Inpatient Rehab

Commonly known simply as “rehab,” this category includes residential facilities where patients live for one to three months. During this time, patients receive mental health evaluations, group and individual therapy, and skills development. Facilities also offer medical supervision and family visitation focused on repairing  relationships. Some rehab centers provide medication while some only offer only counseling.

PROS: For some patients, the inpatient setting—with its scheduled meals, meetings, and counseling sessions—offers much-needed structure, accountability, and time away from stressful situations and drug-using friends. This allows patients to stabilize, reflect, and gain important coping skills. Inpatient rehabilitation works best when patients are self-motivated rather than forced.

CONS: Inpatient rehab may be unnecessary for people who have stable living and work situations. For opioid use disorder patients in particular, combining outpatient MAT treatment with counseling may work just as well or even better. Some patients report that the structure of inpatient rehab shields them from life’s realities and responsibilities, so the transition back to the “real world” can be difficult.  Also, if a patient returns to using opioids immediately upon discharge from an abstinence-only rehab facility, the risk of overdose is much greater.