How Long Does Rehab Take?

Rehab—depending on the program enrolled in, intensity, and cause for therapy—can be a variegated process for each person involved. It also can be a very unpredictable time period in the lives of people involved. There’s no universal standard for the conditions of rehabilitation, and the only common factor is the individuality of each person’s experiences through recovery. However, some programs are geared towards lasting finite periods of time—30-day, 60-day, 90-day, or even longer.

There are a couple of general aspects that hold true regardless of where rehabilitation takes place. For one, longer stints generally have higher success rates in the long term in preventing future relapses. Research shows this is due in some part to how individuals who invest in their rehabilitative process with a longer therapeutic focus are intrinsically motivated to continue to work towards abstinence. The brain and chemical make-up of addicted individuals also benefit from the extra time spent in therapy.

Just as the neurological responses of an addicted individual are increasingly impaired by constant substance abuse, the time it takes to recover back to a state of equilibrium increases. However, rehab is a distinctly individual process, so only those embroiled in the situation will know what is best to treat their own--or a loved one’s--substance abuse issue.

30 Day Programs

Shorter rehabilitative cycles are indicative of how circumstantial rehabilitation is. In many ways, 30-day programs are the safest option for those seeking rehabilitation. People who enroll in 30-day or shorter programs benefit from the shorter structure in a number of ways, including:

• The ability to enroll in additional rehab programs. People in short programs can and often do choose to extend their process after having engaged in a successful therapy process, and because there are so many unknowns going into rehab, it can be hard to decide on a long-term situation initially. Additionally, many do not know the extent of their addiction and what option is best for them. Short stays in inpatient facilities can help former users decide what’s best for them in a controlled environment. 

• Less time potentially taken away from an individual’s day-to-day life. For those who have a job, children, or other responsibilities, it can be difficult to justify an extended stay at a rehab facility. Many individuals will continue their therapy after a short rehabilitative process in outpatient programs. 

• A decreased price point. Short-term programs are routinely cheaper than longer stays and occasionally can be covered through insurance.

60 and 90 Day Programs

Advantages to longer stays become more innate the longer an individual wishes to stay. However, extended stays are primarily geared toward instances of pronounced addiction. Some advantages include:

• Sufficient time to detox from a substance. Depending on the substance involved, removing toxins from the body can be an extended process (physically and mentally).

• Combating cravings in the ensuing weeks of detoxing. These programs focus mainly on helping individuals develop coping mechanisms to overcome the difficult time period.

• Partially to completely possible through insurance.

90 day programs are largely advantageous in the same way but with added benefits. In particular, 90 day programs are effective in helping individuals go through their lives without substances or triggers around them. These programs are statistically most effective—they routinely prevent relapse at a higher rate than briefer programs.

Extended Programs

Ultimately, rehab in general is not set in stone. Many individuals opt to involve themselves in further programs in their lives—chief among them, sober living homes. These homes are a great segue between one’s former life and rehabilitation. Sober living homes can also take away from some of the uncertainty involved with rehab. Because rehab is typically a day-to-day process, coping is made a pretty difficult process for users. Many users looking to resume their jobs and the rest of their lives while continuing their therapy choose to do so through sober living homes. 

Drug and alcohol recovery treatment programs vary greatly, giving addicts looking to make a change important options to find a rehab that works best for them.