Medical Detox

For many people, medical detox is the first stage of recovery. Some drugs, including alcohol and opioids, can cause serious or even life-threatening withdrawal symptoms that need medical management. This stage typically lasts a minimum of three days.

Inpatient, Partial Hospitalization, and Intensive Outpatient Treatment

The next step in recovery is to enter an intensive program of some sort. This often includes inpatient rehab programs, but some people may be unable to do that due to work, school or family obligations. For those people, a partial hospitalization program, where the patient spends most of the day in rehab, or an intensive outpatient program, which usually requires four to five hours a day, may be a better option.

The National Institute of Health recommends spending at least 90 days in rehab for the best outcome, although longer programs often have a higher success rate. Many programs offer a flexible approach for that length of time, so people may start with a shorter inpatient stay, then transition into outpatient care.

If insurance is paying for the treatment, that may also affect the length of time a person stays in rehab. Some insurance companies only pay for a limited period of time, especially for inpatient stays.

Continuing Care

While a 90-day inpatient or intensive outpatient program is enough to give people good tools for maintaining sobriety, most people need ongoing care to fully overcome their substance abuse problems. These are typically less intense than the initial 90-day treatment period. Common components include individual counseling, group therapy sessions and recovery support groups.

Substance abuse experts typically recommend that people participate in some form of continuing care for at least a year, although many people stay in these programs for many years or even their entire lives. Some people also will stop attending for some time, but reenter therapy or addiction support groups during stressful times in their lives when they may feel tempted to relapse.

A Personal Journey

Recovering from substance abuse is affected by a wide variety of factors, including the substance being used and the individual’s personality and current lifestyle. As a result, the exact timeline looks a little different for everyone. Typically, when a patient enters rehab there will be a screening to develop a personalized plan for each stage of treatment, although that timeline may change as the treatment progresses.

America’s Rehab Campuses offers a range of treatment options to help people recover from addiction. Contact us today for more information and to start your recovery journey.