Your needs are unique and the best way to determine where you should go for treatment is to talk in detail about your situation with a doctor or an addiction professional. But it's also important to educate yourself about the options available to you. Getting informed helps to reduce any apprehension you may be feeling about the treatment experience while also helping you to make the right choices.

Here is some basic information about what kinds of people benefit most from getting out of the home and into a treatment center, and about the benefits of residential addiction treatment.

A Day in the Life in Residential Addiction Treatment

• You will stay busy. Your time during treatment is precious – you have a lot to accomplish in a relatively short period of time. Although your surroundings may seem resort-like, you are not on vacation and your daily schedule should remind you of this.

Group and individual therapy sessions, fitness and nutrition classes, holistic or wellness sessions, and even scheduled time for sober fun – you’ll follow this demanding schedule not only to learn a great deal, but also to retain your focus on getting better and staying centered on solutions rather than problems. Most people in treatment find these structured days a comfort after the madness of addiction.

• You will share a room. Although you may prefer complete privacy, you will be asked to share a room with at least one other person. You share this space so that you do not withdraw unduly into yourself. Although recovery is an individual journey, the process toward wellness demands interaction with others rather than isolationism.

• You will start to feel better. Most people enter a residential facility in poor physical, emotional, and mental health. A month or more of abstinence from drugs and alcohol, good nutrition, exercise, wellness activities, and emotional growth therapies can spark a remarkable revitalization.

So amazing is this turnaround that you will need to caution yourself against over-confidence in the face of your regained strength and vigor.

Who Needs Residential Addiction Treatment?

Should you admit to a residential facility, or should you get help on an outpatient basis? Very tough questions and ones with no one-size-fits-all answers. You will need to decide for yourself what best meets your needs, hopefully doing so after consulting with one or more health professionals about your situation.

People who commonly benefit most from a residential treatment program include:

• Anyone with co-occurring addiction and mental health issues. People facing a dual diagnosis do better when both the addiction and the mental health issues are addressed concurrently by a team working together toward a common goal. A residential addiction treatment stay provides that needed continuity of care.

• Anyone with a serious co-occurring physical health issue. People who face serious physical health consequences as a result of their addiction to drugs or alcohol benefit greatly from an enforced period of abstinence and needed medical care.

• Anyone who needs a medically supervised period of detoxification. Suddenly stopping the use of alcohol or certain drugs can be difficult and even dangerous. Anyone with a physical addiction to sedatives, alcohol, or opiates will probably need a residential medically supervised detoxification.

• People with an inadequate social support network. People without a stable living environment or without a caring network of sober friends or family to rely on can benefit greatly by getting out of their everyday living situation for treatment.

• People with work or family responsibilities that do not allow them the time to concentrate on their own recovery. Some people find that the responsibilities and routines of daily life impair their ability to focus on recovery. Outpatient addiction treatment can work but only if you work it, and some people find that while staying at home they cannot find the time, energy, or resolve to work effectively on recovery.

• People with long histories of addiction or relapse. Some people find that after many years of use, they have "forgotten" how to live without drugs or alcohol. Getting into a residential addiction treatment facility can provide the time, space, and amenities to re-learn how to live clean and sober.

• People who want or need to get away to get help. Some people just know that they need to get far away from their everyday reality to find what they need to get and stay sober. This is as good a reason as any to enter a residential facility.

What Are the Advantages of Residential Addiction Treatment?

A period of residential treatment offers those in recovery an extended period to focus on getting better, away from the distractions and temptations of everyday life. Some of the most significant advantages of residential addiction treatment include:

• A break from temptation. A lot of people, even people with the best of intentions, find the temptations and cravings of the first days and weeks of abstinence very difficult to overcome. Staying within the sheltered walls of a residential facility gives you a chance to make a clean break.
• Time to focus. It is a rare gift to enjoy a month or more away from the responsibilities and distractions of everyday life to focus exclusively on your needs.
• The support of your peers. The challenges you face and the experiences you leave behind are not as unique as you might think. There is value in the shared recovery, expertise, and support of many who have gone through some of the very similar trials of addiction.
• Time to regroup and to plan. While away in treatment you will spend considerable time planning for your new sober life at the end of your residential stay. Getting away gives you the perspective and strength you need to make some difficult and needed decisions about where you were and where you’re going.
• Time to regain your health. You will eat well, get exercise, stay clean and sober, and generally start to feel a whole lot better over the course of a residential treatment stay. This strength and sense of purpose and well-being will help you stay clean and sober in the long run.

Is Residential Addiction Treatment Right for You?

Learn all you can, ask questions, ask your doctor what she thinks, and get the support of your family and friends. If you've come this far, you're probably ready to make a change and it's only a question of what type of treatment best fits your needs.

Questions you may have about addiction treatment programs can be answered by calling the National Resource Center at (877) 637-6237.