During inpatient drug rehab, the body and mind undergo specific changes as a result of the medicinal treatment that is needed to free the patient from their addiction. These changes are experienced in different ways according to the receptivity and personality of the patient involved. There are good and bad experiences involved during the addiction rehab process, as with all aspects of life. Of most importance is that the patient sticks to the addiction recovery program, regardless of how friends and family may react to what they see and how low at times they may feel themselves.

The inpatient drug rehab process may begin with a detoxification program where the body is cleansed of any toxins or substance abuse by-products that may have accumulated during the course of the drug abuse. During this period of detox, the patient can expect to feel some withdrawal symptoms as not all will be subdued. They will also feel healthier and may wish to participate in exercise or other activities that the addiction rehab center may offer. A healthy, vitamin and mineral enriched diet will also be provided to enhance the beneficial effects of the detox process. It is often the case that the patient may feel drained and exhausted during this detox process as the body is being encouraged to flush the toxins from its system. This flushing process consumes a lot of energy resulting in these feelings of exhaustion.

Following detox, there will often be a course of medicinal treatment as part of the inpatient drug rehab process. Depending on the particular treatment that is deemed suitable for the particular case, the patient can expect to feel tired, depressed, anxious, aggressive or experience varying amounts of discomfort. They may also feel confused as the brain is aided in returning to its previous functional abilities and chemical pathways.

It is important to realise that these symptoms often do not last very long. It is common to experience rapid changes in emotions during the course of a single day. The doctors and nurses of these addiction rehab centers are well aware of the different stages of the addiction treatment process and are trained in how to deal with them quickly and efficiently. There may be times during the course of the addiction recovery process where the patient may feel the need to talk about his experiences or any questions he has about the treatment process.

There are always counsellors on hand to help the patient with these issues, which in turn will provide a better understanding of the addiction recovery process they are going through. These counselling sessions can be extremely important for the well being of the patient as they can prevent emotional or nervous breakdowns or feelings of isolation in the patient, which may inhibit the effects of treatment. Ongoing inpatient drug rehab is a necessary and very effective part of the addiction rehab process as it can provide the stepping stones that the patient needs to make a successful transition back into normal society and a drug free lifestyle. There may be times that the patient feels especially weak or tempted to return to the drug abuse. This is where ongoing treatment can be particularly effective, analysing why the patient feels they wish to return to abusing drugs and what can be done to prevent it. A large part of the success of addiction recovery is down to some form of ongoing treatment or the participation in voluntary counselling sessions.