“Residential treatment” refers to a type of medical and behavioral care that takes place in a private facility. The type of care is similar to inpatient treatment, with the benefit of taking place in an environment where patients can live and treat like home. Aside from the location, residential treatment differs from inpatient treatment in a few ways. This type of care was created as a response to issues such as isolation and high costs of inpatient care that negatively impacted the effects of treatment.
The Differences Between Outpatient and Inpatient Care
A patient who is addicted to drugs or alcohol may opt for residential care depending on their mental and physical needs. Residential treatment centers can offer 24-hour supervision and support that simply isn’t possible with the higher demands of hospital or clinic settings. Patients who struggle with mental health disorders may thrive better in residential care than an overcrowded hospital or clinic where their needs may be overmedicated or ignored, since sicker patients will take precedence.
Outpatient care offers limited supportive options. Patients with unstable home environments may find it more difficult to complete outpatient care, whereas residential treatment centers focus on creating a supportive, albeit temporary, home environment. Outpatient treatment options may only offer a few hours of treatment, where residential centers can offer a full day’s worth of healing programs and activities.
The Benefits of Residential Treatment Programs
Some people who struggle with substance abuse may come from families or social groups who are supportive; however, their support system may not know how to offer the type of care that is needed. Because addiction is so complex, affecting people on both a physical and mental level, the best of intentions from friends and relatives aren’t enough to help them get better. People struggling with addiction need a specialized type of care. At residential treatment centers, patients can receive direct care from experts who not only understand the nuances of addiction, but also the underlying mental health issues or traumas that are present as well. This type of direct, 24-hour care is simply inaccessible in outpatient care.
If you or someone you love is considering which type of treatment is best for substance abuse, these additional benefits of residential care may help you make up your mind:
Relearning and Reshaping Old Habits
Substance abuse is one problem; the circumstances that feed it are another. A residential treatment facility has staff that can devote the time and energy to the mental health conditions that feed addiction. Outpatient care mainly focuses on physical needs. But getting better physically will not be enough if the addicted mind is not also treated. This type of care will give patients the skills and tools they need to help make better choices outside of treatment, long after the program comes to an end. From reshaping old habits and tendencies, residential care addresses the whole person.
In addition to this comprehensive care, there is the benefit of diverse insight from group therapy sessions. As different people move at their own pace from addiction to recovery, newer patients have the opportunity to learn from the ones who are more advanced in their treatment.
Finally, there is the benefit of a consistent schedule to help create healthier routines. From designated periods for exercise, improved diet, and developing better sleep habits, patients will be truly reformed from the inside out. These are also skills and habits that can be brought home after the treatment is completed.
A Supportive Environment
The clients at Spero Recovery may all have substance abuse in common. However, the underlying reasons for it can involve a variety of circumstances. For example, residents may come from troubled, unstable backgrounds, or they may have experienced toxic relationships or have untreated trauma symptoms.
For these patients, it’s unwise and possibly detrimental to their well-being to remain in such an environment, as it can harm treatment progress. Therapeutic activities and techniques can only do so much without a safe environment to practice them. Removing clients from these negative dynamics allows them to focus more on their own progress with fewer distractions. In addition to helping clients learn how to live sober, we educate them on how they can make better choices for themselves in the midst of unstable circumstances.
With the right supportive environment, clients are better able to reform and relearn damaging thought or behavior patterns and replace them with healthier ones. What’s more, this environment consists of a community with other people going through the same issues, working together toward a common goal. This support can be accessed at any time.
Residential Programs With Spero Recovery
Spero Recovery Center is a unique residential care facility for both men and women located in the beautiful state of Colorado. With on-site programs lasting between 30 and 90 days, patients will have a unique opportunity to work through the 12 Steps with their own sponsor. This individualized attention and care provides a stable environment for learning how to thrive long-term. The communal aspect provides additional encouragement, as residents can work together toward the common goal of sobriety and wellness.
In between peer-to-peer counseling and support, we also offer communal areas to hang out, meeting rooms, woodworking shops, beautiful hiking trails, meditation, and more. We are proud to help our guests change their lives for the better not only through sobriety from alcohol and drugs but also through repaired relationships with others and with themselves.
As scary as substance abuse can be, the possibility of sobriety can also be uncomfortable to think about. A person struggling with drugs or alcohol may wonder: how am I going to face my problems without self-medicating or using drugs to “escape?” How can I develop skills to help me conquer addiction as well as improve my mental health? Spero Recovery offers residential treatment programs for men and women that address the whole person, not just addiction. With full-time supportive care, combined with optional therapies and plenty of outdoor activities, our clients will thrive in an environment designed to help them heal from the inside out. If you or a loved one needs treatment for substance abuse, call us today at (303) 351-7888. You can also contact us online through our website. All residents must be detoxed before they can be accepted.
