Inpatient recovery programs are those that usually take place in a rehab facility. Although, there are some that can be found in hospitals as well. While you're there, you'll be getting many different types of therapy. You may go through detox when you first arrive. This will help to address the physical aspect of your addiction by treating your withdrawal symptoms.

If you choose to go inpatient, you'll actually stay at the facility for a period of time. All programs are different, but most last for around 30 days. Others may go as long as 6 months or so. These are known as residential programs, or long-term rehab.

Your treatment program should involve a focus on the 12 Steps of Recovery. This is commonly used in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, and it is quite effective. You'll be educated on your addiction during your time in inpatient rehab. You may not realize how much of a hold it has over your life. The education you receive can help you with this.

Also, your therapy will involve different components. You will be able to work with your therapist in individual therapy sessions. You'll also have group therapy, and you may participate in various groups that cover a wide variety of subjects. Your family may also be invited to participate in family sessions with you. Every piece of your treatment plan will come together to aid in your long-term recovery.

Inpatient treatment involves staying at the facility. Therefore, it makes sense that outpatient treatment would involve you living at home. Many people view this as being the ideal situation for them, but this isn't always the case.

There are two main types of outpatient rehab. One type involves you meeting with your therapist regularly. They may offer you group therapy, but this isn't common. You will most likely just meet with the therapist on a regular schedule. At first, your appointments may occur weekly, and then become less frequent as you improve. Eventually, you may only need to see your therapist on a monthly basis. However, be prepared that it can take some time to get to this point.

Intensive outpatient treatment is much more common for people who have never been to rehab before. This is an option you might want to consider if you're unable to commit to an inpatient stay. If you're advised that you need a high level of care, an IOP might work really well for you.

IOP programs involve multiple appointments throughout the week for several hours at a time. They're very flexible. Some facilities hold their programs during the day, and others hold them in the evening. This allows you to continue to work and take care of your family, if you need to.

During IOP, you'll experience many of the benefits of inpatient treatment. You'll have one-on-one therapy with your counselor and you'll have group therapy. Some programs even offer special events for their patients to participate in.

Outpatient may or may not be the right option for you. However, it's important for you to know that it is an option that is available to you, if you need it.

All addictions are not the same, and it's important to be at an addiction treatment facility that specializes in the type of addiction you have. For example, alcohol addiction is a lot different than meth addiction or heroin addiction or even prescription drug addiction. The difference is in how the addiction affects the body. Opiates affect the receptors found in the body for endorphins. Alcohol induces widespread vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can be life threatening during the withdrawal process.

If you have a college degree, you know how much there is to any discipline pertaining to health. For the addiction field, there are core courses that have to be taken so you know and understand the anatomy and physiology of the problem, the psychological processes affected by the drug addiction, and clinical strategies that are used in different situations. You want the addiction counselors at the inpatient treatment center to be knowledgeable in addiction counseling. You can't help yourself, but a knowledgeable and experienced treatment counselor can spot things that are hidden from you and things that are keeping you in the place where you are right now.

Your biggest concern here is whether or not you're going to be comfortable in the inpatient drug treatment center or elsewhere. Is the facility open and welcoming or does it have a dark sense to it? Most of the inpatient drug rehab centers understand that the facility should be upbeat and positive but do scrutinize it yourself. Always go with your first impression and don't let logic steer you away from your intuition. Your intuition is always right.

Are You Being Accepted Just to Fill Rooms or is There a Genuine Match?

Before you enter any inpatient drug treatment or elsewhere, make sure you are right for the inpatient program. There are also outpatient programs and these may be more suitable for you. If you have a serious addiction, an inpatient treatment program is a necessity. But if not, there may be other options for you to consider.

You will want to know what works best for you. Some people function best in groups, while others need one-on-one counseling. If someone who needs one-on-one counseling is then enrolled in an inpatient drug treatment that focuses on group therapy, there's a big mismatch. The person will not receive what they need during the 30 days or longer at the facility, and the whole investment may end up unfruitful if you're seeking drug recovery.

Give this serious consideration. If you aren't comfortable in groups, then this is no doubt something that goes back to something that occurred in your past. The inpatient drug rehab process is difficult enough without having to bring up one more skeleton in your past. Recognize what you need - and then find it. You will find an inpatient program that will work for you during addiction treatment.

You'll also want to find out what is a sample schedule of what goes on during the day at the inpatient treatment center. How many hours of group counseling is there, compared to one-on-one counseling? If the one-on-one counseling is only sporadic, it may not be enough for you to work successfully.

Another thing to consider is the 12-step meetings. These are group meetings so you must confront the situation straight on - will they work for you or not? If you've been attending the 12-step meetings for years, it may be time to realize that you need another type of therapy; it's not working.

If not, then you could end up in another inpatient drug treatment program somewhere else over and over again. The treatment centers range from about $10,000 to $25,000 per month, and that's a lot for you or your family to be paying time and time again.