What is acute rehab?

Addiction rehab programs have been specifically designed for individuals and their unique needs to be met. Treatment programs are specifically tailored to meet the particular needs of an individual suffering from addiction or moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms, which is why many treatment programs differ from person to person.

Patients are often admitted to acute rehab when they need medical treatment and 24-hour monitoring. Acute rehab programs have been developed to offer addiction treatments within a medical setting, mainly for individuals who cannot experience relief in a less complete form of care.

As a general rule of thumb, individuals enrolled in an acute rehab treatment program will spend most of the day and night in the medical setting, engaging in therapy sessions to combat their addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

What happens in acute rehab?

Patients admitted to acute rehab are likely former addicts who have beaten their addiction and achieved sobriety via a medical detox but cannot maintain said sobriety when out in the world. If patients do not develop the vital skill sets to stick to their sobriety while out of the medical setting, they will fall into a continuous loop of relapsing.

Behavioural therapy

Behavioral therapy is widely used to help patients develop skill sets that will allow them to stick to their sobriety in a real-world setting. Behavioral therapy has been designed and developed to teach patients how to modify their behaviors and thought patterns concerning drug abuse. In behavioral therapy, all patients develop vital and healthy life skills which will enable them to thrive in real-world settings.

Learning how to change your mindset toward substance abuse helps patients create the fulfilling life they are after while continuously working with a therapist to reduce the need or odd craving for drugs or alcohol.

There is a range of therapies that can help patients when in acute rehab, which can be seen to include but are not limited to:

• Trauma-informed therapy, this therapy can help individuals process their past experiences.
• Motivational interviewing has been developed to help individuals feel mentally, emotionally, and physically ready to change their behavior.
• System thinking can involve examining the environments the patient works and lives in and identifying why their recovery may be hindered.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy is utilized to help patients cope with situations or emotions that may spur drug usage.
• Solution-focused therapy enables patients to focus on the future of their life rather than the past.
• Acute rehab treatment programs furthermore work on addressing secondary addiction triggers; this can often include mental health issues.

Mental health

Underlying mental health illnesses such as anxiety or depression can often lead an individual to relapse. Individuals, unfortunately, will often use drugs as a form of self-medication but end up addicted to the substance. When a therapist works with a patient in acute rehab, the co-existing issues will be treated in one-to-one or therapy teams to increase long-term sobriety.

What happens next?

Individuals or families actively seeking addiction care can often find it hard to navigate the variety of programs and rehabs that are often, which can leave anyone feeling completely overwhelmed.

Just starting a conversation with a medical professional is the most vital step. Addicts, family members, and friends will have the opportunity to ask as many questions as they would like rather than attempting to figure everything out themselves.

It is never too late to receive help. Start the conversation today.