If you or someone you care about is looking for an effective alcohol rehab program, consider looking for a residential detox program, or at least consider getting through detox first before committing to any program.
Proper treatment for alcohol use disorder can vary based on someone’s addictive behaviors or how long they’ve been misusing alcohol. Deciding how someone undergoes detox and whether or not their addiction treatment is administered with an inpatient program or not will affect the chances of their successful recovery.
For people that have been addicted to alcohol for a long time, addiction treatment may need to be intense and severe. Their first step typically involves residential detox.
What Is a Residential Detox Program?
A residential detox program is not necessarily the same as a residential addiction treatment program when it comes to what they offer, although the latter may include the former.
Residential addiction treatment programs require people to check themselves into a controlled medical environment. Participants of these programs receive 24-hour medical support on top of food, lodging, and other types of care such as behavioral therapy. However, before actually settling into an inpatient setting, most people are required to undergo detox.
Typically, a residential detox program is paired with or part of a residential addiction treatment program. It’s also often a medical detox program. Patients going through detox in a residential program can focus on taking care of themselves and getting sober without worrying about their medical condition.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be painful and life-threatening, which makes support in the form of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) essential. Prescription drugs used in MAT that’s part of alcohol addiction treatment programs include acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone. MAT sometimes needs to be administered even after initial detoxification, making residential detox or residential addiction treatment a better choice for someone.
Which Patients Would Benefit From Residential Detox?
Any patient with a severe addiction or a complicated medical history would benefit from residential detox. In particular, anyone detoxing from opioids or alcohol would find the process easier if they decided to get admitted into an inpatient program.
Most alcohol detox programs can also be considered residential detox programs. Because some alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous to endure without medical support, most alcohol addiction rehab centers simply require most clients to undergo medical detox.
Inpatient treatment programs provide the 24-hour focus that helps make the process safe and secure for even the most intimidated or anxiety-ridden patients. In many ways, medical detox is the foundation under which patients get sober, learn to manage their addictive behaviors, and build a figurative toolbox to help them deal with triggers.
Treatment for alcohol addiction doesn’t stop at detox, however. For some patients, a residential program can extend further–to include behavioral therapy, cognitive counseling, skill-building workshops, and even some types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Residential treatment can be an integral part of successful recovery by providing a safe space to focus on self-improvement, sobriety, and recovery without the distractions and demands of everyday life.
What Should Patients Look for in a Residential Alcohol Detox Center?
Check for licenses and accreditations, as you would with any health care center. You also need to confirm with the admissions office that your health insurance or other preferred payment method is accepted at the residential alcohol detox center you choose. While detox centers may vary, you can always expect them to have their patients follow these typical stages of a detox program:
- Admission: A patient will need to be evaluated before being admitted into a detox center. The assessment may require the submission of medical records, undergoing medical tests, and being interviewed. The details of the assessment will help the center formulate a patient’s detox and addiction treatment plan.
- Stabilization: Sometimes, a patient may skip admission and start with stabilization because they need to detox due to an overdose or a severe reaction to withdrawal at home. A patient having difficulty dealing with withdrawal symptoms may be offered MAT during this stage. MAT can extend beyond stabilization if a patient needs to detox slowly from alcohol to maintain their general well-being.
- Addiction treatment and aftercare: Once a patient’s been stabilized, they’re often transitioned into a residential addiction treatment program — which includes aftercare planning.
How To Find a Residential Detox Center
Did you know that in 2019, nearly 15 million Americans aged 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder? With numbers like that, it’s no wonder that it’s so easy to find alcohol addiction facilities throughout the United States. You can find a residential detox center easily in less busy areas like rural towns.
If you’re having trouble finding one where you are, you may ask religious organizations or community centers for their recommendations. You can even contact mental health specialists at your local health centers and start from there. At the very least, you may find information on your local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and their meeting schedule.
In the worst case, speak to people you know who have had problems with drinking. The best alcohol addiction treatment programs maintain connections with their “graduates” after the treatment schedule is completed. These graduates can help you by pointing you in the right direction.