Many people fear the loss of freedom that comes with checking into residential rehab, but long-term treatment is not meant to feel like a prison sentence. Rules do exist in rehab, but they are designed to give you structure and accountability, not take away privileges and make you feel like you’re no longer in control of your own life.
Long-term rehabs help you build life skills that will help you maintain your sobriety. Recovery only lasts as long as you’re willing to commit to it, which makes an extended addiction treatment program appealing for those with a history of severe substance abuse.
How Long Can I Go to Rehab?
For most people, inpatient rehab lasts 90 days, but there are many resort-style rehabs and long-term facilities that offer programs for much longer periods of time. You may enroll in a program that lasts up to six months or even a year. The type of treatment you receive, as well as your living arrangements, will most likely change during this time.
Recovery is more than just your initial treatment program; even after completing treatment, you are strongly encouraged to continue individual counseling and attend support groups. Some people even transfer from an inpatient program to an intensive outpatient program (IOP).
Treatment for substance abuse lasts a lifetime, but the type of therapy you receive can be as short as a few weeks to over a year.
What Can I Expect in a Long-Term Rehab?
Long term rehabs for substance abuse focus more than just overcoming the initial stages of addiction. Physical and psychological dependence will be addressed first, but you’ll spend most of your time addressing your mental health and building skills that set you up for a bright future.
People who have co-occurring mental illnesses often find that long-term rehab gives them a better chance to address the full scope of their disorders than traditional treatment programs. Through long-term rehab, they are able to begin implementing the skills they’ve acquired into their daily lives without losing the support and structure that rehab provides.
How Much Freedom Will I Have?
As you progress through treatment, you will most likely gain greater freedom. In the initial stages of inpatient rehab, such as detox and therapy, patients are typically not allowed off premises except for medical emergencies. This doesn’t mean you’re held against your will; you can walk out of the rehab at any time and give up on treatment, but in order to stay in the program, you have to abide by the facility’s rules.
Regimented daily schedules are the core of any drug or alcohol rehabilitation program; long-term rehab emphasizes the importance of developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so you will be expected to follow all of the rules during your stay. As you gain new skills, you will also gain access to more privileges like going off-site to attend support group meetings or receiving visits from loved ones.
The Therapeutic Community
Many long-term residential rehabs are based on the therapeutic community (TC) model of treatment. This approach considers a person’s environment to be the most important factor in their recovery success.
In a therapeutic community, you will work alongside other people in recovery. Through team-building exercises, group activities and shared responsibility, you will learn how to trust, cooperate with and value others. Relying on other people is something many struggle with, especially those whose addictions have left them isolated from family and friends.
By learning there is strength in numbers and vulnerability, the therapeutic community brings people closer to one another by fostering a deeper understanding of themselves. A long-term rehab is a great way to finally start to see value in yourself; you won’t be able to sit on the sidelines anymore.
Feeling proud of your own contributes to a greater community can serve invaluable as you progress into the real world, find a job and develop healthy relationships.
Don’t Wait for the “Right” Moment to Get Help
There will never be a day that makes quitting easier than the last. If you are interested in getting help for substance abuse, we want to help you take the next steps. If you’re only ready to simply learn about your options, that’s okay too.
Contact us today at 855-936-4435 for information about rehabs near you.
