Inpatient Treatment Centers: How They Help You Heal and Recover

What Can Inpatient Rehab Facilities Help With?  

Residential treatment centers can treat a range of addiction and mental health conditions following a diagnosis by a clinician:  

Addiction Treatment 

Alcohol Addiction 

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), all forms of alcohol abuse, including alcoholism and alcohol use disorder (AUD), kill more than 3 million people each year. Alcohol is legal and accessible, making it easy to obtain and develop a dependency. The SAMHSA study adds that in 2023, 28.9 million people suffered from AUD. 

The numbers only hint at the impact of alcohol addiction. What begins as an occasional drink with friends, family or over dinner can turn habitual and then lead to dependency, making inpatient treatment centers a necessity when alcohol becomes an all-consuming addiction. A full inpatient alcohol treatment trajectory involves detoxing from drinking, therapy, medication management (if needed) and a structured alcohol rehab support system in place to prevent the chance of relapse once you’re back in the real world, clean, sober and with a renewed lease on life.  

Drug Addiction  

Opioids 

When opioids are prescribed, they can be highly effective in managing pain, like after you’ve had surgery. But drugs like fentanyl, methadone, oxycodone and hydrocodone are also very addictive when users begin taking doses more than instructed, leading many people to begin abusing opioids. More than 10 million people abuse opioids every year, leading to nearly 50,000 overdoses annually, notes the NCDAS.   

This opioid epidemic can be curbed with the right treatment in place. If you’ve become dependent on an opioid painkiller after being prescribed it, help is available. At residential addiction treatment centers, treatment may include talk and experiential therapies to get your mood and body accustomed to life without leaning on drugs, and in some cases, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to help reduce cravings and minimize withdrawal symptoms. 

Cocaine 

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that’s often abused for the intensely euphoric effects it produces. Cocaine abuse affects people of all ages, races and backgrounds; according to the National Drug Intelligence Center, nearly 28 million people have used some form of cocaine at least once in their lifetimes, and statistics show that the rate of cocaine overdose deaths has risen. 

Kicking cocaine to the curb can be difficult to do on one’s own. Withdrawal comes with deep cravings but often involves numerous psychological symptoms — including agitation, restlessness, depression and disturbing dreams — that can be easier to cope with under the controlled, supervised environment that inpatient drug treatment provides. Likewise, residential rehab centers give you distance from the environments and relationships that may have supported your cocaine use. 

Benzodiazepines 

Known as “benzos,” benzodiazepines are sedatives that you might know as the brand names Valium or Xanax. Commonly used to treat anxiety disorders, benzos, like opioids, can lead to addiction when users begin taking too much. Recreational users, aware of the drug’s effect, also run the risk of becoming addicted. Sadly, benzos were involved in nearly 17% of all drug overdoses during a recent 1-year period, with opioids involved in over 91% of those fatalities, notes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). 

“Physical dependence can occur when benzodiazepines are taken steadily for several days to weeks, even as prescribed,” says the U.S. Federal Drug Administration. “Stopping them abruptly or reducing the dosage too quickly can result in withdrawal reactions, including seizures, which can be life-threatening.” It’s just one reason why inpatient treatment facilities offer slow tapering off benzos under medical supervision to reduce the risks, in a comfortable, supportive, safe space. 

Crystal Meth 

Methamphetamines are synthetic, lab-created stimulants that affect the central nervous system, creating a euphoric high either by smoking, snorting or injecting it. Crystal meth is one of the most abused forms of meth, named for its translucent, rock-like appearance. The CDC notes that about 1.6 million people reported recent past-year meth use. 

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, crystal meth poses several short- and long-term negative health effects, and when trying to wean off the drug, protracted withdrawal symptoms can range from depression and anxiety to physical pain, cravings and insomnia. Seeking help at inpatient treatment centers enables you to address both the physical and psychological attachment to meth, carefully detox from it and set upon a seamless recovery. 

Mental Health Disorder Treatment 

Anxiety  

Everyone feels anxiety from time to time, but the difference between regular anxiousness and an anxiety disorder can mean being able to manage your symptoms and being consumed by them. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults per year, the most common mental illness in America, sharing symptoms like excessive worry, fear or dread (even in everyday situations), restlessness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, muscle tension or difficulty sleeping. 

Treatment for anxiety disorders in inpatient treatment facilities offers a respite from the weight that anxiety can bring. In rehab, you may find that approaches like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or meditation help cultivate mindfulness to your anxiety to find a place of calm.  

Depression 

Depression is more than feeling sad, though it’s a telltale sign pointing to the start of a depressive disorder. More than 264 million people live with depression, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), where the most diagnosed type is major depressive disorder (MDD), characterized by at least nine common symptoms including a chronic sense of hopelessness, worthlessness, fatigue, loss of appetite and even suicidal ideation. 

For MDD, persistent depressive disorder, seasonal affective disorder and more, residential treatment centers become a place to rest your head and work through the maze that depression creates. Your therapist and peers in group support have your back, a supportive network who care about you to lean on. 

Trauma 

Trauma can echo through your life in ways that are hard to predict or control. It can begin from just a single traumatic event, like surviving a natural disaster or accident, or from long-held histories of childhood or sexual abuse or experiencing wartime combat. The National Center for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) says that 6% of the entire U.S. population will have PTSD at some point in their lives.  

Inpatient treatment facilities offer trauma-informed care — this means therapy is delivered with an acute understanding of how trauma affects the brain and body (which can remain repressed within) and with respect for your pace and readiness to engage and open up in a trusting environment. It might be through talk therapy, EMDR (a type of trauma-focused treatment) or expressing yourself through art.  

Personality Disorders 

Living with a personality disorder — such as bipolar or borderline personality disorder — often means being unable to regulate one’s emotions, resulting in extreme mood swings, impulsive behavior and a strong disconnection from oneself. Personality disorders can take their toll on your relationships and physical and mental well-being, affecting just over 9% of people. 

One effective therapeutic lifeline for personality disorders offered at residential rehab centers is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. DBT is a form of treatment that focuses on being mindful to one’s thoughts and emotions when you have difficulty regulating them. “DBT focuses on helping people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviors, as well as helping them learn to change their lives, including their unhelpful behaviors,” says the Cleveland Clinic.