Substance abuse is treatable either by an outpatient or inpatient process. There are six components of inpatient substance abuse treatments. These steps are assessment, admission, detoxification, therapy, maintenance, and aftercare.
The Assessment Phase
This is the initial stage in inpatient substance abuse treatment. When an addict realizes they need help, they are sent to a rehabilitation center, and an assessment is done by a counselor, psychiatrist, or social worker. It’s at this stage that the decision to admit the patient is made. After identifying the problem, the treatment team will come up with a personalized recovery care plan. The plan is based on the type of substances that the patient was abusing; a recovery plan for opioids will differ from a recovery plan for cocaine.
The Admissions Phase
If a specialist realizes that the effective recovery of the patient requires them to be at the facility after a patient’s case history investigation, they are then booked into an inpatient program and treatment begins. The specialist or professional figures out the approach that will be used on the patient. As noted above, there are no general treatment programs in the treatment of substance abuse. Using the information gathered from the patient during the assessment phase, a personalized treatment program is put in place.
The Detoxification Stage
The patient undergoes a fully supervised detoxification. This is where the toxic and addictive substances are removed from the patient’s body. There are three phases of detoxification:
Mild symptoms begin six to eight hours into the detox. These symptoms can look similar to a hangover, and often include moodiness, anxiety, and a general sense of irritability.
Moderate symptoms can begin to take place anywhere from 12 hours after the last drink to 3 days later. These symptoms are often more serious and can include heightened blood pressure, sweating, confusion, and arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).
Severe symptoms can occur abruptly from 48-72 hours into detox. Severe symptoms include fever, hallucinations, and even seizures.
Detox should not be done without the help of a specialist to ensure the safety of the patient and to avoid the damage done by severe symptoms. During this process of removing toxins, a therapeutic program is also introduced to help in the recovery of the patient. Drugs, such as buprenorphine, are administered to the patient to ease the withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations, mild cravings, or anxiety.
Therapy And Counselling
During detox, therapy is introduced and continues with the subsiding of withdrawal symptoms. As therapy goes on, there is the introduction of a deliberate effort between the counselor and the patient, to help the patient identify and understand the possible solutions to their problem. At this stage, a patient can be introduced to a single or dual diagnosis treatment plan. A single diagnosis treatment is designed to treat only a substance abuse problem, whereas a dual diagnosis treatment will treat a substance abuse problem as well as any co-occurring mental health problems. The inpatient substance abuse treatment involves therapy, support group meetings, family meetings, and an educational initiative. All these help the patient in self-recovery and their journey to recovery. With the help of a specialist, the patient is helped to deal with emotional turmoil, coping and communication skills, behavioral change, and self-esteem.
The Maintenance Phase
During this face, the patient works hard to prevent recovery relapse. Addiction is very challenging, and the urge to abuse a substance can be recurring, but the patient has to fight it. They should start to adjust to a new lifestyle free from substances. Some of the activities that help during this phase include: attending support groups, staying sober, paying attention to personal hygiene, regular exercises, and recreational activities. This goes a long way in maintaining long-term sobriety and fighting a relapse. The maintenance stage lasts longer depending on the level of addiction and can last indefinitely.
The Aftercare Program
Like a chronic illness, it requires some lifestyle changes to maintain long-term sobriety. This stage requires the patient to put in a lot of effort. Recovering addicts should remain vigilant– they might come in contact with the substance after leaving the rehabilitation center, especially if they continue to associate with their former friend group. An aftercare program should be formulated in conjunction with the patient’s medical care team and followed strictly.
A continuous effort should be put in place to maintain the healthy lifestyle that the patient has acquired. This can be done by participating in treatment center alumni programs, reaching out to sober support systems, and maintaining a long sober living. If a recovered person can stick to a strict after-care program, they can solidify the change. The longer one follows the program, the more permanent the change will become.
Now that you understand the components of inpatient substance abuse treatment, you can make the right decisions to avoid relapsing. Substance abuse is not something that should be taken lightly, and if you find yourself in such a situation, you should seek help.
