While an outpatient treatment program may be enough for many mild to moderate addictions, a residential addiction treatment facility is more appropriate for severe or long-term addictions.
Immediately after detoxification, the client then moves into the residential facility; where he or she will continue until the completion of the program. Meals and other accommodations are included in the program and treatment occurs in the form of a busy, daily routine in which the patient goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day, eats regular nutritious meals and participates in a variety of comprehensive activities and therapy approaches that rewire the brain’s reward system and thought processes, which were disrupted and negatively impacted by the consequences of addiction.
Residential treatment programs are essential in the recovery of severe or long-term addictions, but a patient’s efforts don’t stop there. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says, “Following stays in residential treatment programs, it is important for individuals to remain engaged in outpatient treatment programs and/or after care programs. These programs help to reduce the risk of relapse once a patient leaves the residential setting.”
Residential addiction treatment sets the foundation for lifelong addiction recovery. Continued care programs strengthen the benefits gained in the intensive treatment programs at residential treatment facilities.
