What Are the Different Types of Rehab?

What Are the Different Types of Rehab?

By Martin Miller
|
May 25, 2023
People at group therapy session indoors, closeup
Photo Courtesy: Adobe Images

Rehabilitation services are an essential health service, available to anyone living with impairments, injuries or illnesses. Rehabilitation helps individuals adjust to challenging health conditions more easily while improving quality of life.

Selecting an effective rehabilitation program depends on your personal goals and needs. Different rehabilitation programs specialize in certain aspects, while all provide core services.

1. Acute Rehab

Acute rehab is an inpatient care program for those in need of intensive rehabilitation, typically administered in either a hospital or skilled nursing facility. Therapy sessions of at least three hours daily across multiple disciplines typically occur while an attending physician monitors progress regularly.

Medically stable patients who are capable of reaching their rehabilitation goals may benefit from this form of care. Patients are usually admitted from hospital but pre-admitted also has its advantages.

2. Substance Abuse Treatment

Substance abuse treatment encompasses various therapies and modalities, from medically managed detox programs to medications designed to ease cravings and prevent relapse.

Psychotherapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), as well as family-based therapies like Multidimensional Family Therapy and Motivational Enhancement Therapy may all play a part in healthcare delivery.

Drug addiction causes serious harm to an individual's mental and physical wellbeing. Like diabetes, drug dependency requires long-term treatment to manage.

3. Outpatient Rehab

Outpatient rehab refers to therapy-based treatment that does not require living at a recovery center. Men and women living at home may work and attend therapy sessions scheduled by the program on an outpatient basis.

Outpatient programs usually involve individual and group counseling sessions. They're an ideal solution for individuals whose family or work obligations prevent them from attending residential care programs.

Recovery through outpatient counseling is also helpful for people who have mild addictions to alcohol or drugs and who have completed residential addiction treatments.

4. Residential Rehab

Residential rehab services provide more of a homelike environment and offer greater mobility, but still provide access to medical staff and clinical management around the clock.

Residential addiction treatment services may also assist in treating co-occurring mental health disorders through dual diagnosis programs, but may offer more structured activities so as to limit distractions.

Residential rehabilitation tends to be more expensive than outpatient treatments; however, some insurance providers will cover its cost if proof can be provided that it is medically necessary.

5. Telehealth Rehab

Telehealth rehab has become an attractive solution during the COVID-19 pandemic, making virtual meetings and communication the norm - which makes telehealth rehab an attractive solution for those battling substance use disorders (SUDs). Not only can clients avoid travel costs for treatment purposes; this type of addiction treatment enables clients to meet with therapists and counselors from the convenience of their own home.

Physical Therapists use telehealth technology to perform tasks such as appointment reminders and follow-up calls for patients suffering chronic pain, but many low-income patients struggle to afford smartphones and internet connectivity required for such sessions.

6. Virtual Rehab

Virtual Rehabilitation (VR) involves providing patients with virtual reality environments designed for therapy purposes. Studies have demonstrated its efficacy for improving cognitive rehabilitation for a range of conditions.

Research has proven its ability to reduce anxiety and improve PTSD symptoms among veterans. Furthermore, stroke rehabilitation centers utilize it for pain reduction and improved walking gait improvement.

Rehab can also provide addicts with new skills for managing outside triggers and developing coping mechanisms they can carry with them when leaving rehab. Furthermore, therapy may assist them in identifying internal contributors to addiction such as self-doubt or childhood trauma that contribute to addiction.

7. Continuing Care

Rehab centers utilize various strategies and practices to assist those suffering from substance abuse recover, including psychoeducational approaches, skills development strategies, support services and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Rehab can be used to treat addiction to both alcohol and drugs, mental health conditions and co-occurring disorders, as well as co-occurring disorders such as OCD. Rehab facilities have become the subject of several popular television shows like "Celebrity Rehab" and "Intervention". Each facility utilizes different philosophies; however most offer similar programs that help individuals return to being their best selves. Typically a day at rehab begins with a nutritious breakfast followed by multiple therapy sessions throughout the day.