For most people struggling with drug addiction, residential inpatient treatment offers the best chance at a permanent recovery. Usually lasting between thirty and ninety days, these programs are much more involved than a simple detoxification routine. This length is crucial for getting a patient past the initial Acute Withdrawal Syndrome and teaching them how to deal with Post Acute Withdrawal and the challenges they will face in the outside world. In addition, most inpatient programs help former addicts to establish meaning, purpose, and healthy relationships in their new lives.

One of the most important and effectual aspects of an inpatient stay is its isolation from dangerous environments. Although an addict must eventually return to a more normal life, this temporary stay in a totally clean facility can be transformative. In fact, a United States Labor Department study has found that this isolation doesn't even need to be voluntary in order to be effective. Addicts who attend inpatient programs by court order have just as high a success rate as those who go of their own accord.

Overall, what makes inpatient rehabilitation centers so successful is their combination of proven, evidence-based practices with reality therapies. The evidence-based treatments are highly individualized and evolve as a patient makes progress. First and foremost, they involve individual sessions with a rehabilitation counselor. The patient explores the root causes of his or her addiction with the counselor, and they both work to uncover any co-occurring conditions or mental imbalances. Second, group therapy plays on the natural human desire for congregation and connection with other people. Here, a clinician facilitates discussions between peers regarding harmful addictive behaviors. Third, addicts who still have close family ties or spouses engage in family therapy. During these treatments, people learn how to form a positive and helpful family dynamic with the recovering addict.

On the other hand, reality therapy helps patients to connect their treatment with the real world by allowing them to go about the activities of daily life such as cooking, cleaning, and attending their appointments. It also teaches patients to recognize the difference between things they can and cannot control, to change what they can, and to accept when they can't. Counselors focus on the following success strategies to achieve this understanding and balance:

*Living in the here and now

*Avoiding counselor / patient discussions about complaints

*Focusing on patients' abilities to think carefully and act wisely

*Making patients feel in control of their lives by reserving judgments and avoiding coercion

*Discussing specific, real-life scenarios to plan for future challenges

*Constant patience and reassurance

Effective inpatient centers also employ cognitive behavioral therapy, which differs from psychoanalysis in its directness and instructive nature. Many programs even require patients to complete homework assignments, and this level of involvement during treatment is what sets patients up for success once they leave the facility.

Finally, most inpatient programs provide tools, resources, and support for addicts post-treatment. Emergency hotlines, support from other former addicts, and even continued counseling can be critical for some patients to stay clean.

Inpatient treatment is clearly intense, but it is the necessary step for many addicts to return to a clean, productive, and happy life. Addiction is a crippling neurological disorder, and a holistic treatment of the body and mind is the only way to cure it. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call the number at the top of your screen for a free, confidential consultation from one of our compassionate consultants.