Residential Alcohol Treatment
Residential alcohol treatment involves constant care and supervision for patients at a live-in facility, often for days, weeks, or months at a time. People may check in to a residential alcohol treatment center by choice, but it’s often mandated by court when an person runs into repeated trouble with the law as a result of his or her alcoholism. It can be a very intense, but also a very effective form of treatment for alcoholism.
What is Residential Alcohol Treatment?
Patients who check in to residential alcohol treatment centers stay and live at the treatment facility, where they receive full-time support and supervision, including medical and psychological care for the effects of their addiction. Residential alcohol treatment can also be called inpatient care or rehab. It usually adds up to an extended stay, from the short term (days or weeks) to the long term (months or years). While a patient is recovering, residential treatment becomes a truly positive lifestyle change.
What Happens at a Residential Alcohol Treatment Center?
One residential treatment center may have very different treatment methods than the next; there are many specific methods of treatment, and this is part of what makes residential facilities so successful in treating their patients. Many residential treatment centers include and offer the following:
- a period of detox
- detailed assessments of patients’ histories with alcoholism
- meetings and therapy
- exercises for reducing stress
- physical activity and nutrition education
- regular medical and psychological care and checkups
Some residential alcohol treatment centers also offer the following:
- 12 step alcoholism treatment
- holistic or alternative treatment
- Christian and faith-based treatment options
- executive alcohol treatment
Some of the more traditional treatment facilities may not leave much room for customization in their approaches, but many will work with each individual patient to assemble a detailed treatment plan that takes the individual’s specific needs into consideration.
Learn to Thrive in a Residential Alcohol Treatment Center
Residential alcohol treatment centers can be intimidating to many recovering addicts, especially those who are new to the recovery process. Being able to check in to a residential alcohol treatment center is an incredible gift, but it’s important to understand the pros and cons of this kind of treatment, so that patients can get the most out of their stay.
Benefits of Residential Alcohol Treatment
Because of the constant supervision and support, recovering alcoholics are able to focus solely on getting and staying sober, as they are not constantly surrounded by the temptations and pressures they might face at home.
Negative Aspects of Residential Alcohol Treatment
Residential alcohol treatment centers are usually very expensive, and this may not be an option for people without insurance or without the means to pay for their stay.
The intensive nature of residential alcohol treatment may be a pro for some, but in some ways, it can also be a con. People with other obligations in their lives, such as jobs and families, may not be able to drop everything to focus on treatment, making their stay at a residential alcohol treatment center counter-productive.
Is Residential Alcohol Treatment Right for You?
For many alcoholics, residential alcohol treatment is a frightening proposition. But for many others, it’s a last-resort, and the only treatment method that will work. If you are willing, ready, and able to commit to a long-term and highly focused treatment method, then residential alcohol treatment may be the answer you have been looking for.