Addiction is a neurological disease which requires clinical treatment. Though people who don’t experience addiction first-hand often assume that it is an issue of willpower, substance abuse involves permanent changes to a person’s brain chemistry. To cleanse themselves of drug dependency and formulate coping strategies for long-term sobriety, addicts can undergo a variety of holistic treatment programs at rehabilitation centers across the country. These include residential inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs.
Residential inpatient programs are by far the most involved and intense of the three. They involve a thirty-to-ninety day in-house stay at a rehab facility, and patients undergo fifty or more hours of therapy per week. Outpatient programs, on the other hand, allow patients to attend treatments only during specified daytime hours. They are free to spend the rest of their time as they see fit. For patients who have undergone an inpatient stay but are not yet ready for the freedom and responsibility of an outpatient plan, there are partial hospitalization programs. Here are a few things you can expect from these treatment plans.
Structured Daytime Treatment
Partial hospitalization programs, also known as day and night programs, still involve a great deal of structure during the daytime hours. Patients are required to attend their treatments at certain times, and they spend large portions of their days at their treatment facilities.
Supervised Evenings
Unlike inpatient programs, partial hospitalization allows addicts to leave their rehabilitation facilities during evenings and nights. They may live in special housing for the duration of their treatment plan, or they may return to their homes during this time. However, they do so under the supervision of clinic staff. Rehab clinicians ensure that patients’ activities during this time are drug-free and conducive to long-term recovery – no substance use, no reconnecting with old drug-using friends, and no compromising situations such as clubs or bars. This time is to be spent practicing clean living.
Evidence-Based Therapies
Each of these three treatment programs offers addicts the same evidence-based therapies which medical professionals and government agencies have statistically proven to be effective at producing long-term sobriety. These therapies include individual counseling sessions, peer-group discussions, and family therapy.
In individual counseling sessions, addicts talk about the root causes of their destructive behaviors. They learn to recognize harmful thought patterns, and they develop coping mechanisms for dealing with drug cravings in difficult situations. They can also discover co-occurring mental conditions which may contribute to their drug problems. For those suffering from depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses, discovering these problems is crucial for long-term sobriety. Untreated, these conditions will almost certainly lead to relapse.
Peer-group discussions allow partial hospitalization patients to connect with other addicts – even those currently undergoing inpatient or outpatient programs. These discussions allow patients to share their stories, share coping strategies, and build personal connections which are essential for long-term sobriety.
Finally, family therapies allow patients and their families to have constructive, clinician-facilitated discussions. For addicts who are still in close contact with their parents, siblings, and other family members, these discussions can be invaluable. A healthy, constructive family dynamic can help keep an addict sober during trying times. Everyone needs people to lean on when they have problems – nobody more so than drug addicts.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol, use the links below to get help now. Whether you’ve already completed an inpatient stay, you’re experiencing a relapse, or you have never sought treatment before, there is hope. Our dedicated addiction specialists are standing by day and night to give you a toll-free consultation and get you started on the road to recovery.
Click here to speak to get a confidential consultation at any time of day or night: Texas Drug Rehab. We can get you help no matter where you are, so call us now.
Our Texas Drug Rehab center website offers an enormous amount of free information for people who are struggling with addiction, incluidng resources to check your insurance, ask an addiction expert a question and more.
Meekah studied abroad for four years, achieving two masters degrees during this time. However, she then discovered her love of writing and pursued an entirely different career as an editor and professional writer. Today she earns her living with her pen, while 2 useless MA's hang on her wall...
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