Why Do People Choose Long-term Treatment in a Rehab Center?
Both long-term and short-term treatment options exist for nearly every type of rehab facility, and individuals in need of recovery help are asked to choose the program that is best for them. But why would anyone choose long-term treatment if they can go through a shorter program and recover more quickly?
Long-term Treatment for Long-term Recovery
Recovery is often a lifelong journey, making long-term care a necessity for some people.
For most individuals, long-term treatment is actually more appropriate than short-term because their recovery itself will be a very long journey. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Most patients require long-term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence and recovery of their lives,” and it can be much more beneficial to start out with a long-term treatment program than to believe that one is “cured” after just a few weeks in rehab.
Recovery isn’t something that is achieved like a cure, and many individuals spend the rest of their lives recovering from their addictions, especially when they are severe. Therefore, it is not conducive to one’s overall convalescence to believe that one, short-term treatment program will rid a person of their addiction. Some people can do well with a three-to-six week long residential program, but these usually must be followed up by an “extended outpatient therapy and participation in a self-help group, such as AA” to ensure that the individual is transitioning back to life outside the facility well and avoiding relapse (NIDA).
Featured Rehab Center
Intensified Care and Long-term Goals
Those who stay in a residential center or attend an outpatient program for six months to a year or longer often do so because they are in need of more intensified care options. Whether you are an opioid addict with a severe dependence on painkillers in need of methadone maintenance or a meth addict dealing with symptoms of psychosis, severe addiction and its consequences can require that you attend long-term care so you can have the time and attention you will need at this stage to safely enter the next stage of recovery.
Not all individuals who need long-term care need inpatient or residential rehab, but most who require this sort of lengthy treatment process require stability and intensified care. Even though it may seem desirable to go through a shorter rehab program, you will likely need another type of care afterward, and cutting your treatment short when you shouldn’t can be extremely detrimental to your recovery.
In addition, these programs that provide patients with extended treatment lengths often help them shape their goals for recovery and feel more prepared when they enter into their next phase of treatment. As previously stated, recovery takes a long time, and it can be much more beneficial to have people helping you along the way instead of attempting to rush to the point where you are on your own.
Different types of care are better for different people, but if you are struggling with a severe addiction and/or mental or physical issues associated with it, long-term care may be the right choice. Call 888-646-0635Who Answers? today to find rehab programs in your area.
Parents well know how the physical changes characteristic of the teenage years affect their teens from day to day. For many teens, making this transition from childhood to adulthood can feel like walking a tightrope with no safety net in tow. Today’s teenagers contend with issues and pressures unlike any faced by previous generations. Unfortunately,….
Certainly, addiction crosses all barriers: gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age group, etc. And, all of these people also face the risk of a dual diagnosis, a situation in which a person receives more than one diagnosis for concurrent conditions, like addiction and depression for example. But, a recent study indicates non-heterosexual women who have….
Drug addiction is a serious disease that plagues millions of Americans both young and old. Sobriety is about making positive lifestyle changes that you can be proud of and that will continue to help you in the fight against relapse. There’s many reasons to choose sobriety over drug addiction, besides the obvious fact that sobriety….
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as of 2010, an estimated 2.7 percent of American adults reportedly use prescription drugs for recreational purposes. While prescription abuse has been around for a long time, this 2.7 percent estimate represents a 300 percent increase in rates within the last ten years alone. Prescription drug addictions….
Free rehab facilities can be found all over the country, and patients who would otherwise not be able to afford inpatient rehab (or even outpatient rehab) can benefit from this treatment. There are also many facilities which do not offer completely free treatment but allow patients to pay either on a sliding scale or a….
The 12-step recovery process is nothing new to drug rehab centers, in fact many are founded on these same principles as they were developed back in 1939. For many, the 12-step recovery process is a very beneficial type of treatment that has profound effects. Although the 12-steps are not a form of evidence based treatment….
You’ve heard the term “drug detox” but do you know what detox is or how it works? Is drug detox safe for the individual? How does drug detox help you fight the drug addiction and regain sobriety? When it comes to addiction, drug detox is like the skeleton in the closet, nobody really wants to….
Drug relapse prevention is all about making sure that you recognize the signs of drug relapse in advance in order to prevent such an event from occurring but how do drug rehab centers help prevent relapse? You may think that drug rehab centers are reserved for those who have already relapsed or for those who….
When you are addicted to alcohol seeking treatment is of utmost importance but how do you know which one to choose? Should you consider inpatient alcohol treatment or outpatient alcohol treatment? What is the difference between the two? Here’s a look at what each type of alcohol treatment has to offer and how you can….
So you’ve decided to get help for an addiction to drugs or alcohol? Now you’re wondering where you can find a free program that will serve your needs. Fortunately, there are some options that can make recovery a possibility for you. It is often difficult to find free inpatient rehab programs because they can be….
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser that includes Right Path Rehab.
By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.
