Inpatient Drug Rehab

Long-term Inpatient Drug Rehab

Long-term inpatient drug rehab provides intensive addiction treatment for individuals who might not benefit from a short-term drug rehab program or an outpatient drug rehab program. The treatment an addict receives may be one of a variety of available addiction treatment approaches.

One common model for long-term inpatient drug rehab is the Therapeutic Community (TC) model. The Therapeutic Community Model for drug rehab is a specialized type of inpatient program. The model serves those with long-term addictions often with series criminal justice issues and seriously impaired social skills. A patient in a TC setting typically has a more severe problem than those in other types of treatment.

TCs are very structured programs ranging in length from 6 months to 1 year. A TC consists of the residents, staff and therapists. The TC Model for addiction treatment tries to address various problems of these severe addicts emphasizing complete abstinence from drugs and alcohol, resocialization, personal accountability and social productivity. 

Long-term inpatient drug rehabs may employ a variety of other models including the Moral Model, the Disease Model, the Social Education Model or the Biophysical Model. Whatever model is used, long-term inpatient drug rehabs are characterized as such because they range in duration from 3 months to a year or more and are more “intensive” than other drug rehab treatments.

Short-term Inpatient Drug Rehab

Short-term inpatient drug rehab provides intensive addiction treatment, but for a shorter duration. Just like long-term inpatient drug rehab programs, they provide 24 hour care. Short-term residential addiction treatment was originally delivered in medical setting, but in recent years, is often delivered in a nonhospital setting as well. The short-term residential drug rehab approach was originally used to treat alcohol addiction, but with the sharp increase in cocaine use during the mid-1980s, the approach was modified to treat addiction to illicit drugs as well.

The typical short-term addiction treatment program ranges in duration from 3 to 6 weeks and is often followed up with outpatient treatment or involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). As with long-term residential drug rehab programs a variety of addiction treatment models may be used. A commonly used model is the 12-step model. A program using the 12-step model might include 3-6 weeks of intensive addiction treatment and then participation in an outpatient program using the 12-step model and involvement in a self-help 12-step group like AA or NA.