Residential treatment can serve as the impetus for positive change for individuals with addictions. Entering residential treatment may be the starting point of a comprehensive recovery program that allows individuals with addictions or other mental health issues to seek healing and recovery in an environment free from daily responsibilities and stress. When you devote your complete attention to treatment, you can build a solid foundation for recovery.
Residential treatment provides 24/7 care in a supportive, safe, non-hospital environment. When removed from your usual environment, contacts, and routines, you have time to reflect, refocus, and make healthy changes.
Residential treatment centers offer intensive counseling and other behavioral health services and treatment of co-occurring mental health disorders. With a daily schedule of evidence-based treatment, therapy, learning relapse prevention techniques, and activities such as fitness, mindfulness, and nutritional guidance, you can establish a new rhythm on the road to recovery, no matter which of the types of residential treatment programs you choose.
Who Residential Treatment Helps
In a residential treatment setting, resources and services are plentiful in helping you overcome addiction or substance use disorders. You are supported around the clock by caring, knowledgeable staff. Through residential treatment, you regain your accountability, develop coping skills, and learn to interface with your workplace, community, and family productively.
Residential treatment is best suited to help people with:
- Recurring issues with substance use
- Severe substance use disorders
- Co-occurring mental health disorders and/or other medical conditions
- Mental health concerns that don’t require medically-managed services
Greg Kfoury, Vice President of Admissions at Integrative Life Network states that people with needs and challenges that aren’t able to be managed effectively with outpatient treatment, but who don’t require in-patient stabilization/hospitalization most benefit from residential treatment.
Those in need of medically-managed services are best suited for in-patient treatment in a hospital setting.
Types of Residential Treatment Programs
Residential treatment can look different for everyone, given the time and resources you can devote to your focused recovery. Treatment center admissions staff can share about the setting most likely to help you achieve your goals.
Types of programs include:
- Short-Term Residential Treatment. A significant amount of intervention and self-work happens in short-term programs, where the typical stay is three to six weeks. It’s common for individuals to transition to outpatient therapy upon completing the short-term residential program.
- Long-Term Residential Treatment. Sometimes lasting up to a year, this model takes a more gradual approach to interventions and treatment. The recovery community is most robust in the long-term program, and some individuals benefit from residing in a drug-free home away from temptation.
- Sober Living Homes. These structured drug- and alcohol-free living residences often include the 12-step program and solid recovery approaches. They help individuals transition back into mainstream society.
- Therapeutic Communities. This long-term residential treatment program helps special populations – such as homeless individuals, veterans, or women – learn to reacclimate to society through socialization and the development of constructive attitudes, self-awareness, and positive behaviors.
Greg says trauma-focused residential treatment is best because it focuses on what drives behavior instead of singularly focusing on behavioral management.
Services Residential Treatment Centers Offer
Residential treatment programs offer numerous services to help individuals learn to manage addiction, substance use disorders, and mental health issues. Each person has unique needs and receives a customized treatment plan.
Tenets of residential treatment can include:
- Detoxification. If you are dependent on a substance, residential treatment provides a sober place to complete a managed withdrawal, where doctors and nurses offer care.
- Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment. If you have co-occurring disorders, you can receive dual diagnosis treatment.
- Medical Supervision. Some people benefit from medication-assisted treatment.
- Mutual Support Groups. You’ll develop a support network and connect with others during regular group meetings. Some of the individuals you meet may become long-term accountability partners.
- After Care Planning. You work with treatment center staff to learn the tools to prevent relapse and develop a solid plan for success upon resuming your everyday life. You will learn coping skills and holistic ways to navigate daily life.
Advantages of Residential Treatment Programs
There are many positive reasons for choosing a residential treatment program. When you have a safe and secure environment to focus on your recovery and access to 24/7 care and support from medical professionals, you can make tremendous strides. You’ll become enmeshed in a community that provides the emotional support needed to get well.
By moving to a new location, there are decreased opportunities for distractions and temptations from negative influences to derail your progress. Residential treatment provides peace of mind for you and your family.
Reasons to choose residential treatment, according to Greg:
- 24/7 support
- Distance/separation from substances, dysfunctional relationships, triggers/temptations, and stressful places
- Community
- Structure and routine
Greg said the thing that most surprises people is that treatment can be fun. He states:
“It’s hard work, but there is a community of people working hard on themselves together, and life-long relationships can be formed.”
Residential Treatment at Integrative Life Center
If you’re ready to get help with your addiction and navigate a path to recovery, Integrative Life Center will help you with its integrative and holistic treatment model. A multidisciplinary team of kind, masters-level therapists and staff will guide your holistic healing.
Integrative Life Center offers gender-specific residential treatment programs located on several beautiful campuses in the rolling hills west of Nashville. Contact ILC now if you’re ready to address your addiction and learn how to overcome it in a healthy, sustainable way.
