People will sometimes make a distinction between an inpatient rehab and other types of rehab, as rehabs will also have a day programs as part of their treatment method for alcoholism and other addictions.
An inpatient rehab might offer some type of daycare program as well, but it is more likely that daycare programs will be offered by separate rehabs or treatment centres that non-residential.
An inpatient rehab will most actually have some type of after-care alumni my program, in addition to its inpatient clinical programs that it will offer as its treatment methods.
An inpatient rehab is a clinical facility, staffed by clinical experts such as medical doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, therapists, social workers etc. A rehab should offer a range of therapeutic programs which will form the basis of its treatment methods for addressing the problem of alcoholism and other addictions in clients who need help.
A client approaching an inpatient rehab with alcoholism will be in acute mental and emotional pain, although they might well be in denial of this.
The nature of alcoholism dictates that an alcoholic will endure, or can endure a huge amount of emotional pain in order to protect alcohol, and to allow them to maintain an illusion that they are able to control either their drinking or their lives or both.
An inpatient rehab will normally offer a four-week stay where some of the key issues can be addressed. Four weeks is an average, and some we have is may offer longer initial stays, or offer some type of ongoing second stage treatment or halfway house option afterwards.
In any event time spent as an inpatient rehab client will be minimal compared to the length of time needed to really address the underlying emotional and therapeutic issues.
Inpatient Rehab – Therapeutic Programs
The nature of the therapeutic programs offered but an inpatient rehab will vary from rehab to rehab, in general a rehab will adopt some of the principles used by organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
The 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous has had a significant impact on recovery from alcoholism, and has been widely adapted and used by other organisations to tackle other types of addiction and problems.
An inpatient rehab might also be what is known as a non 12 step rehab. This type of rehab will pray specifically reject the programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, and will offer alternative types of life skills approaches to the problem of alcoholism and other types of addiction.
When approaching a rehab, it is important to recognise the nature and type of treatment methods that the rehab will employ as a way of initialising a process of recovery in a client. Whatever methods are used, it is important that there is an understanding that the process needs to be a gentle one, given the level of emotional pain that alcoholic may be feeling.
This sense of an inpatient rehab needing to be gentle can often be misunderstood. A rehab needs to be sensitive to the reality of what alcoholism means, and treat the alcoholic with dignity and respect .