People who are suffering from addictions or substance abuse often have to go to rehab centers for them to recover. For many rehab programs, patients often have to stay inside a facility for months. This is known as inpatient rehab. It involves a lot of different treatments, which mostly include psychological therapies, behavioral therapies, and in some cases, medications.

If you’re curious as to what an inpatient rehab program is like, here are some facts about it.

Inpatient rehab confines patients to the rehab center

You can think of inpatient rehab as like being confined to a hospital but in a more relaxing setting. Addictions are illnesses too, and as such, they have to be treated in ways similar to physical illnesses. An effective method of treatment is by confining patients to a rehab center.

Isn’t confinement traumatizing?

Not so for rehab centers. These facilities are designed to promote relaxation, stress relief, and in turn, recovery from addictions. Patients would have 24/7 support from doctors, counselors, and other mental health professionals. Whenever they need someone to talk to, they can find someone in the center. And when they experience medical emergencies, doctors are on standby all the time to help them out.

Also, many inpatient rehab centers have recreation facilities like swimming pools, basketball courts, game rooms, spas, and many others. These relaxing activities promote a lifestyle free from addictive substances and behaviors. In turn, they help in patients’ recoveries.

How long do patients have to stay in a rehab center?

Rehab programs can go anywhere from 28 days to 6 months. The length of treatment depends on how serious the addiction is. Mild cases need less time, while more serious cases require more time in rehab.

This would mean that patients need to take long leaves from work, school, and other responsibilities. At first, they may find it really hard to adjust. But in the long run, it’s worth the temporary hassle. Recovery always begins with that decision to get professional treatment.

Inpatient rehab is costly

Because patients have to stay in the rehab center for a long time, they have to shoulder the costs associated with the stay. This can easily go into the tens of thousands of dollars. The longer the rehab program, the more expensive it gets.

Fortunately, there are insurance providers that cover rehab. Check with your insurance company if it’s covered. Otherwise, some rehab centers provide financing options. That way, you can pay off the cost of rehab over a longer time.

Inpatient rehab is known to be quite effective

When patients are confined to a rehab center, they really have to adopt a new way of life. Gone are the days where they can freely drink, take drugs, or participate in any addictive behavior. They would also be away from the people who support their addictions. This way, patients will have no excuse to use.

Also, mental health professionals would be watching over them all the time. They would also lead patients in various therapies, which are designed to reduce their desire for addictive things. Therapy sessions are also great ways for patients to form trusting relationships with their counselors. If patients are more open to talking about their struggles, recovery is even more effective. In fact, just talking about their problems can be therapeutic in itself. Psychologists call this method “talk therapy.”

Patients always have access to medical help

In many cases of addiction recovery, patients have to undergo medically-assisted detox. Here, they are weaned off of addictive substances slowly. A critical part of detox is managing withdrawal symptoms, which often show up when patients reduce their intake of substances. When not managed well, withdrawal can be anything from slightly annoying to unbearably painful.

But in inpatient rehab, patients have medical help 24/7. Anytime their withdrawal symptoms get really bad, doctors are at the ready to give immediate aid. Patients can also talk to the doctors regularly if their medications are causing unpleasant side effects. That way, doctors can adjust dosages and prescriptions on the fly.

Patients adhere to new schedules and routines in the rehab center

Part of the recovery process is reorganizing patients’ lives. Before rehab, waking up really late and sleeping in the wee hours may be common. But once they’re in rehab, this has to change. They would have to wake up and sleep at consistent times until they get used to it. Wake up time may be at 6am every day, while at night, everybody must go to sleep by 9pm.

Also, many of the things they do during the day are scheduled. For example, meal times are regular; they can’t just eat whenever they feel like it. For one, breakfast could be scheduled at 7am to 8am only. Beyond that, they can no longer eat breakfast. Lunches and dinners may operate on similar schedules as well.

These routines are not designed to make patients feel like prisoners. Instead, they are meant to build a new, more disciplined lifestyle. Patients may have had these routines before, but they were destroyed by addiction. Thus, rehab must help the patients rebuild these patterns.

Other activities, like recreation, therapy sessions, and socialization, may also be scheduled at regular times each day. Again, these would further reinforce the patients to form a new, balanced lifestyle.

Family members are allowed to talk to patients while in the rehab center

When patients are confined to a center, that does not mean total isolation from the outside world. Yes, patients are away from their peers and usual environments, but they are still allowed to talk to their families.

Each rehab center has different policies regarding communication with loved ones. Some centers may even discourage patients from using their mobile phones while in rehab. With that, family members may only call their loved ones in specific times through the center’s phone number.

Family talk time may also be one of the scheduled activities for patients. With that, family members can have consistent days and times that they can talk to their recovering loved ones.