the actual rehabilitation part of the program.

In most cases, this process might take anywhere between 3 to 7 days. In some cases, however, the detox services provided at inpatient drug rehab centers can take as long as 2 weeks.

During the detoxification process, you will also receive another medical examination and evaluation to determine the substances you have been abusing, for how long, and in what quantities. This is important because it might be dangerous for you to withdraw, especially from chemicals like benzodiazepines and alcohol.

Due to the physiological aspects of detoxification and the subsequent withdrawal might prove to be uncomfortable, it is vital that all your symptoms are addressed in the right way - such as using medications.

However, some inpatient drug rehab centers provide a variety of therapies to help their patients cope with the drug craving and difficult emotions that tend to occur when people undergo withdrawal. These therapies will also be designed to prepare you for intensive inpatient treatment and rehabilitation.

3. Therapy

The therapy provided at inpatient drug rehab centers will focus on more than simply warehousing alcoholics and drug addicts long enough until they are able to stay clean after the treatment process.

Today, the fundamental concept of rehabilitation that has been responsible for the successful overcoming of alcoholism and addiction has been evidence based therapies. At most inpatient drug rehab centers, therefore, you will find that the types of therapy provided include but are not limited to:

a) Individual Therapy

Through the individual therapy provided by most inpatient drug rehab centers, you can receive the assistance you need to uncover all the underlying causes of your addiction or alcoholism.

This form of therapy will allow you to find your own answers through the unobtrusive and careful guidance provided. For instance, you might learn how to identify and treat such dual diagnosis conditions as mania, bipolar disorder, depression, and many other emotional and health disorders.

b) Group Therapy

In most cases, you will find that group therapy allows you to share your experiences with other clients at the inpatient drug rehab center within a setting moderated by a professional.

The activities here might include worksheets, watching films and movies relating to substance abuse, group activities, guided sharing, and free sharing among many others.

c) Family Therapy

This is another one of the important aspects of therapy provided at some inpatient drug rehab centers. In most cases, drug use and addiction affects members of your family deeply.

Therefore, part of the relationship building and healing process will have you addressing and correcting these issues. Still, you should keep in mind that family members who are still using alcohol or drugs might be not be included in these therapy sessions - for your well-being and safety.

d) Reality Therapy

This type of therapy is designed to focus on current events and happenings as well as on what you can do in the future. As far as possible, the experts from the inpatient drug rehab centers will ensure that no one discusses or addresses the past.

NOTE: However, reality therapy also refers to drug treatment centers that attempt to create rehabilitation environments that simulate real life as far as possible.

e) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is used at inpatient drug rehab centers to examine how you are thinking at the moment as well as to help you develop goals and plans to change this type of thinking. By changing how you think, therefore, you will also get the chance to change how you behave.

Since there are so many inpatient drug rehab centers, there are many types of therapy provided at each. These include animal therapy, biofeedback therapy, and adventure therapy.

Living At Inpatient Drug Rehab Centers

Knowing what you should expect once you check into inpatient drug rehab centers might make your experiences more pleasant. After the first day at the facility, you might feel tired and exhausted.

Consider the following information:

1. Sleeping

Sleeping arrangements tend to vary from one center to another. In general, however, they are in the style of a dormitory that might be split according to gender. In other cases, 2 to 3 people might share a room or a suite while you might also pay for your own private room - although this can be expensive.

As you undergo treatment, you should know that romantic relationships and liaisons of any kind are strictly forbidden and with good reason. As you attend inpatient drug rehab centers, therefore, it is imperative that your main goal is treatment and your focus is one of recovery.

Although treatment centers are now co-ed, you should never be involved with anyone while you are undergoing rehabilitation. This might cause you to lose your focus, leading to abrupt cessation of the program as well as trouble concentrating.

2. Eating

Nutrition and diet are both important, especially because they will provide you with social elements you can bond to. However, the meals provided at different inpatient drug rehab centers tend to vary from one facility to the next.

Still, this should not be a cause for concern - far from it, especially because most of these facilities emphasize that you maintain a healthy diet. This is because proper nutrition is crucial for long term recovery from substance abuse and addiction. To this end, the better the diet, the better you will also be equipped to continue striving for a life of sobriety and abstinence.

A good diet might also empower you with enough energy to deal with all the problems and stresses you encounter on a daily to ensure that you never have to turn to alcohol and drugs to feel better about yourself.

Some centers might also assign chores to their clients. This means that some people will be responsible for meal preparation while others will take care of cooking and cleaning up.

In other instances, you might find some inpatient drug rehab centers will allow you to prepare any food you prefer - for yourself - at certain times before you join the other clients in a common area.

Yet other rehabilitation facilities provide kitchens within their rooms. At such facilities, you should be able to cook and eat whenever you want. This also means that you might also have to go shopping - but only during supervised group outings leading to your local grocery store.

Last but not least, if you check into luxury inpatient drug rehab centers, they will provide you with full meal services - including specialized nutritional requests and needs. However, if you have food sensitivities or allergies, most inpatient drug rehab centers will accommodate your needs and requirements.

3. Communication

Since you will be at the inpatient facility for a long time, you might also want to know how you are going to communicate with the outside world - including through visits, email, and phone calls.

This is particularly because people are as addicted to technology as much as they would be to drugs. As such, it might difficult for you to imagine life without regular communication.

However, with respect to recovery, you should always focus on your treatment. It is for this reason that most of the inpatient drug rehab centers you come across may restrict your freedom to communicate easily with those in the outside world. For instance, they might confiscate your cell phone.

However, to ensure that you can maintain contact with family and friends, you may be allowed to communicate at certain times - but only through the primary phone (or payphone) at the clinic. Depending on the facility, the use of email might or might not be restricted.

Your program might also request members of your family to play a more active role in your treatment and recovery. This is best accomplished through family therapy sessions that are moderate by experienced family and addiction counselors.

Last but not least, if the inpatient drug rehab center you choose is far from your home, it might be difficult for you to visit with family and friends. However, this should not dissuade you. In fact, you should remember that you are there to focus on yourself and you will have plenty of time to re-unite with your loved ones when the program is over. They also tend to be quite intensive meaning that you might not have enough time to have a proper social life.

Overall, inpatient drug rehab centers have so much to offer - particularly to addicts and substance abusers. In case you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, therefore, you might want to check into one as soon as you can. Remember, the earlier you do this, the easier it might be for you to fully recover from your addiction.