Choosing Inpatient Alcohol Treatment

Choosing the right inpatient alcohol treatment can save your life.

Is inpatient alcohol treatment necessary for your recovery from alcohol abuse related problems? Will it really take living in a treatment facility for a period of 90 days or more to get on the right path to recovery? These are the questions that first come up when trying to decide between inpatient alcohol treatment and an outpatient treatment program. While there may be no surefire method of treatment that works for everyone, choosing inpatient alcohol treatment may be the ideal option for your recovery success.

Why is Inpatient Alcohol Treatment Effective?

People simply do better when they receive inpatient alcohol treatment than they do when they attend outpatient treatment programs because:

• Inpatient treatment helps the recovering addict to build a strong foundation for support
• Inpatient treatment helps the recovering addict to understand how their addiction started
• Inpatient alcohol treatment provides a safe place to combat the changes that have occurred as a result of their alcohol abuse and addiction
• Inpatient alcohol treatment takes the addict away from the potential for relapse by removing him or her from situations in which alcohol is involved

What to Consider

When trying to choose between the various inpatient alcohol treatment programs that are offered in your area, you will want to consider the following factors:

• Cost of the program and whether or not you can afford the treatment
• Whether insurance is accepted and whether you have insurance coverage for addiction treatment
• Where the program is located and whether you will be comfortable in the location
• How long the program will be and what steps you will need to take to ensure that your loose ends at home are tied up for that period of time
• Effectiveness of the program and what the rate of relapse is for others who have completed the program

In looking at the effectiveness of a particular treatment program, keep in mind that addiction is like most diseases: the number of people who actually follow through with treatment and maintain proper lifestyle changes following treatment is typically only about 50%.

What About Detox?

Do you suffer from withdrawal symptoms when you quit drinking? An estimated 95% of all people who are addicted to alcohol and seek help suffer from mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal during the early days of treatment. If you haven’t already detoxed and overcome the physical symptoms of alcohol addiction, you will want to choose an inpatient alcohol treatment program that includes a detox program. While you may not suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms when you quit drinking, depending on the severity of your addiction and the length of time that you have been a heavy drinker, there is a risk of severe withdrawal symptoms so it’s important to seek a treatment facility that is prepared to treat you medically for these symptoms in the case of severe withdrawal.

Why Inpatient Alcohol Treatment is the Recommended Choice

If you’ve determined that you have a problem with alcohol and that it’s time to seek help, inpatient alcohol treatment is the recommended method of care to get started on the right path to recovery. While you have other options such as support groups and outpatient treatment, inpatient treatment is the recommended choice because inpatient treatment removes you from the lifestyle that you are living and allows for optimal recovery in a controlled environment.

You can’t expect to overcome physical and psychological addiction in one night nor can you expect to simply make many lifestyle changes and for everything to go smoothly. Inpatient alcohol treatment programs provide you with the support, the foundation for networking to build positive relationships, and the counseling that you need in an environment that is also medically supervised to ensure your continued safety in recovery. If your budget can provide you with the ability to seek inpatient care, your chances of success in recovery will be greatly improved.