How Successful Is Inpatient Alcohol Rehab?

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Success rate of inpatient alcohol rehab depends on the addict, the severity of the addiction and the willingness to commit to sobriety.  No rehab programme will guarantee 100% success, regardless of the quality of their rehabilitation programme.  The success rate of alcohol rehab also depends if the patient is admitted as an inpatient client or an outpatient client. 

Inpatient clinics offer 24/7 care to their patients. These clinics tend to have medical staff present all the time, and in case any special care is needed, they have professionals to help.

They require the patients to live in the facility.

This provides intensive care services with programmes that will immerse the patients into a treatment process, allowing them to focus on their addiction and recovery entirely.

When you remove the patients from the stressful situations in their lives, they tend to be better positioned to work on their treatment.

This is why they always have high success rates.

Included in the treatment are group therapy sessions, medication-assisted treatment, individual therapy, and other forms of treatment such as meditation, and outdoor activities.

People with severe or long-standing addictions or with multiple substance abuse issues would benefit from inpatient clinics.

What are the alcohol rehab success rates?

First of all, before we look at the success factor of these clinics, you should know that any rehabilitation prowess's success depends on the patient's commitment to change.

The recovering addict must be committed to long-term abstinence and maintaining their sobriety.

Now, let's look at some of the numbers for inpatient rehab;

In the mid-90s, the Health Department released some results from a study that showed 47% of the addicts that received inpatient treatment management to remain abstinent for up to five years after completing the programmes.

Of all that received only community-based services, only 35% could remain sober within five years.

Almost 20 years later, this has completely changed, and the studies show even better results. Another survey was conducted in 2012.

According to the research done in the UK, the best-performing inpatient UK alcohol rehab clinics have a  alcohol rehab  success rate of between 60% and 80%.

The least performing facilities, however, had only 20% success.

This shows that inpatient is a successful treatment programme that will give results most of the time.

What were the mitigating factors?

An in-depth analysis of the 2012 NHS research showed that some mitigating factors affected the success of these rehab clinics. These included the following:

  • The number of patients who completed the treatment.
  • The number of patients who were positively discharged.
  • The number of patients who were negatively discharged.
  • The number of patients who dropped out before even completing the programme.

What are the chances of relapse after alcohol rehab?

Likelihood of relapse after alcohol rehab varies depending on timescales after treatment [1] and how much support the individual has. See our full guide on the chance of relapse after alcohol rehab.

What does positive and negative discharge mean?

To understand what this means, let us expound on what positive and negative discharge means;

When a client is discharged positively, it means that they have completed the treatment programme and adhered to all the guidelines from start to finish.

When you are negatively discharged, it means that you did not finish the programme, and if you did, it was with some resistance.

The clinics that achieved a 60% success rate and above were found to have had a higher percentage of clients who completed the rehab successfully and were positively discharged.

Of the lower-performing clinics, they had a high rate of negative discharge, and the dropouts were high.

So, what does this mean?

This means that commitment and attitude matter.

These are, in fact, the most critical factors that determine success. You see, even the low-performing clinics had 100% success rates for patients who were committed to the process.

Additionally, success rates enjoyed by the best clinics were many times better than those programmes carried out by the community-based clinics.

So, this means that you have better chances of achieving abstinence for the next five years if you are in an inpatient and private clinic, and are committed to the process.

This means that commitment and attitude matter.

These are, in fact, the most critical factors that determine success. You see, even the low-performing clinics had 100% success rates for patients who were committed to the process.

Additionally, success rates enjoyed by the best clinics were many times better than those programmes carried out by the community-based clinics.

So, this means that you have better chances of achieving abstinence for the next five years if you are in an inpatient and private clinic, and are committed to the process.

How can I attend an in-patient rehab clinic without losing my job?

If you need rehab and have some fear of losing your job, then you may have to weigh the options of whether keeping the Job and remaining addicted to alcohol is better than receiving treatment.

With addiction, you will always struggle to keep the job anyway, so you are better off getting some treatment.

Alcohol addiction already puts your Job at risk, and you are already gambling with your future.

However, although being intoxicated is a legal right for the company terminating you, some laws can protect you from illegal termination due to seeking treatment.

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What is an employee assisted programme?

The EAP is a programme that is voluntary and one that works through employers.

They provide a confidential assessment, referrals, and limited counselling to addiction treatment at no cost for the employee.

What does the family and medical act leave say?

Most employers will offer their employees up to 12 weeks' leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act which allows them to take some time off that is unpaid without affecting their health insurance.

This helps them seek treatment for medical conditions that may interfere with their ability to perform their work-related tasks.

Substance use disorders will fall in this category, and it is beneficial when you first understand what your company has to offer in this regard.

What is an outpatient rehab programme?

Outpatient rehab programmes provide treatment options for people who cannot live away from their homes or leave their jobs.

It is an affordable option compared to the inpatient rehab clinics.

People who are struggling with relapse problems and severe addiction would help them find treatment without spending too much money.

These clinics will allow you to come in for therapy, treatment, and other services while you go back home in the evenings.

They are structured to allow one person to keep doing their jobs, going to school, and keeping their lives while still seeking treatment.

They are a good fit for people who already have a strong support system at home, have short-term addictions, have less-severe addictions, and have serious responsibilities that cannot be neglected.

The design of this treatment can vary, and the programmes involve all-day sessions where the treatment is for an hour or two each day.

The costs are often much lower as the need for residential accommodations is eliminated.

There are also fewer amenities and complimentary services available, and the treatment teams are also much smaller.

Many insurance plans can cover this one.

What about luxury inpatient treatments?

Luxury rehab provides high-class surroundings and excellent amenities than what is available in the standard rehab clinics.

These are located in highly secluded areas where the patient can afford privacy during their stay.

When compared to the standard programmes, luxury rehabs have more innovative recovery therapies and complimentary services.

All this is in addition to all the necessary wellness activities and some excellent offerings such as gourmet meals that are prepared by professional staff.

Most celebrities, executives, and public figures will choose luxury rehab to add privacy and exclusivity to their treatment.

Anyone would love to attend such clinics, but the costs are astronomical.

Why should you choose private inpatient treatment?

Rehab experts have always affirmed that inpatient treatment in a private clinic will always work better than any other treatment option available.

Additionally, when you combine this treatment with a 12-step post-treatment programme, there are higher chances of success. Here are a few reasons why this works so well:

Why choose a Private Rehab

The Environment

These residential and private clinics are conducted in environments that are free of the distractions of everyday life.

The patients are entirely insulated from the outside, and hence they can fully concentrate on their treatment.

Community-based services do not provide this kind of opportunity.

Ownership

The clinics provide treatment that forces the patient to take full ownership of their circumstances.

They have no one to blame and must deal with being alone and responsible for their addictive behaviour.

Treatment

These private clinics usually use bespoke treatment models as compared to the one-size-fits-all model.

As a result, they tailor-make the treatment plan to the patient involved, which provides maximum benefits.

Support

These residential clinics offer a high level of group support that is not available with community-based services.

The addicts in the residential clinic are always in each other's presence, giving them companionship and support.

Aftercare

According to statistics, aftercare is an essential component of success and long-term abstinence.

The recovering addicts who receive the appropriate aftercare have a high chance of staying sober compared to those who do not.

If you do not receive the appropriate aftercare, you are ten times more likely to relapse within a year.

These residential clinics provide aftercare as part of the treatment in most cases.

What happens when one relapses?

Relapse should not be considered a failure, and it should be seen as an obstacle to the process of overcoming a life-long journey to sobriety.

It offers you an opportunity to reassess your path and get back into the programme to get the help you need and maintain your progress.

Most people who struggle with addiction tend to undergo more than one course of treatment before finding their footing in the journey to success.

Ultimately the only person who can help manage their addiction is the patient. Rehab will help give you the skills needed to remains sober.

Addiction Treatment Statistics

Across the world, more than 300 million people have an alcohol use disorder [1].

In America, over 3.7 alcoholics are in therapy[2]. 

So if you are suffering from AUD and looking for treatment, you should enrol in a residential inpatient centre rehab programme.

A rehab programme can last for 30, 60 or 90 days, depending on your needs. Research has shown that people who receive treatment for 90 days or more are less likely to relapse.  [3]

Follow the addiction treatment statistics to see the way people respond to treatment and how professionals can help you.

Conclusion

As we said before, rehab will only work for people who are committed to it.

Inpatient rehab is one of the best options with high chances of success compared to the NHS community-based clinics.

Abbeycare Pricing Bot

About the author

Laura Morris

Laura Morris is an experienced clinical practitioner and CQC Registered Manager with over twenty years experience, over ten of which have been as an Independent Nurse Prescriber.

She has held a number of senior leadership roles in the substance use and mental health sector in the NHS, the prison service and in leading social enterprises in the field.

Last Updated: October 31, 2023