Is Inpatient Alcohol Treatment More Effective?The purpose of putting an alcoholic in an inpatient alcohol treatment or a residential treatment facility is so that he or she can be monitored with care and vigilance at all times. There are no distractions or stress-related incidents while inside the facility, hence, the focus on recovery is given priority and attention. Aside from medications that will be prescribed to a person under an inpatient alcohol treatment program, the individual will also be taught to manage his cravings. And naturally, if this task is done in his normal environment, with all its distractions, it would be hard to achieve full recovery. In the outside world, the individual will have to deal with situations that will only trigger or worsen the addiction so outpatient alcohol treatment is not really highly recommended. The lifestyle that a person keeps, the activities and the people that a person is surrounded with, could drive him towards further dependency. A change in the environment will have a great impact to the recovering alcoholic. Physically removing the person from his comfort zone or his usual crowd will be crucial in the goal of achieving sobriety. An individual who needs to be admitted to an inpatient alcohol treatment program has to be assessed by the facility first. This comes in the form of psycho-social and medical assessments. Could the patient be suffering from depression? Is the patient suffering from a bipolar condition? Are there medical conditions that have to be immediately attended to? How long has he been dependent on alcohol? What does he go through if he is under the influence? What kind of medications should be prescribed? These are questions the facility has to find answers to in order to make recommendations for the best kind of inpatient treatment the alcoholic will be receiving. The recommendations will not just include the programs; it will also have to cover who among the doctors and professionals are qualified to handle the patient’s case. The length to which a patient is required to stay inside the facility will also depend on the assessment. However, most programs take place within 30, 60 or 90 days. Most inpatient treatment programs include the giving of pills during detoxification, as well as other medications for those addicted to opiates and other substances. While programs in an inpatient alcoholic treatment facility must be tailored and individualized, essentially, it has to include the following elements:
One of the last elements, reintegration management, is the most crucial aspect of the program. With this, patients are taught and prepared to deal with situations that may affect their sober condition when they come back to their natural environment. It is of course very important for the patient not to have a relapse after treatment. Some of the preferred inpatient treatment alcohol facilities include:
Transitional care, on the other hand, is an option for a longer recovery program; one that requires the patient to still undergo therapy even while the patient is already outside of the facility. |