What Is Inpatient Alcohol Rehab?
Inpatient alcohol rehab offers individuals addicted to alcohol an immersive treatment experience in a safe alcohol and drug-free setting. High-quality alcohol rehabs like Muse Treatment are staffed by certified addiction specialists, therapists, and clinicians who specialize in addiction medicine and therapy. While enrolled in an inpatient treatment program, individuals have access to medical and emotional support 24/7. The treatment structure, caring support team, and effective therapies provide a strong foundation for recovery success.
Today, people suffering from alcohol addiction have many options for treatment ranging from inpatient treatment programs to outpatient programs. Often, when people are just beginning their recovery journey, inpatient programs provide the most robust level of support. That’s important because, in the early days of treatment, clients may feel unstable and experience strong cravings for a drink. With the support of an inpatient team and a healthful environment, clients will find it easier to keep their recovery on track.
What Happens During Inpatient Alcohol Rehab?
A typical day in inpatient rehab involves time for treatment and time for relaxation. Days include morning and afternoon treatment sessions that are punctuated by a lunch and mid-day break. After the day is complete, clients have the evenings to relax. Some people choose to read or get to know other clients. Muse Treatment is a pet-friendly rehab, so clients often choose to walk with their pet or enjoy some outdoor activity with it.
As for treatment sessions, Muse features medically sanctioned treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy and holistic therapy. Clients spend time in therapy identifying the triggers that caused them to abuse alcohol. These factors might have been a past trauma or learned behaviors in childhood. Triggers can be powerful. Understanding them is important in order for clients and their therapists to develop strategies for managing them.
At Muse Treatment, relapse prevention is also an important factor of therapy. Relapse is, sadly, all too common. By learning about the stages of relapse, clients will be able to spot the signs early before they take a drink. For instance, negative emotions like anger, fear, or loneliness are often the genesis of relapse. Remember, relapse isn’t a treatment failure; it simply means that clients need more treatment, more support to develop strategies for managing their addiction effectively.
Will I Need Alcohol Detox?
Alcohol addiction is powerful. Until the physical dependence on alcohol has been severed through the detox process, clients will be unable to focus on treatment that addresses their psychological dependence and problematic behaviors. That’s why clinically supervised detox is typically the first step in the treatment process.
Some people come to Muse having detoxed in another facility such as a hospital. Sometimes an accident or injury forces people dependent on alcohol to stop using. Once their body is free from alcohol’s hold and they begin to feel better, they can continue to recover from their alcohol use disorder by entering an inpatient treatment program at a Los Angeles rehab like Muse.
In any case, if you are still physically dependent on alcohol, you will need to include detox as part of your process. At Muse, we strive to make the detox experience as comfortable as possible. We provide clients with support, medical care, and a safe environment. Most people complete detox in about a week. The time frame depends on each person’s unique chemistry as well as how long they’ve been addicted to alcohol.
Once detox has been completed, clients can move on to the next phase of therapy. Although many clients may feel some lingering cravings for a drink, these will diminish in time. It’s true that detox can leave a person feeling unwell with discomfort; that’s the body’s way of overcoming the dependence, but as detox winds down and in the weeks to come, people invariably begin to feel better–even physically great because their body is finally able to heal from the effects of alcohol abuse.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
As clients undergo medical detox during their inpatient program, withdrawal symptoms are inevitable. These symptoms can begin mildly but may progress to feel quite unpleasant. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Headache
- Tremors
- Nausea and vomiting
- Irritability
- Sweating
- Insomnia
- Anxiety or depression
- Increased heart rate
Sometimes people can develop serious symptoms such as delirium tremens and other medical emergencies. At Muse, we offer treatments to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Treatment can ward off more serious effects. However, if the DTs develop, we’re here to provide immediate treatment. That’s why it’s never a good idea for someone addicted to alcohol or drugs to quit cold turkey and attempt to detox alone. It’s not safe.
At Muse, you can expect us to monitor your condition and provide you with the care and support needed to detox comfortably. Our goal is to ensure that your detox process is safe and that you get the rest your body needs to begin its healing process.
Usually, alcohol withdrawal symptoms will peak between 24 and 72 hours from the last drink. After that, the effects of withdrawal will begin to subside. The setting at Muse is highly conducive to rest and relaxation. Our team is here to see to your needs, supporting you as your body is slowly weaned from alcohol’s powerful grip.
Benefits of Inpatient Alcohol Rehab
Inpatient treatment can be extremely beneficial for someone who’s addicted to alcohol. Inpatient alcohol rehab provides an opportunity to:
Focus Entirely on Recovery
Many clients choose inpatient alcohol rehab for its immersive experience. Residing at a rehab like Muse offers the benefit of 24/7 support. Without distractions from family and friends or the normal stressors of life, clients have the unique opportunity to focus entirely on their treatment. This is extremely important during the early days of their recovery when they’re trying to build a foundation for healing.
Live in an Alcohol-Free Environment
Another benefit of inpatient alcohol rehab is that there isn’t alcohol in our facility. You won’t walk up to a refrigerator and see a six-pack on the shelf as you might at home. Without temptations, you’ll find it easier to maintain your recovery journey. On your own, you might feel tempted to take a drink or visit a setting where alcohol is likely to be. Early in your recovery, you won’t have developed the strategies needed to ward off those cravings to drink.
Experience Structure and Routine
The structure of an inpatient treatment program is also conducive to recovery. There’s a certain routine that provides clients with time for treatment and time for rest. Many people who are addicted to substances like alcohol come from chaotic situations where life and their health have gotten out of control. Daily routines and structures help to tame the chaos and provide clients with a more healthful way to spend their days.
Have the Support of an Empathetic Community
When you undergo inpatient rehab at Muse, you won’t be alone. You’ll be surrounded by caring staff and other clients who have also made the commitment to stop drinking and change their lives for the better. If your home environment is not a supportive one or even involves some of your triggers to use alcohol, you can benefit by enrolling in an inpatient treatment program. Having a robust level of support can give your recovery the powerful jolt needed to boost recovery.
Life after Inpatient Alcohol Rehab
Inpatient alcohol rehab offers clients a period of weeks to months to begin their recovery process in a safe and supportive environment. But recovery doesn’t end when the inpatient program does. It takes time for people to learn how to effectively and reliably manage their addiction. Inpatient rehab is only the start to the recovery journey–an important start–but further therapy is typically needed to maintain the recovery process.
After inpatient rehab, clients generally transition to an outpatient program. They either return to their home or move to a sober living home while they attend therapy sessions each week–often several times per week. That ongoing support is ideal because transitioning back to one’s life with its triggers and temptations isn’t easy. Once outpatient treatment is completed, aftercare can provide indefinite support for as long as clients need it.
Some people choose to spend time living in a sober living community as part of their outpatient and aftercare journey. Others might attend 12-step programs. We make sure all our clients have strong aftercare support in place ahead of time.
Inpatient Alcohol Rehab at Muse
Overcoming an alcohol addiction is challenging but certainly possible. At Muse Treatment, we accompany our clients on the initial legs of their recovery journey, offering them support, education, and therapy designed to help them manage their addiction. By learning how to control one’s unhealthy impulses and changing unhealthy thought patterns and behaviors, clients can lead more healthful and rewarding lives.
If you’re living with alcohol addiction, you’re putting your mental and physical health at risk as well as all the things you love about your life. Let us help you end this unhealthy dependence and rebuild your life in the context of lasting sobriety. We invite you to get to know our addiction treatment services and our facility. Contact us at (800) 426-1818 to learn more about our inpatient rehab program or other aspects of our addiction treatments. We look forward to helping you transform your life and health for the better.
