What Length of Rehab Do I Need?

Rehabilitation times vary depending on the addiction, the person’s addiction history, and other factors. Remember that longer times in rehab are associated with greater long-term success, so consider the time you spend in rehab as an investment in your future. Treatment programs of 90 days or longer are shown to be the most effective.

When you first visit the rehab center, they will ask for your medical history, gauge the severity of the addiction, and develop the best treatment plan for you.

If the addiction is to a substance, as opposed to a behavior, the first step of treatment is detoxification at a medical center. This allows you to get the substance out of your symptom with medical staff monitoring and helping you with any withdrawal symptoms. This phase can last anywhere from 5 to 30 days. Some people stop their treatment there and go home, but this method has shown a high rate of relapse.

After detoxification, a residential facility can help you with adjusting to sober life with other people who are going through the same thing. Residential facilities are houses or apartments that model normal homes as much as possible. While in a residential facility, you will attend regular one-on-one and group therapy sessions and maintain household duties such as chores and cooking. Therapy will help you address any underlying emotional or mental causes of your addiction. It will also help you recognize and avoid triggers for drug use or addictive behavior (i.e. gambling) and develop coping mechanisms so you can deal with stress in a healthy way rather than using. Some rehab programs offer classes to help you get your GED or earn college credits.

After your time at a residential, it is recommended that you continue individual and group therapy regularly to keep you in touch with your long-term goals and maintain a support system. This may involve a 12-step program such as Gamblers Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous. These programs will also involve finding a sponsor who will support you and you can contact if you feel cravings. Sponsors have all gone through the programs themselves and have been in recovery for longer periods of time, so they understand what you are going through.

While the rehab times themselves may vary, it is strongly recommended that you enroll in a program for at least 90 days and continue attending therapy and support groups once you are out. These steps allow you to gradually readjust to sober life and develop coping mechanisms, confidence in yourself, and support systems to ensure you are on a long-term track to recovery.

Keep in mind that slip-ups do happen. Rarely do people recover fully after one trip to rehab. Mistakes happen, and they are part of what makes us human. The important thing is that you try again. Maybe the rehab facility that you were at wasn’t the best fit for you, but there is a facility that will work for you. Everyone has the potential to recover, but some people take longer than others.