Why Choose Inpatient Alcohol Treatment

Once an individual chooses to seek help for alcohol addiction, he or she must decide on a treatment. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “in addition to mutual support groups, AUDs [alcohol use disorders] can be treated with medications and behavioral therapies, as well as combinations of treatments.” Inpatient alcohol abuse rehabilitation programs often implement many of these. Most people know that inpatient alcohol treatment centers exist, but why choose one? 

Inpatient Programs

Inpatient rehab facilities are a very helpful option for many people seeking treatment. A person will usually stay in an inpatient rehab facility for anywhere from 30 days to “6 to 12 months” (The National Institute on Drug Abuse). Inpatient facilities consist of several treatments, including:

Inpatient alcohol treatment provides a safe, supportive, and temptation-free environment for recovery.

• A controlled environment for the patient
• Detoxification from the drug
• Individual and/or group therapy sessions
• Care from a medical professional to ease symptoms of withdrawal 

Level of Addiction

This is a very important factor when choosing a rehab center. A person who is a “social drinker,” or someone who likes to drink but wants help recovering from a mild addiction, might consider an outpatient program where he or she is present for therapy and other treatments but does not stay in the facility. 

Someone with a very strong addiction to alcohol who will go through withdrawals when not able to drink should strongly consider an inpatient program. In an inpatient facility, the individual will be slowly worked through his or her withdrawals, often with medication, in order to keep the reaction from becoming too severe. 

Controlled Environment

Alcohol is an easy substance to obtain. It is legal to buy and sell in most places, and according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “in 2012, 87.6 percent of people aged 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lives.” It’s understandable given the prevalence of alcohol in our society, but for someone dealing with addiction, it may be difficult to be where alcohol is readily available. Inpatient programs remove the opportunity to drink by placing the individual in a controlled environment. There, it is much easier to focus on recovery instead of the desire for a drink and the struggle to not give in. 

Support

Recovery is a long and difficult process, but it is often said that the first step is the hardest. In an inpatient program, the individual focused on recovery also has many people to talk with and lean on when the process is just beginning. Therapy with both individual and group sessions can be very beneficial to someone attempting to break free from addiction, and seeing other people who are doing the same every day can become an amazing system of support when it is needed the most. 

For an individual who decides to seek treatment for alcohol addiction, inpatient facilities are very important resources. Especially for someone who has a strong, physical dependence on alcohol, inpatient treatments are often necessary to cement those initial and important steps toward recovery.