Inpatient Drug Rehab: Treatment for Severe Substance Abuse

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), drugs modify the brain upon consumption, making drug addiction a brain disease. Inpatient drug rehabs people overcome substance abuse or addiction in a residential environment.

Patient Type

• Inpatient drug rehab can help people suffering from moderate to severe drug problems. Patients typically have a long history of drug abuse.

Time Frame

• The time frame for inpatient drug rehab can range from 28 days to 12 months, depending on the severity of drug abuse.

Treatment

• The first step in inpatient drug rehab generally is supervised detoxification; after that, more-structured treatments, such as psychiatric consultation and medication management, are administered.

Therapeutic Communities

• Therapeutic communities are most effective for patients with severe drug problems. Their programs are highly organized, allowing them to stay in residential therapy for six to 12 months.

TC Outcomes

• According to NIDA, participation in therapeutic communities has many positive outcomes. Individuals who completed treatment showed reduced levels of drug use, unemployment and criminal activity.