The Difference Between Inpatient and Residential Drug Rehab

A family faced with the selection of a drug rehab program for a loved one will find a bewildering number of choices. To make a decision about which rehab is best for their family member, it’s vital to take into account a number of factors, such as:

1. The age and health of the addicted person
2. That person’s willingness or unwillingness to apply themselves to the rehab program
3. Whether it is better to distance the person from their usual contacts (such as drug dealers) or keep them close to home
4. Whether or not that person must work or care for children at the same time that they complete rehab
5. The severity of their addiction
6. The current state of their social skills and personal responsibility
7. An assessment of these points can be made by the family before selecting a rehab facility. A conversation with the rehab intake staff can also provide guidance on this pre-rehab evaluation.

The Goals of the Family and Individual Also Matter

Additionally, the goals and values of the family should be reflected in the goals and values of the drug rehab program. Many families want to sever their loved one’s dependence on chemical substances and not all drug rehab programs have this as a goal. There are even some drug programs that only aim to teach a person how to prevent as much harm as possible while they are using drugs. To get the result a family wants, they should ask rehab intake staff questions until they are fully satisfied that they have found the drug rehab they want.

During their search, families (or individuals searching for their own drug rehab) may find facilities that describe themselves as inpatient or residential. It is important to understand the differences between these two types of drug rehabs.

Inpatient Drug Rehab vs. Residential Drug Rehab

On some websites or in some guides to addiction recovery, you might see these terms used interchangeably. Actually, these programs have different characteristics that make them suitable for different situations of addiction recovery.

An inpatient drug rehab will have characteristics like these:

• Medical staff monitoring patients around the clock
• Hospital-like setting
• Shorter stays than residential drug rehab
• Patients may suffer from mental or physical conditions that require monitoring
• Patients may possibly harm themselves or others without close monitoring
• Some inpatient facilities do not allow the individual to leave without permission

However, some programs that are only residential but not actually inpatient may describe themselves as inpatient. It is important to ask staff about the characteristics of their inpatient drug rehab program. One of the most distinguishing factors of a true inpatient program is that they usually offer around-the-clock care which is often provided in a hospital or similar setting.

In contrast, there are many types of residential drug rehabs. They range from luxury, spa-like rehabs in Malibu to modest community or charity programs in residences that are only a little better than makeshift. What they have in common is that those in recovery reside in the facility. They do not go home at night like those in outpatient drug rehab programs do.

What makes residential drug rehab programs more effective for many people is that those in recovery can focus fully on their rehabilitation. They are not distracted by the need to get to work every day, care for children, maintain relationships with family and friends and care for a home. They are there for one purpose only: to recover from addiction.

How Long Do Residential Drug Rehab Programs Last?

Given the wide range of drug rehab facilities that fit into this category, the length of these programs can vary greatly. Some residential programs offer 30-day programs. After that, a person either returns to their usual life or they transfer to an outpatient or other type of program.

Other residential drug rehabs offer extended programs that last three to five months or more. These programs tend to be structured around certain milestones the individual is expected to achieve.

Therapeutic communities comprise another type of residential drug rehab program. In this type of rehab, those in the community support each other and are often assigned chores. They may be expected to hold jobs outside the community. A person may stay in this community for six months to a year or more.

Sober living homes may be considered residential drug rehabs but most are locations where a person who has previously completed rehab can continue to find sober support.

Benefits of Residential Drug Rehab Programs

By the time most people seek the help of drug rehab, addiction has been going on for years, sometimes for decades. After all that time spent addicted, it is rare for an individual to recover from addiction in just 30 days. Most people need longer to achieve the milestones that will enable them to meet life’s challenges without succumbing to cravings for alcohol or drugs.

Further, while a person is actively addicted, their life skills suffer damage. Their personal integrity hits new lows and their ability to communicate may be significantly impaired. They may have long since lost the ability to examine their own behavior and make self-determined improvements.

All these life skills must be rehabilitated. Sometimes, they must be learned for the first time if a person began drinking or using drugs in their teens.

Future sobriety will depend on a person’s ability to resolve any tendency toward self-destructive behavior.

In a residential drug rehab program of sufficient length, with proper supervision and the right milestones measuring a person’s recovery, lasting sobriety becomes possible.

The Narconon Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program

There are Narconon drug rehabilitation centers on five continents of the world. They are all residential facilities that offer an extended-length program. The duration of the program depends on the progress of the individual. What is important is that each person recovers from the harm done by their addictions and that they develop the sober living skills they can rely on in the future. For one person, their program might last three months. For another, it might last five months. The result of a person who can maintain a sober, productive life is the only thing that counts.

For more than fifty years, the Narconon drug rehab program has been enabling those who were addicted to achieve sobriety without reliance on any treatment medications. Treatment drugs are not used at Narconon rehab centers. The goal of the rehab program is a person who is drug-free, not reliant on the kinds of medications some other rehab centers use.

Every Narconon facility follows the same, precise, tested guidelines for detoxification, counseling, and life skills training. In the life skills component of this program, each person has the chance to develop or restore the life skills that can enable them to cope with upsets, losses and challenges in their daily lives. Being able to deal with the ups and downs of life without resorting to drug or alcohol use is the essential result of developing these skills.

Life skills are put to use right on the spot so each person gains real-life experience using them. As they plan their re-entries into home and work environments, they use these skills again to develop a sound plan to create the supportive framework they need for lasting sobriety.