Entering an inpatient rehab programme may often be viewed as an inconvenience, so it is probably not something one would want to do unless there was a good reason for doing it. If you could get all the help you need as an outpatient, would that not be a much better way of doing things? At least that way, there would be less disruption to your life. The reality is that outpatient addiction treatment is not going to be as effective as an inpatient rehab, and here are just 10 of the reasons why this is the case.
1. A Rehab Provides a Therapeutic Environment
The rehab environment is carefully controlled to ensure the best chance of recovery. The fact that you are there should boost your motivation and abilities to change. In rehab, you are protected from the usual stresses and strains of daily living, which means being able to focus on getting better. There can be way too many distractions at home if you are in early recovery, which is why most people who try to go it alone in this environment find it a real struggle.
2. Rehab Provides Everything You Need Under One Roof
You could find many of the resources you need to recover in the community, but the problem is that these may be difficult to access and only available in a limited way. The great thing about rehab is that you will have everything you need all under one roof. This means you will be able to access everything as you need it and you will probably be able to use the resource to an extent that would not be possible in the community. All this means that in rehab you will pack far more useful resources into your recovery than you would do otherwise.
3. You Are Far Less Likely to Relapse During Early Sobriety
You are at highest risk of relapse during the first few weeks of recovery; if you make it through this early stage, your likelihood of achieving lasting sobriety rises dramatically. By entering a rehab programme, you will be fully supported during these crucial first weeks and the fact that you are there will help you stay committed and motivated for sobriety. The motivation to give up alcohol or drugs can come and go, so it is vital that you make the most of this opportunity to change your life; this is what you do when you enter a treatment programme.
4. You Can Begin Building a Better Life
If all that was needed for your life to improve were for you to get physically sober, there would probably not be too much need for a rehab. The reality is that getting physically sober is only the first step in a much longer process in what is referred to as recovery. If all you do is stop drinking or using drugs, the likelihood is that you will soon relapse or turn to new maladaptive behaviours. The goal of rehab is to help you build a much better life so there is no longer any need for you to abuse any type of mind-altering substance. During your time in rehab, you are going to be picking up tools that can help you do far more than just stay sober – these can also you become successful.
5. The Opportunity to Dig Down to the Root of the Addiction
There will be a reason for why you fell into addiction in the first place, so if this issue is not dealt with it can continue to cause problems for you in the future. Maybe you suffered some type of trauma in childhood, or perhaps you have picked up some unhelpful patterns of thinking. One of the things you will do during your time in an inpatient rehab is spend a lot of time with a therapist. This can be a very beneficial relationship where you dig down to the roots of your problems. You can learn from where you went wrong in the past, so you can avoid making similar mistakes in the future.
6. Dual Diagnosis Treatment
If you are dealing with some type of dual diagnosis (where you have a mental health problem such as chronic anxiety or bipolar disorder alongside your addiction), it is vital to enter a rehab programme. It is important that both of these conditions be dealt with at the same time, which can be hard to do as an outpatient. If only the addiction is dealt with, it may mean that you feel unable to cope because you have been self-medicating with alcohol or drugs. It can also be incredibly difficult to treat a mental health problem while the person is engaged in substance abuse.
7. The Opportunity to Plan Your Future
By entering a rehab programme, you are going to be taking a break from your normal life. It means you will have the space to really reflect on your past and to make plans for a better future. You will be assisted in your planning by other clients as well as the therapist, which provides you with a vital feedback mechanism so you can come up with realistic expectations. This all means that, by the time you are ready to leave rehab, you should have some plans and a far more optimistic view of your future.
8. A More Comfortable Detox
An unsupervised detox can be dangerous and you could even die if you develop serious symptoms such as delirium tremens. Most rehabs now offer detox facilities as well at which you are not only medically supervised and kept safe but also kept comfortable. There are now medications available that can ease most of the discomfort of detox, and you can be given these when your withdrawals are being medically supervised. It is during this initial withdrawal stage that you are at highest risk of relapse, but you will find the process much easier by staying in a detox; there will also be others going through similar who can offer you support.
9. Not Easy to Relapse
If you are at home, it will probably be very easy for you to get your hands on alcohol or drugs when the cravings hit you. When you stay in a rehab, there will not be the ease of access to these substances, meaning that you cannot act on your cravings right away. The inconvenience of having to checkout of rehab means you have time to think about what you are doing and, in nine times out of ten, the cravings will pass and you will decide to stay.
10. Total Focus on Recovery
Giving up an addiction is tough work, so you need to devote all your energies into making it a reality. If you are back at home, there can be too many distractions to put your focus where it needs to be. This is a very serious business and you could soon die if you are unable to quit, so it deserves your full attention. Taking a couple of months out of your life so you can focus on getting well is not too much to take on considering the alternatives.
