What Is Rehabilitation?

In its simplest form, rehabilitation is the process of restoring a patient to an appropriate level of health and social well-being. In practice, however, rehabilitation is a complex and multilayered practice of psychological and physical assistance and restructuring that people with health or physical problems often require to regain independence and a better quality of life.

Physical Rehabilitation

• After serious injury or surgery, a patient may require a period of physical rehabilitation to help her regain a comfortable level of health and mobility. Physical rehabilitation includes physical therapy, which will help restore her mobility and strength, as well as occupational therapy, which focuses on assisting the patient with daily tasks and activities.

Social Rehabilitation

• For a person who has been absent from general society for a long period of time --- for instance, a person who has served a long prison sentence, recently left a mental institution or suffered an illness that has prevented social interaction --- may require social rehabilitation to assist him in learning how to manage social situations and how to exist in society.

Addiction Rehabilitation

• Addiction rehabilitation is the practice of helping a patient overcome an addiction, such as drugs or alcohol. Patients stay in a rehabilitation center for a specified amount of time and receive medical, psychological and emotional assistance in beating the addiction. Following a stay in a rehabilitation center, recovering addicts often continue to attend rehab group meetings and therapy to maintain the level of support and reassurance required to keep up with their recovery.

Psychiatric Rehabilitation

• Psychiatric rehabilitation, often referred to as "psychosocial rehab," aims to assist people with mental and psychological disabilities in their daily lives. Often, social workers and psychiatrists work together to help the patient manage her environment and assist her in developing independence.