When used properly, drugs like Ritalin have incredible benefits for those who take them.
Unfortunately, Ritalin and other prescription stimulants have a high rate of abuse and high potential for addiction, which is why the DEA classifies Ritalin as a Schedule II drug.
If you or a loved one is dealing with Ritalin addiction, don’t wait to get help. Here, we’re walking you through all your Ritalin treatment and rehab options.
Ritalin Inpatient
Inpatient treatment is among the more intensive care options for those recovering from addiction. The basic idea is that someone takes a break from their everyday life in order to completely focus on recovery.
Let’s take a closer look at what inpatient treatment entails.
What is Inpatient Treatment?
Inpatient treatment is designed for individuals to fully break from unhealthy environments for a period of time. This way, they can completely focus on recovery without worrying about other life demands like work that could make recovery more difficult.
During inpatient rehabilitation, individuals receive 24-hour care from experienced medical professionals in a dedicated treatment facility. Usually, inpatient treatment will include treatment for co-occurring mental health problems and specialized treatment for individuals.
Inpatient recovery is a good option for those who need to completely separate themselves from old patterns of living and problematic relationships while learning about how to live sober.
Standard Length of Ritalin Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient treatment often includes a detoxification component, which is meant to help the individual patient get through the worst of their withdrawal syndrome. From there, they can focus on learning how to live sober.
Because of this, inpatient programs can vary in length depending on the patient in question. It will also depend on the severity of their addiction and how acute their withdrawal symptoms are.
A short stay could be five to seven days, though this would exclusively focus on detoxification and physical stabilization. Most detoxes take anywhere from 3-14 days. Long-term inpatient care could be anywhere from 60 to 90 days, though the average inpatient stay is around 28 days.
This is about the minimum amount of time required to break the habit and receive the appropriate therapy, aided by separation from old routines and harmful relationships.
Keep in mind, though, that the length of recovery time will be affected by the individual and whether they’re willing to move on from denial and take an active role in their own recovery process.
Ritalin Outpatient
Inpatient treatment can be beneficial for many. However, not everyone is able to take a month away from their daily life in order to focus on treatment, either for family or work reasons.
For those individuals, outpatient treatment can be a good option to prioritize recovery without putting the demands of everyday life on hold. Let’s take a closer look at what outpatient treatment entails.
What is Outpatient Treatment?
Outpatient treatment can come in two forms: intensive outpatient or standard outpatient treatment.
Unlike inpatient treatment, which takes a patient away from their everyday life for an extended treatment period, outpatient treatment allows someone to carry on their everyday life while also attending to their recovery, sort of like going to physical therapy.
This is a good option for those who can’t take time away from work or their families to focus on treatment. It can be just as intensive as inpatient care, though it does require a bit more commitment from the individual as they will still be exposed to their former patterns of living and unhealthy relationships.
Because outpatient doesn’t fully remove you from problematic environments, it may not be a suitable first step for everyone. In particular, those who needed supervised detoxification may benefit from starting with inpatient before moving on to outpatient.?
Standard Length of Ritalin Outpatient Treatment
The length of outpatient treatment depends on the type of outpatient and on the patient receiving it.
A partial inpatient or partial hospitalization program, where recovering addicts aren’t required to reside in a treatment facility, patients must attend daily treatment sessions, often for several hours at a time. These programs usually last several weeks or months.
In an intensive outpatient program, patients attend regular treatment sessions but have a bit more freedom with their time. This is meant for individuals with less severe addictions and typically lasts for three to four months.
Keep in mind, however, that the process may be lengthened or shortened depending on the person. A resistant patient with a moderate addiction may take longer to show progress than a willing patient fighting a more severe addiction.
Ritalin Sober Living
Once you’ve completed outpatient or inpatient treatment, you may not be quite ready to step out into the world yet. That’s what sober living is for.
What is Ritalin Sober Living?
Sober living facilities are essentially group homes for those who are recovering from drug and alcohol abuse, particularly recent graduates of rehab programs that are readjusting to freedom.
They operate much like a co-op, where everyone who lives in the house contributes to its upkeep and costs by paying rent and doing chores.
Think of sober living facilities like a halfway point between intensive rehabilitation and fully returning to your own home. They’re a way for people to slowly reintroduce themselves to the stresses of daily life with ground rules to help stay sober.
What to Expect
Every sober living home operates slightly differently. Many are run by businesses or religious groups, but the majority are run by groups of people who created an informal agreement to establish a sober living arrangement.
Some have a resident manager, sort of like an RA or a building manager, while others provide a more social model where every resident has more decision-making power. They’re designed to operate so to allow for employment and other outside obligations.
Regardless of the management style, every sober living home has a strict set of ground rules. You may have a curfew, and you may have to sign out when you come and go. You may attend house meetings or take random drug screenings.
All facilities agree on the same rule: you must stay sober at all times.
That said, the understanding in sober living homes is that you are an independent person responsible for your own recovery. You are free to come and go as necessary, but if someone in the house is not ready for or committed to recovery, it could hinder the progress of everyone in the house.
Ongoing Recovery
If you or a loved one needs Ritalin treatment and rehab, we’d like to congratulate you on taking the first step.
Educating yourself about the process is a vital first step to understanding addiction and preparing yourself to handle it. We’re ready to help with what comes next, however long or difficult the road might be.
If you’re ready to discuss treatment options in greater depth, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.