Rehab

Every Step in the Continuum of Care in Alcohol Rehab Programs

Admitting that you need help with alcohol misuse or addiction is arguably the most challenging step toward recovery, but once you have admitted you need treatment, you can begin the process of working toward sobriety, wellness, and long-term recovery. Alcohol rehab programs can help put you on that path.

Levels of Care at Rehab Centers

When you begin your recovery journey, you will be assigned to a certain level of care at the rehab facility. Levels of care are a therapeutic necessity, allowing your care team to identify the type and amount of attention you need. You may be evaluated by a therapist, medical doctor, or other licensed personnel at the facility.

The necessary level of care depends on your addiction, including the severity of your substance use disorder (SUD) and any progress you have already made in achieving sobriety.

Levels of care include the following.

Detox

If you have developed a physical dependence on alcohol or another substance, you may need to undergo detox. If you begin treatment after a medical crisis, such as alcohol poisoning, you may be admitted at the emergency room and receive intensive care at the hospital before you go to a residential facility for medical detox. To begin detox in a residential facility, you must first be medically stable. 

Detox in residential facilities includes medical oversight by a physician and a psychiatrist who help ensure that you remain stable through the withdrawal process. During medical detox, medication is used to manage withdrawal symptoms.

Some patients may choose not to complete medical detox, meaning they do not wish to use any medications through the withdrawal process. Some rehabilitation facilities do not offer medical detox and simply offer supportive care for those going through withdrawal symptoms, known as non-medical detox.

Always speak with your medical doctor if you are unsure if you need to undergo medical detox as detoxing from certain substances can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

Inpatient Rehab

Inpatient treatment is a step down from the detox phase, where you will begin a residential stay in an addiction recovery facility. Traditionally inpatient rehab stays last 30 days, but the duration of some residential alcohol rehab programs is dependent on the recommendations of your care team. Inpatient treatment can be completed in a facility of your choice, allowing you to research and compare rehab centers.

Medical and non-medical detox is often done in the same rehab facility that you choose so you do not have to transition between treatment centers after you step down from detox. 

Treatment and care received in an inpatient rehab facility include individual psychotherapy, group therapy, and medication management by a psychiatrist.2 Here you will work with your care team to start building sustainable sobriety and to stabilize your medical and psychiatric symptoms enough to step down in care.

Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs

Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) and intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) are similar in their treatment methods and goals. Both are offered to individuals who have completed residential treatment and stepped down to live in and re-engage in the community with continued therapeutic oversight. In some cases, this involves living in a sober living environment during the outpatient program.

Occasionally, some people may not require residential treatment and are immediately accepted into a PHP or IOP to begin their recovery process.

PHPs and IOPs usually meet at a residential facility but in a specific room in the building and not the residential living spaces.

At PHP and IOP meetings, you will engage in classes to continue your understanding of addiction and attend group therapy sessions, where you will get to know peers who are also seeking long-term sobriety.

Some PHPs and IOPs offer individual sessions, but they are not as frequent as the sessions offered in residential treatment.

The difference between PHPs and IOPs is the frequency and duration of the meetings. A PHP is a small step above an IOP, so they traditionally meet four days a week for three to four hours a day. An IOP traditionally meets two to three days a week for two to three hours a day. Like residential treatment, the frequency and duration of PHP and IOP sessions may depend on your program or on the recommendations of your care team.

Outpatient Rehab

Once you have completed your PHP or IOP program, you may step down to outpatient care. With outpatient care, you live at home and engage with your community while continuing to see a therapist for your addiction recovery needs.

Outpatient is often a necessary step in the recovery process. If you have gone through inpatient and PHP or IOP treatment, you have received support to help you begin to learn your triggers and manage your urges to misuse substances. Your outpatient therapist will be able to help you continue to navigate your new sobriety in a healthy way to maintain long-term recovery.

Maintenance Phase

The maintenance phase is not a formal level of care, but one that is necessarily included in your treatment plan. It may include a formal aftercare plan created by your care team. In the maintenance phase, you will have completed every other level of care deemed necessary by your care team and be solidly on the path toward your recovery.

At this stage, patients are strongly encouraged to attend support groups or 12-step meetings in the community, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Celebrate Recovery. With these 12-step meetings, you will be continually immersed in a sober support network while hearing and discussing the recovery mindset and sober lifestyle.

The maintenance phase is the longest phase of recovery and one that you will participate in for the rest of your life in some capacity. Choosing a community in which you feel most comfortable will be crucial to ensure that you maintain long-term sobriety.