The Most Important Difference Between Inpatient and Outpatient Drug Rehab

When you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol, it can be a negative cycle that’s hard to get out of without outside help, like outpatient drug rehab. Pretty much everyone in the world lives according to some sort of cycle; for many people, these cycles are positive.

For addicts, substance use creates an artificially positive feedback loop. Drugs or alcohol give you a high, so you continue to seek them out. Breaking this cycle can be a challenge especially when the drug or alcohol use has gone on for a long time.

The best solution for addicts who feel stuck in a loop is for them to go to a rehab center. This article will help you to understand the differences between inpatient and outpatient drug rehab.

What Is Inpatient Drug Rehab?

Inpatient drug rehab involves living at a rehab center for the duration of your treatment. This means you’re always living in an environment that’s conducive to your recovery.

This is a great option for people who need to get away from the environment they were living in. For many people, recovery can be difficult because they associate with so many other addicts and alcoholics. Inpatient rehab will give you the chance to get away from all of the negative influences in your life.

During a stay in inpatient rehab, you’re effectively cut off from the rest of the world. This can be very helpful in enabling you to detox.

This Type of Rehab Is Good for Severe Addiction

Inpatient rehab is a great option for people who have severe addictions. If you’re heavily addicted to certain substances such as heroin or alcohol, the withdrawal symptoms can be very unpleasant. In some cases, withdrawal symptoms can even be downright fatal.

When you attend inpatient rehab, you’ll be constantly monitored to ensure there are no complications from your detoxification. In the event that you do suffer from some bad side effects, the medical staff will be able to administer medication that’ll minimize the symptoms.

Inpatient rehab is probably the kind of rehab that offers the best chances of success, as you’ll live in the rehab facility and will have the time to focus on your recovery 100%. If you’ve previously tried to get off drugs or alcohol, or if you’ve relapsed, inpatient rehab is a great choice for your recovery.

Of course, there are a few downsides to this method of recovery. For example, it costs a lot more than some other rehab methods. You’ll need to have a reasonable amount of funds available to you if you want to go to inpatient rehab.

What Is Outpatient Drug Rehab?

Outpatient rehab differs to inpatient rehab because you’ll continue living at home during the course of your treatment. Under certain circumstances, this can be the preferred method of rehabilitation.

For example, many people don’t have the luxury of checking out of the world for a few weeks or months at a time as you’d do during a stay in an inpatient facility. Maybe you have to work a job, look after your children, or continue going to school. In these kinds of situations, you might consider outpatient rehab since your recovery schedule can be adapted to your responsibilities.

In some cases, you might need to take some time off from work or school in order to detox. As the drugs or alcohol leave your system, you probably won’t be very functional. Once the drugs have left your system and you enter the next stage in the recovery process, you’ll be able to resume living a relatively normal life while going to the rehab center on the side.

A Cheaper Option

Another big advantage to this kind of treatment is the fact that it’s much cheaper than going to inpatient rehab. If your funds are limited, outpatient rehab might be your only option.

Even if you have the money for inpatient rehab, you might still consider an outpatient program if you have an excellent support network at home. Inpatient rehab is great if you don’t have a support structure at home, but when you do, you might find that you miss it.

Address Your Issues

At both kinds of rehab, you’ll get the chance to address your issues; not just your addictions, but also the causes of your addiction.

Many addicts have undiagnosed mental health problems. When you attend rehab, you will not only get medical assistance, but you’ll also get the chance to attend counseling sessions.

If there is an underlying mental health condition that’s contributing to your behavior, you’ll receive a diagnosis. Once you have a label to put on your mental health issues, you’ll be able to get the help and support you need. This might include continuing counseling sessions or it might involve taking medication such as antidepressants.

It’s important that the mental health component of your addiction is addressed. When this part is ignored, there’s a much greater chance that you’ll end up relapsing.

Take the First Step Towards Recovery

If you want to take the first step in addressing your addiction and getting clean, get in contact with your closest rehab clinic. Make sure the clinic offers the kind of rehab program you want. Some clinics only operate as an outpatient drug rehab, whereas others only offer inpatient services.

Don’t be discouraged if you’ve previously relapsed. For many addicts, it takes multiple attempts to get clean before they’re finally successful. As long as you genuinely want to break out of the negative cycle and get sober, then that’s all that matters.

If you’d like to get into a rehab facility, then get in touch with us today.

References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8997778
• https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/mental-health-problems-introduction/