The Impact of Environment on Inpatient Addiction Recovery Success

By Your Health Magazine

Your Health Magazine

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The Impact of Environment on Inpatient Addiction Recovery Success

Ever wonder why some people succeed in recovery and some don’t?

The environment where treatment takes place is a huge factor in someone recovering or relapsing.

If the right conditions are in place, treatment has a much better chance of succeeding. If the environment is not supportive, even the best treatment may not be enough.

Keep reading to learn more about why your environment matters during addiction recovery and how inpatient settings change the game.

Insider Info: What To Expect During Recovery From Addiction

In This Guide

• Why Your Recovery Environment Matters
• How Environment Can Predict Success In Treatment
• What Differentiates Inpatient From Other Treatment Settings?
• Recovery Environment Checklist
• How Does Environment Affect Long-Term Recovery?
• Long-Term Effects Of Addiction Treatment Environment
• Environment Takeaways

The Effects of Environment on Addiction Recovery

Why Your Recovery Environment Matters

Think about it…

If you’re trying to recover from addiction while living in the same place where your addiction developed. Or you have the same job, friends, and routines as before, it’s going to be tough.

Your entire physical environment is basically a repeat of everything that went into you developing an addiction in the first place.

That’s why the environment where treatment takes place is so critical.

When a person goes to inpatient rehab in Phoenix or another residential treatment setting, they’re doing more than just getting treatment.

They are totally removing themselves from the environment that helped develop the substance use problem initially.

And research backs this up.

Only about 49% of individuals finish community-based addiction treatment.

Compare that to structured inpatient programs where completion and success rates are far better.

The difference?

Environment.

How Environment Can Predict Success In Treatment

Let me show you something…

The people who stay in treatment 90 days or more see a 55% improvement in their recovery outcomes over shorter periods of time. This is not a coincidence.

Length of stay is connected to environment. The longer someone is in a structured inpatient environment, the better they do.

It allows time for:

• Brain healing from physical aspects of substance abuse
• Forming new neural connections
• Learning healthy coping skills
• Practicing recovery skills in a safe environment

Brain chemistry takes time to change.

Inpatient treatment setting gives you an environment where you get away from drugs or alcohol, but more importantly, gives your brain time to rewire and form new, healthy habits and pathways.

Here’s the thing that most people don’t realize…

Addiction recovery is not just about stopping drug or alcohol use. It’s about learning to live differently.

You can’t practice new ways of living if you’re stuck in the same environment where you used to use substances.

What Differentiates Inpatient From Other Treatment Settings?

Inpatient addiction treatment is different because it creates an entirely different daily reality for someone in early recovery.

Instead of living in an environment full of triggers and temptations, they wake up to:

• 24/7 trained professional support
• Structured daily schedules
• Peers who are also in recovery
• Immediate access to medical attention
• ZERO access to substances

The last part is key.

If someone is receiving addiction treatment, they’re not even able to use during that time. For most people, this is the most critical time of recovery.

The forced separation from substances gives you breathing room to focus on recovery and healing without having to battle urges constantly.

But there is more to it than just substance abstinence…

The social environment is just as important as the physical one in treatment. You are surrounded by understanding professionals and peers who have also struggled with substance abuse.

Research shows that individuals who were in supportive recovery environments had lower substance use rates (31%) when compared to those who didn’t receive structured aftercare (65%). The environment you surround yourself with literally affects your chances of staying sober.

Recovery Environment Checklist

So what elements make an effective recovery environment?

There are a few key pieces that successful inpatient programs incorporate:

Physical Safety

You need a space where substances are not accessible and triggers are controlled or removed. This provides your brain a chance to reset without constant temptation present.

Emotional Support

Training professionals and understanding peers who create a safety net around you. When you struggle, help is immediately available.

Daily Structure

Free time when not in treatment is dangerous in early recovery. Structure keeps you focused on recovery instead of ruminating over cravings and urges.

Skill Building

The right environment doesn’t just keep someone sober in the moment. It teaches them how to stay sober after leaving treatment. Coping skills, communication skills, and stress management are all practiced in real time.

Did you know this?

About 75% of people who develop an addiction and receive appropriate treatment will go on to recover. The key phrase there is “appropriate treatment” which almost always includes the right environmental factors.

How Does Environment Affect Long-Term Recovery?

The benefits of a good treatment environment continue even after treatment ends.

The habits and skills developed in inpatient treatment setting follow a person home. This helps to set them up for long term success.

Here’s why:

Your brain learned how to be addicted in one environment. It needs to learn how to be sober in a different one. Inpatient treatment provides that other environment in the most comprehensive way possible.

The longer a person stays in that healing environment, the better.

Finishing their full treatment program of 30 to 90 days is what gives someone the best chance at long-term success.

Long-Term Effects Of Addiction Treatment Environment

The environment where someone receives addiction treatment is so important because it:

• Removes from triggering environment
• Provides 24/7 structure and support
• Gives brain time to heal
• Teach skills in safe setting
• Connects with recovery community

Research proves that people who complete inpatient treatment in a structured supportive environment have a better chance at long-term success than those who try to recover in the same environment where the addiction developed.

If you are serious about recovery, choosing the right environment is one of the most critical decisions that a person can make during the process.

Your surroundings during recovery will shape your success more than you might realize.

Environment Takeaways

The environment where a person gets treatment for their addiction is absolutely critical to success.

Inpatient programs work so well because they remove a person from the environment that likely helped lead to their addiction.

They provide 24/7 structured support and give the brain time to heal.

Inpatient addiction treatment programs also teach people how to stay sober and build a recovery community all within a safe setting.

The environment where treatment takes place is so important to addiction recovery.