When you’re searching for help with addiction, for yourself or a loved one, you’ll see that there are a lot of options out there. You can find inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation centres, support groups, therapy and virtual rehabilitation programmes. These options mean that there’s something for everyone, and it’s easy to access help, which is great news. However, we do know they can be a little baffling, so today we’re explaining what an inpatient rehabilitation centre is and who it is most suitable for. If you have any questions about what kind of addiction treatment program is right for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.
What is an inpatient rehabilitation centre?
Let’s start with the basics, what does the phrase “inpatient rehabilitation centre” actually mean? We’d say that when you hear the words inpatient, think residential! It means that you will stay at your rehab centre during the course of your treatment, rather than going in each day or week, but living at home.
Don’t worry about the fact that it sounds very medical and clinical, staying in a private rehabilitation centre can be a very luxurious experience and the good ones make you feel at home. To use The Bridge as an example, our recovery residence is a stunning villa, nestled in the hills outside of Marbella in Spain. Every patient has a beautiful room with stunning views and an ensuite bathroom. You can make full use of the pool, relax in the gardens and dine alfresco, soak up the sun and visit the beach for some Vitamin Sea. It is a family-run business, and with a maximum of five patients at one time you will really feel comfortable and part of the family. We believe these surroundings and the sunshine helps to make the rehabilitation journey easier and improves your state of mind, making you more responsive to treatment. This is not a hospital, rather a safe space where you can really focus 100% on your recovery.
When you opt for residential rehab, you will have people there around the clock and an intensive exposure to therapy, groups, counselling and lifestyle activities which can help you develop healthy habits. It is a very positive and powerful experience when you’re struggling with addiction.
Who is an inpatient rehabilitation centre suitable for?
People opt for our residential programmes for a whole host of reasons. They may have tried and failed to stop drinking and taking drugs on previous occasions and know that their environment, social circle and work life contains too many triggers to resist. These people value the fact that they are staying in a place without temptation, with no one drinking or taking drugs, and where they can remove the substances and focus on recovery.
Other people have very demanding family or work lives which don’t give them the space or the time to focus on themselves and their own issues. They want to remove the distractions and move away from all the things which get in the way of their recovery. This is the ultimate act of self-care and they know that when they focus on themselves and surround themselves with experts and trained addiction recovery professionals full time that they can get the results they need. When they return to work or home, they will possess the clarity and the tools to be able to give their business or the family what they need, without falling back on alcohol or drugs.
In some cases, our patients require a medical detox, or suffer from intense withdrawal symptoms and this is not safe to do without the right supervision. An inpatient rehabilitation centre with access to medical professionals and experts who can help you through it is crucial at this stage. It is also advised to have an intensive rehabilitation programme to build up your strength and resilience, and equip you with the skills you need to stay clean and sober long-term.
Last but not least, some patients have other mental health issues alongside their addiction and need a safe space with the right professional help to prevent them from harming themselves, or from being a threat to others. Residential rehabilitation is usually the only option in these cases.
Find out more about who we can help on our website.
Why is an inpatient rehabilitation centre so effective in recovery?
Residential rehabilitation really works. That’s because it forces a complete break in your destructive habits and patterns and offers a safe place to stop drinking, taking drugs or gambling. You are surrounded by experts who understand what you are going through and you can have a very intensive programme of therapy and treatments.
There is time and space to get to the root of the problem, reflect, to learn and to develop skills and coping strategies. The team will make sure you’re eating well, exercising safely and enjoyably, and have the correct blend of therapeutic addiction treatment to give you the ideal base for recovery. You don’t have to worry about the other things – cooking, cleaning, working, childcare…. There are no distractions, no temptations and every opportunity to get better and set your new life off to a really solid start.
How can you prepare to go back to your normal life without relapsing?
One potential danger of residential recovery programmes is that you become dependent on this form of treatment. Patients can feel that this is the only safe space where they can be in recovery and that is not what you want. You need to choose a rehabilitation centre with a clear path and programme which will take you from the depths of your addiction back to living a normal life at home.
When you’re choosing the right rehabilitation centre for you, make sure they take a long-term approach and that they offer secondary care which equips you with the strategies you need to resist the temptations of life outside rehab. Ask whether there is ongoing support available for when you go home such as online programmes, regular check-ins or virtual therapy sessions to keep you on the straight and narrow. We’ve put together a list of questions to ask when choosing a treatment centre on our blog, to help you make an informed choice.
Our approach is to involve the families to ensure that there is a strong support system in place, we also use therapy such as CBT to break negative habits and to change thinking and behavioural patterns long-term. We offer accompanied transport and sober coaches to travel with you and to help you to prepare your home for your new life without drugs and alcohol. These are crucial tools for reintegrating into your life without risking your recovery and we are always here for our patients on their journey.
You’ve got this!
Whether you choose inpatient or outpatient rehab, join an AA group, or opt for an online addiction programme, the key is to commit to your recovery and make it work for you.
We wish you all the luck and believe that everyone can live life without drugs and alcohol, can find happiness and health and be clean and sober. Find out more about how we work at The Bridge on our website, or contact us with any questions you may have.
