Enrolling in drug and alcohol addiction treatment can prove a challenging, overwhelming process. If an individual finds themselves or a loved one in need of assistance to beat a substance use disorder, a flood of questions may begin to overwhelm their minds.

What exactly is addiction? How long should someone remain in rehab? What does the rehabilitation process look like? Is there a difference in substance abuse treatments? And many other questions may run across their mind as they search for a feasible, affordable way to get their loved ones the help they so desperately need.

The good news is, there are answers to every one of these questions. For starters, addiction by definition is a chronic mental illness that categorizes as a verified medical disease. The condition involves a complex host of complications and symptoms that change the brain’s chemical nature and working circuitry over time.

Individuals who have a substance use disorder or addiction typically display a wide range of strange or unusual behaviors, critical issues, impulse control problems and often suffer from physical, social, financial, and professional consequences due to their drug or alcohol dependence. Individuals of all ages, backgrounds and social standings can develop an addiction at any point in their life.

Triggers for the development of substance use or addictive disorder typically relate to stress levels, prior use history, injury, genetics, early childhood development, and current environment. Substance use disorders can range from mild to severe, the most intense of which result in addictions that may plague an individual’s life for years before they seek out proper treatment to help them overcome the disease.

Addiction can prove a life-threatening disease but luckily has proven to be a treatable condition. With the proper care and support, a client can beat addiction. But, the process of overcoming addiction does typically take time.

Understanding Addiction Rehab Durations and Differences

Healing from addiction is not a sprint. The recovery process does not encourage clientele to push their energy levels hardest in rehab to outdo a peer. Nor does it push for clients to make it through inpatient rehab as fast as possible so they can return to “normal” life sooner. Addiction is a chronic disease that takes time, consideration, and consistency to overcome.

As a result, the pathways to healing thoughtfully plan to support a wide variety of people in all stages of recovery. Healing from addiction looks different for every single person. Each client will need a different set of supports, therapeutic methods, recovery challenges, and more to pursue the healing path that will work best for them.

Thus, to allow every individual struggling with addiction equal opportunity to seek support and recovery, the process of substance abuse treatment consists of many therapeutic outlets and program phases to help facilitate a long-term, sustainable sobriety. Addiction rehabilitation programs typically consist of the following:

  • Medical detoxification
  • Short-term inpatient rehabilitation
  • Long-term inpatient rehabilitation
  • Partial hospitalization
  • Intensive outpatient programs
  • Outpatient programs
  • Aftercare

And continuous encouragement and meeting schedules through support groups. These programs also typically offer clients access to a wide variety of therapeutic sessions, nutritional supports, physical healing outlets, and more. Addiction and substance abuse do not only affect the mind and an individual’s ability to cope with the world outside of drug or alcohol use.

Addictions are a disease that takes over a person’s life and every aspect of living within that lifetime. As a result, addiction is not a “one solution fixes all” type of problem. Healing from addiction is a marathon. It involves significant support outlets, physical healing incentives, mental recovery initiatives, emotional nurturing, dedication to relearning/rebuilding communications skills and relationships alongside a continuous commitment to engaging in the healing process, no matter how long it may take. Healing from addiction is not a linear process. What may take some treatment residents weeks may take others months, and still, other individuals may be working for years to reach the same goals.

Healing is challenging but well worth the process of hard work the client engages in. That leaves potential residents and family members with one question: how can someone know which treatment program is right for them to enroll in? Likely, residents and family members may not need to worry about choosing the right program based on duration as much as they think.

In all honesty, clients and their loved ones should pay more strict attention to the treatment facility they choose to receive services from. They should check in with their insurance provider, check their financial allowances, and ask their doctor for addiction center recommendations and suggestions first to ensure they enroll with a facility that will support their specific needs.

Once clients make it through intake day, they will automatically be placed in a detoxification program unless their medical team deems this initial introduction to the recovery process unnecessary. Typically, a client endures the detox program anywhere from one week to three, depending on the severity of their addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

Once a resident completes detoxification, they can move into a short-term treatment program, which usually lasts 30 to 60 days, or long-term residential service, which may at least 90 days with extended programs encompassing an entire year. Clients will need to check with the facility they are enrolling in to determine which type of inpatient programs the center supports.

Not all addiction treatment centers will offer both short- and long-term residency options. Once inpatient rehab is complete, a client can either enroll in transitionary programs like intensive outpatient care or jump straight into outpatient services for an additional week or two. They will undergo all of the same treatments from their short- or long-term plans but no longer be required to live on campus for the duration of their program plan.

Once the resident complete outpatient services, they transition into the aftercare and sober living world, where they will be ultimately responsible for themselves and sustaining their sobriety. In this phase of recovery, medical and substance abuse treatment professionals strongly recommend that clients continue to attend their support group meetings to help prevent any relapses from occurring.

In the end, almost every client undergoing addiction treatment will participate in at least medical detox, support group, outpatient treatment, and either a short- or long-term inpatient program. A client can enroll in a short-term program and then remain in therapy for a longer duration in cases where they require a recovery session extension.

Why Choose Long-Term Addiction Rehab?

Essentially, short- and long-term addiction rehab is relatively similar. Both programs typically offer the same therapeutic opportunities and treatment plans, depending on the rehab facility the client enrolls with. The only significant difference is the time in which both programs take to “work their magic.” But, if a client ends up with the option to choose between short- or long-term recovery, which program should they choose and why?

First, let this article reiterate that every client is different. Thus, their needs in recovery treatment will also vary from person to person standards. Some individuals may thrive under the tight time demands of short-term rehab, the pressure to focus on the recovery programs giving them an extra boost of commitment to the healing process. Yet other clients may benefit more from long-term recovery processes, especially if they are wrestling with one or more substance use or mental health disorders (the definition of a dual diagnosis).

Scientifically, research has proven that clients who choose to enroll in addiction treatment programs with extended duration fields feel more prepared to tackle sober living than those who attend short-term rehab. Attending long-term addiction rehab can help solidify recovery lessons in treatment, better preparing the individual to sustain sobriety outside of rehabilitation on their terms.

Research has also shown that individuals who decide to continue engaging in support groups outside of treatment also have a better chance of preventing relapse in the long run. Of course, every client is different, and what may work for one person is not guaranteed to have the same results for another. But, choosing to enroll in long-term addiction rehab typically produces many benefits, including:

  • Cultivation of a strong support network
  • Additional time practicing meditation and daily stress relief tactics
  • Extra time to work on family dynamics in group counseling
  • Thorough experiences working through individual therapeutic sessions
  • Sufficient time to break habits and cycles of adverse drug and alcohol use
  • Enough time to work through intensive care practices for co-occurring disorders
  • Added healing and stress relief benefits of operating within a structured daily schedule

As well as additional time to allow the body to physically heal from the effects of adverse drug or alcohol use in an environment focused on the process of healing, without other outside distractions, continuous treatment modifications, and so much more. Long-term addiction rehab is typically the professional recommendation that medical teams and doctors suggest to all individuals looking to overcome addiction to allow them sufficient time to grasp the recovery process for themselves genuinely. Long-term treatment programs equip themselves to help navigate a path to successful, sustainable healing. Almost all individuals looking to recover from addiction can benefit from enrolling in such a program.

Long-Term Addiction Treatment with St. John’s Recovery Place

Long-term addiction treatment may not be an option at every recovery center potential residents, and their family members encounter. But, at St. John’s Recovery Place (SJRP), both short- and long-term treatment opportunities are available to all clients who choose to enroll with the Florida rehabilitation center. As a leader in addiction treatment practices, SJRP offers clients the opportunity to engage in traditional and alternative recovery programs, pursuing an overall holistic healing method.

At St. John’s Recovery Place, every client is a member of the SJRP family, from when they arrive on intake day to graduation day and beyond. Once a member of the SJRP family, always a part of the loving, supportive St. John’s recovery community. The medical team and treatment staff at SJRP want nothing more than to encourage and support their residents through every aspect of recovery, including the triumphs and setbacks that come along with the healing journey.

Located near beautiful Crescent City, Florida, with satellite locations across the State ready and waiting to offer their help to any person in need, SJRP is the perfect place to recover. Surrounded by the healing properties of the Sunshine State’s natural amenities, St. John’s is an oasis of healing benefits.

Curious to know more about St. John’s and its recovery team? Call 1-833-397-3422 to learn more about the treatment campus, its facility programs, and what it can offer its clients to promote their healing journey. Addiction no longer needs to be the ruler of anyone’s life. Healing is possible, and with SJRP, recovery can be just around the corner.

References

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