Ask Drug Rehab

The majority of drug and alcohol treatment programs fall in the range of about one month (28-30 days), despite the fact that there is plenty of research that documents the higher success rates of longer-term treatment centers. While the length can be as little as one week for inpatient treatment it can also last more than 12 months at some facilities.

There are many variables for outpatient treatment as well. A typical example could be 90 days going 2-5 days per week, depending on the severity of the addiction (amount and length of use) as well as the types of drugs that were used. In most cases an inpatient treatment program is still going to be a more effective solution though.

Throughout the entire continuum of care, an average comprehensive treatment plan may take about a year, which would include 1 week of detox, roughly 90 days of residential treatment and then another 6-12 months of follow-up and aftercare on an outpatient or at-home setting. This of course can vary between rehab facilities and is dependent on the needs of the individuals.

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The terms addiction treatment and drug rehabilitation are often used interchangeably, however they can also have very different meanings. While rehabilitation seeks to restore people to the way they were before drugs and alcohol, treatment seems to only provide some help in dealing with the symptoms of addiction and is typically a more medical setting. Only treating the symptoms may include different types of counseling, detoxification and prescription drugs, but these are aimed more at coping with the "disease" rather than curing it.

When treatment is used as a synonym for rehab, as it typically is, then there is a more thorough breakdown of the different types and methods of treatment.

12-Step treatment is the most common form available today and can be found in meetings, clinics, hospitals, churches and other inpatient centers throughout the country. You can read more about the 12 step programs here.

An emerging leader in the field in terms of success is something called biophysical treatment. This is where both the body and mind are addressed in a holistic (drug-free) manner to increase the abilities of the individuals. You can read more about biophysical programs here.

A therapeutic community is treatment setting that may use any method of counseling in a very long-term program. Many facilities like this are well over 12 months in length and participants each hold jobs and responsibilities that contribute to the survival of the overall group, similar to a modified commune.

Some people try to go the route of psychiatric treatment instead of a drug or alcohol rehabilitation center. It has long been an observed phenomenon that such individuals become worse or change addictions in some way because of the drugs that psychiatric doctors often prescribe to treat the brain instead of the individual.