What Are Inpatient Rehab Programs?
Also known as residential recovery, inpatient addiction related treatment programs entail an intensive, full-time program to treat often serious addictions.
The idea is to cut a person off completely from his previous/usual life for some time so that he/she can focus on his recovery in a healthy environment. An inpatient program offers 24*7 emotional and medical support. The treatment often begins with drug and alcohol detox. During the treatment, the person is not allowed to go to school or work. They often have to live on the site during the entire course of the treatment.
Are Drug Addiction Therapies Effective?
Most people stop doing drugs after they have completed inpatient drug addiction treatment successfully. Their social, psychological, and occupational functioning also improves. For instance, in the US methadone treatment has been highly effective in decreasing criminal behavior and reducing drug usage. However, in the end, the effectiveness of a program depends on a ton of factors.
The nature of addiction, patient’s personal commitment, quality and duration of the treatment, and myriad other factors determine the success of treatment. It also depends largely on the interaction that takes place between the treatment providers and the patient, and whether only addiction treatment or dual diagnosis treatment are needed.
Common Therapies Used for Treating Addiction
Biofeedback Therapy
During a typical biofeedback therapy session, often used in luxury drug and alcohol rehabs, you should expect your therapist to attach electrodes on your skin. These electrodes send a bunch of information to the monitoring box.
Based on the information received along with a couple of trials and errors; the therapist identifies a range of mental activities. Accordingly, he/she would teach relaxation techniques that allow the patient to regulate their bodily processes.
After some time, the person learns to control mental activities and processes all on their own.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT happens to be one of the most effective and valuable tools for treating myriad forms of addictions. It can cure not just drug addiction, but can also be used in food and alcohol addiction treatment as well.
The basic idea is to help the patient recognize the onset of unhealthy behaviors. In this way, the person can engage his coping skills before the trigger gets worse. It’s like nipping the trigger in the bud.
Cognitive behavioral therapy works better in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT or dialectical behavior therapy that is often used in drug and alcohol rehab centers entails teaching a bunch of useful skills such as distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills. All of these are coping skills that help people to stop doing drugs and abusing alcohol for a sustainable, long-term recovery.
The therapy also focuses on spending time in healthy surroundings and changing the behavior of the addict to make sure sobriety is as easy as possible.
Below are the commonest DBT strategies used for tearing addiction –
- Encouraging the patient to seek and associate with the kind of people, groups, and surroundings that discourage drug usage.
- Focusing on the removal of common triggers such as unhealthy relations that might be causing the addiction as well as certain groups/settings/places/friends.
- DBT also works on improving a patient’s confidence and self-esteem so that sobriety becomes sustainable and the person doesn’t relapse in times of distress and hardships.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
REBT helps patients recognize and understand the negative patterns that might be causing/worsening the addiction. It can be used in both short term and long term addiction treatment programs. It also teaches ways to fight those feelings of self-defeat and vulnerability.
All and all, the main focus of emotional behavioral therapy is to realize the power of positive/rational thinking. It affirms the fact that outside stressors and situations cannot control your addiction.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy
It uses a counseling approach to motivate healthy changes from within. It works best when combined with other therapies/counseling such as the 12-step method.
A therapist will assess you first. The assessment happens across four sessions; each one personalized to the individual’s needs. Based on the evaluation from the first assessment, the therapist will set goals for future successes. During later sessions, the patient receives positive reinforcements to stay sober.
Holistic Therapy
Holistic therapy is essentially a non-medical recovery method that uses traditional treatment methods. The goal of all holistic therapies is to bring mental, spiritual, and physical health into harmony and alignment with each other.
Holistic drug addiction treatment works best in conjunction with traditional medicine-based treatments that focus on improving the symptoms of withdrawal and addiction.
The main points of focus are meditation, exercise, mental health, and balanced nutrition.
Below are the commonest types of holistic therapies –
- Tai chi
- Yoga
- Acupuncture
- Guided meditation
- Spiritual therapy
- Massage therapy
- Proper nutrition
- Art therapy
- Counseling
- Proper nutrition
- Routine exercises
Bottom Line
It’s normal to doubt the effectiveness of inpatient addiction therapies and treatments. However, with the right combination of therapies and the right attitude, it’s possible to live a sober, healthy, drug-free life.