The Intensive Inpatient Detox and Rehab Treatment Process

When the call comes out for intensive addiction treatment services, a lot of our intensive protocols are summoned. This is something all top addiction treatment centers have to be prepared to do. We do this because we immediately know the client will eventually end up spending a lot of time in our intensive drug and detox rehab program. That gives our most needy clients access to aggressive treatment options like

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Dialectal Behavioral Therapy
• Dual Diagnosis Therapy for clients co-occurring disorders (addiction and psychological)
• Holistic Treatments that can add support to the more aggressive treatment processes
• Group Therapy is always beneficial in a therapeutic setting

Before clients who are suffering from extreme addiction issues go through rehab therapy, having to go through intensive detox treatment will certainly be included at the start of the treatment process. Why? There is simply no way a long-time addiction sufferer is going to be able to get past withdrawal without help. They need time to clear their mind and body so they can truly focus on the work that has to be done.

In the following sections, we want to focus on intensive drug and alcohol detox. We also want to put a lot of focus on the intensive detox treatment process we use for extreme cases of addiction.

The Drug Rehab Detox Process

When defining the drug rehab detox process, it's necessary to talk about it on two levels. The first level in the standard detox process. The second level is a more intensive detox process, which is typically prescribed for extreme addiction sufferers. We want to discuss both processes.

The Standard Detox Process

When a client enters our standard detox program, it's our hope we can get them through withdrawal as naturally as possible with a minimum of intervention. To promote that, we provide them with a regimen (nutrition, exercise, and rest) that is intended to keep them active and relaxed. If all goes as planned and they progress well through a natural process, they should be able to complete the detox process within a few days with little intervention.

Sometimes, the depth of the client's addiction dictates that we revert to a medically-monitored detox approach. Under this process, our medical professionals will keep a very close eye on the client. If a client were to start showing significant signs of distress associated with their withdrawal symptoms, one of our doctors would be standing by to intervene. Many times, a doctor's intervention will result in the client getting some kind of relief medication.

While we try to avoid issuing prescription medications as much as possible, we still have to put each client's welfare ahead of everything else. Typically, our doctors will only need to prescribe sleep and pain medication. If all goes well in a medically-monitored scenario, the client should be ready for therapy in no more than seven (7) days.

The Intensive Detox Process

With some clients, we can see right away that they will need to go through an intensive rehab detox process. This option is generally reserved for heroin addicts and long-term alcoholics.

In all intensive drug and alcohol detox cases, there will be some form of medical intervention. Why? For clients suffering from an extreme addiction problem, going through a standard detox process is too dangerous. Generally, their withdrawal symptoms will be significant enough to present severe and lasting health risks.

A "tapering" program is a primary characteristic of an intensive detox rehab process. In a tapering program, the attending doctor will prescribe a tapering drug like suboxone or methadone. By using these medications, it gives the client's body more time to adjust to the absence of the drug it needs.

It's the doctor's job to monitor the client's progress at every level. Slowly but surely, the doctor will start to decrease the amount of the tapering drug they are prescribing for the client. Over time, the client's body will work safely through the withdrawal process until the tapering drug is no longer necessary.

How long do intensive detox rehab programs take? While it varies based on the substance and the depth of the client's addiction, it could take anywhere from two to four weeks before the client is ready for therapy.