When it comes to serious addiction rehabilitation, residential programs are the gold standard. Residential addiction rehabilitation often produces better outcomes than alternative techniques, like outpatient care. So, what is residential addiction rehabilitation, and why is it so effective?

What is residential addiction rehabilitation?

A residential addiction rehabilitation program provides a space for people suffering from addiction to come together and make a change in their lives. For the duration of their rehabilitation, participants live on-site at the treatment facility. They receive a specialized treatment plan, attend group sessions, and enjoy fun group activities. The time spent in a residential addiction program usually varies between one and three months.

Benefits

Residential addiction rehabilitation has many advantages over alternative treatment methods. The main feature of a residential program is its holistic healing approach. Every aspect of a participant’s addiction is considered, including their environment, behavior, community, and education.

A safe space

A participant’s “using environment” is the space they live in. It is the place they have always struggled with their addiction. A person’s using environment contains many psychological triggers that instill the need to abuse. It is very difficult for people struggling with addiction to remain in this environment.

A residential program separates people from their using environment. It puts participants in a substance-free space, surrounded by professionals who are there to help them.

A supportive community

A residential program allows people to meet others going through the same struggles as themselves. A sense of community is proven to have a positive effect on mental health and emotional wellbeing. Participants attend group sessions like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), but they also get to enjoy more fun social activities.

In addition to the other participants, there are the medical and support staff. A psychiatrist and a medical doctor work together to create a treatment plan. Other staff members facilitate events and educate about techniques to fight against substance abuse. In a residential addiction rehab, every person wants to help the participants overcome their addictions.

Living life

Many people who suffer from addiction don’t know how to live their lives sober. Fun activities like going to the movie theater or hanging out with friends are all associated with their substance abuse. In a residential program, people can learn to enjoy these activities without drugs or alcohol. If participants can learn how to have fun without substances, then they will have an easier time returning to their own lives without relapsing.

Residential vs. outpatient rehabilitation

All of those benefits may sound nice, but are residential programs really more effective than outpatient addiction treatment? According to the data, yes.

This study, which reviewed the results of several different studies on therapeutic communities, found that therapeutic communities like residential programs often produce better outcomes in several major categories. Most participants in residential programs were less likely to relapse, less likely to have psychological problems, and more likely to find employment than control groups not in therapeutic communities.

So, if you or a loved one are in need of addiction rehabilitation, consider a residential program.