While the idea of addiction treatment may bring to mind bleak hospital wards with overbearing nurses and constant oversight, that’s a far cry from the modern model. Most modern medical professionals understand that addiction is a disease rather than a reflection on a patient’s character, and their ultimate goal is to help patients get better rather than to punish them for their addiction.
As a result, residential treatment programs have become one of the most respected models for carrying for patients who are suffering from addiction. The goal of a residential facility is to create a comfortable and homey environment where patients can relax and focus all of their attention on their continuing therapy and well-being. It’s a far cry from traditional hospital wards, and it’s demonstrated to produce effective results due to the more thoughtful way it treats the needs of patients.
How Long Can You Stay in Rehab?
Florida doesn’t have any maximum standards for how long patients can stay in a residential rehab program, and there’s a good reason for that. No one heals at the same rate and the complex combinations of variables that patients deal with means that each case is different. As a result, the maximum amount of time a patient should stay in a facility is the amount of time it takes them to heal. While managing addiction can be a lifelong challenge, making the most of your time at rehab can make a world of difference in developing the necessary coping mechanisms.
How Long Should You Stay in Rehab?
Studies indicate that the most effective rehab programs last longer than 90 days. To understand why requires understanding the typical process of going through rehabilitation. Most rehabilitation programs begin with detox, and that could take days or even weeks. Fortunately, the medical professionals at rehab understand the specifics of different dependencies and can provide patients with the medications, therapies, and tools to safely detoxify the body.
But detox only clears the way for the actual healing process. Detoxing the body may remove the effects of the drugs and mitigate the dangers that come from withdrawal, but it doesn’t get to the root of the reasons behind chemical dependency. The amount of time it takes for a drug to leave the body can be estimated with a relatively high degree of accuracy, but broaching the underlying causes and finding proper coping mechanisms is something that’s going to vary from person to person. That’s why it’s important to not enter a facility with concrete expectations of how long you need to stay. Setting a timeline on healing is one of the surest ways to ensure that the process is never completed and patients run the risk of relapsing.
Types of Facilities
That said, there are a few different types of facilities, and the one you choose can have a major effect on your treatment process. Carefully consider the options based on the nature of your addiction, the resources available to you, and your objectives. Understandably, many people dealing with a dependency can’t practically commit to a program longer than 90 days, but no matter how much time you commit, any residential program is a step in the right direction. There are generally four different types of residential treatment programs available:
- Thirty Day Programs
- Sixty Day Programs
- Ninety Day Programs
- Long-Term Programs
The Differences Between Short- and Long-Term Treatment
Long-term treatment programs generally take a policy of treating the patient until they’re ready to enter society, but designated programs naturally come with a time limit. That means that the processes generally differ to some degree. In short-term programs, detox always takes first priority followed by providing patients with the tools they need to manage their addiction and learn the sorts of techniques to prevent relapse. Self-help groups, therapy, and aftercare plans all constitute the sort of treatments used in these programs, but the amount of insight available will naturally depend on the length of your stay.
Long-term residential treatment facilities, also known as therapeutic communities, tend to be far longer – spanning a length of time from six to twelve months on average. Reintegration into society is a big focus in these sorts of programs, treating the patients as a community in its own right and helping patients create a support network of fellow patients and develop the skills to function in a healthy manner free from dependency.
With this philosophy in mind, schedules tend to be highly structured but more intensively focused on holistic wellness than shorter programs. In any case, a residential stay isn’t a cure-all for addiction. Many patients can expect to rely on outpatient treatment and support groups even after their residential program ends. But getting help is a brave first step towards recovery and the most important part of getting better. If you’re ready to start your journey, call us at844-639-8371 today.