Have you been wondering about your or your loved one’s personal use of alcohol? Have you begun to think that maybe you, your friend, or family member is drinking too much, too often? Do you want to seek help but aren’t sure where to start? Or you aren’t sure if drug and alcohol rehab will be right for you or your family? Alcohol use disorders and addictions are serious conditions that change the way the mind works, altering the behaviors and actions of the people affected by them.

If you have found yourself or a loved one struggling with an alcohol use disorder or addiction, we want to assure you that being nervous, worried, or scared is entirely normal. Suffering from an addiction is tremendously difficult, and working to recover from a disorder is challenging. Still, today, we are lucky enough to live in an age and society that no longer views addiction as a topic that needs avoiding. We live in a world where substance use disorders are chronic conditions that require proper treatment. This is excellent news! But you may still be wondering, “how long is alcohol rehab” or “how long does alcohol rehab take?”

The Duration of Alcohol Rehab Treatment

To begin discussing how long alcohol rehab is, we must point out that every person has a different experience in drug and alcohol treatment. Addiction is not a one size fits all standard. Some people may suffer from various alcohol use disorders, ranging from mild, moderate, or extreme severities. Every case is different based on the person being affected. Thus, alcohol rehab and the duration of treatment is also likely to be different on a person to person basis. Also, remember that drug and alcohol rehab has many stages.

Each stage of drug and alcohol rehab has a different duration period, which is adjustable to fit each person’s case. Typically, you will work through each step of alcohol rehab separately, beginning with a medical detox program that usually lasts anywhere from a couple of days to two weeks long. Once you complete medical detox, you usually will transition into an inpatient therapy program, which generally lasts anywhere from 30 to 90 days. After completing inpatient care, you or your loved one will take the next step into outpatient rehab, which also lasts from 30 to 90 days. After you finish all of these steps, you then transition into aftercare, which has no minimum or maximum care length.

The duration of alcohol rehab treatment ultimately depends on the individual, the severity of their condition, and the amount of diligent work they put into recovering. Yet sometimes, even all of the diligence and dedication in the world can not help you avoid setbacks. Thus, you must remember that setbacks in addiction recovery treatment are perfectly normal. You are not a failure for needing to repeat a step of treatment of therapy at any time. Sometimes we all need to retake a class to understand better the materials we are learning and use the skills we learn in more appropriate settings. With that said, alcohol rehab can take anywhere from three months to six months, a year, or in some extreme cases, a few years. Recovery all depends on the person, and for some people, the journey may be something they continue to work at improving on for a lifetime. Still, generally, most clients need only work through the rehabilitation process anywhere from three to six months.

What Does Alcohol Rehab Consist Of?

There are thousands of drug and alcohol rehab centers scattered across the nation. Some rehab centers work to offer rehabilitation services to specific populations of people; some are extravagant luxury facilities. Other rehabilitation facilities work to serve as many society members as possible, made with affordability in mind. Yet even with all of their differences, drug and alcohol rehab centers also share many similarities. Every rehab facility works to provide its clients with the same traditional basis of treatment. Some of the most commonly known treatment services that drug and alcohol rehab consist of include:

  • Individual therapy and counseling sessions
  • Family therapy and counseling sessions
  • Group therapy and counseling sessions
  • Support group cultivation and meetings
  • Skill-building activities
  • Nutrition management
  • Exercise counseling
  • Behavioral therapy and counseling sessions
  • Coping skills cultivation and exercise

Each drug and alcohol rehab center is different, but many treatment programs consist of the same general methodologies, services, and plans for clients to work through. Some rehabilitation centers, like St. John’s Recovery Place (SJRP), located in Crescent City, Florida, even go the extra step by offering their clients the opportunity to engage in alternative and complementary treatment services for a more holistic, innovative recovery experience. Alternative and complementary therapy services may include music, art, animal-assisted, adventure, and different movement practices like yoga or running. Every rehab facility is different, but they consist of the same general principles for care, typically putting a client’s individual needs first.

How to Tell If You Have an Alcohol Use Disorder

Now you know a good chunk of information on alcohol rehab, what it consists of, and generally how long it takes to complete. Awesome! You have come one step closer to moving along in your recovery journey! You may now be curious about whether what you think is problem drinking is an issue. So, how can you tell if you have a drinking problem or alcohol use disorder? Here are some questions to have a loved one ask themselves, as that you ask yourself to determine whether or not you have an alcohol use disorder.

  • You are finding that you cannot limit the amount of alcohol that you drink.
  • You are noticing that you spend a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol, or recovering from heavy drinking or alcohol use.
  • You are beginning to fail fulfilling major work, school, or home obligations due to your alcohol use.
  • You feel a constant or intense craving to drink alcohol.
  • You’ve been wanting to cut down on the amount you are drinking and have even made attempts to cut back or quit but have been unsuccessful in remaining abstinent from alcohol use.
  • You have been giving up on or reducing your participation in social and work activities or hobbies you typically enjoy.
  • You notice that you continue to drink, even though it is causing physical, social, professional, and interpersonal problems and issues.
  • You’ve begun experiencing withdrawal symptoms (sweating, shaking, being nauseous, etc.) when you don’t drink or drink to avoid having these issues occur.
  • You are using alcohol in unsafe situations, such as swimming while under the influence, engaging in unprotected sex, or driving.
  • You are developing a high tolerance to alcohol that requires you to drink more than you usually would to gain the desired drinking effect.

If you or a loved one suffers from any of these symptoms, or a combination of these effects, it may be time for you to seek out professional help. You can begin your alcohol treatment journey by speaking to your physician to gain a proper diagnosis. Once you have an appropriate diagnosis for your alcohol use disorder, you can begin looking into rehab treatment centers to find the right facility that works for you. Treatment varies from one case to the other, but the end goal is well worth the work you put in. You can do this! We believe in you and your ability to recover from any and all substance use disorders.

References 

  • Mayo Clinic. Alcohol Use Disorder. (Accessed 2021, February 3).
  • NIH: National Institue on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Publications. Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition). Principles of Effective Treatment. (2018, January). (2021, February 3).
  • NIH: National Institue on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Publications. Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition). Evidence-Based Approaches to Drug Addiction Treatment. (2018, January). (2021, February 3).
  • NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse: Advancing Addiction Science. Addiction is a Chronic Disease. (Accessed 2021, February 3).
  • SJRP. St. John’s Recovery Place. Florida Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center. (Accessed 2021, February 3).