Learn about long-term rehabs for drug and alcohol addiction and get help.
The long-term rehab programs for drug and alcohol addiction have proven to provide positive outcomes for these types of substance use disorders.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse on one of their articles titled Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition), staying in treatment for adequate time is very critical in seeing results for addiction likes drug.
They also pointed out that researches have shown that an individual needs at least 3 months to significantly reduce or stop using drugs.
So if you are wondering whether to go to short-term or long-term addiction treatment centers for alcohol or drug rehab you should seriously consider going to the long-term programs such as the 90, 120, or 180 days or even the one-year program.
A long-term outpatient or inpatient rehabilitation facility program makes sense since it takes time to break habits.
A study carried out at the University College London by Phillippa Lally and her colleagues that was published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that it takes on average 66 days to form a new habit.
And some habits could take 254 days to form.
So as someone struggling with substance abuse and addiction issues forming a new habit of being sober can be extremely challenging.
So give yourself the best opportunity by considering the longer-term rehabilitation program options.
Refresher, what are addiction rehabs?
Rehabilitation can be defined as the method of psychotherapeutic or medical treatment targeting psychoactive substances like street drugs, prescription drugs, and alcohol.
The main intent of rehab is to help a patient deal with substance abuse and dependence and then stop the use of their drug of choice completely to dodge physical, social, financial, legal, and even psychological consequences that dependence brings about especially when it is out of control.
You will get treatment while in rehab and this can include the use of medication for any other underlying disorders and depression.
Counseling is also a great part of rehab.
The patient also gets the opportunity to talk about their experience with others.
What does long-term addiction rehab mean?
If you are wondering what is a long-term rehab. Long-term rehabs are programs that are designed in a way to help addicts with sobriety skills by staying in treatment for a few months or a year or more.
This is an intensive treatment plan that is a great option for people dealing with severe addiction or a chronic relapse.
The patients in these programs are taught the best ways to deal with cravings and how to manage or be addiction-free.
They also get the chance to be around others in the same situation as them.
This type of rehab duration is typically considered rehabs that take 90 days or more. These programs are provided by outpatient and inpatient long-term addiction treatment facilities.
Benefits of long-term addiction rehab center programs
There are many benefits of going for long-term rehab, especially if you are determined to combat the issue and lead a normal and productive life.
The benefits of long term rehab include:
- Overcoming dependency on drugs or alcohol and other addictive substances and habits.
- Becoming more confident in facing life and avoiding triggers. This is done in an environment where distractions and interference are eliminated.
- Dealing with underlying emotional, physical, and social issues that may be the cause of the addiction in the first place.
- Being in a long-term facility means that the patient is in an environment where he or she can focus on getting better and get support around the clock.
- Improving the emotional and physical well-being of the patient is also a great benefit.
- A program that is not rushed. Instead, you have many months to just focus on your recovery.
Long-term rehabs duration options
The below are typically considered long-term addiction treatment.
90-day program:
After detox, the patient stays in the program for 90 days as they get training on coping skills and avoiding triggers et cetera.
120-day program:
This program involves staying in rehab for four months.
The normal rehab program is applied even though the best centers handle cases individually.
180-day program:
This is a longer stay period that targets people who have multiple issues to deal with or have very severe addictions.
If the period is not adequate, the patient can stay longer, sometimes up to one year.
One-year programs:
These are programs that last one year.
Note that some consider the 60-day programs as the shortest of the long-term programs while others considered it the longest of the short-term addiction programs.
Long-term drug addiction rehab programs
Long-term drug rehab like other rehabs typically involves detoxification before the actual treatment begins.
Medically supervised drug detox is usually recommended to help ease withdrawal symptoms, especially for opioid treatments.
Drug addiction treatment programs models and approaches have gone through changes in the modalities and approaches.
Education, counseling, and therapy are some of the approaches used for long-term drug treatment.
One of the best-known therapies used for long-term residential drug treatment is the therapeutic community(TC).
The TC has shown a lot of success for the treatment for the long term treatment of substance use disorders.
Even the American Psychological Association points out that multiple studies “show that nearly 30% of addicts treated in TCs maintain maximally favorable outcomes, while another 30% show significant improvement over their pretreatment status.”
Long-term alcohol addiction rehab programs
Alcohol is one of the most widely available and abused substances today. Sometimes alcohol consumption can get out of hand.
Excessive alcohol use is estimated to have killed 88,000 and 2.5 million years of potential life lost every year from 2006 to 2010 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you realize that you are getting reckless, having to drink before you can work, driving while under the influence, or dealing with impaired judgment every time you drink, then you may be an alcoholic.
Inpatient long-term alcohol rehab programs are a great idea for people who have been dealing with alcoholism long term. Addiction is never an easy thing and that is why rehab facilities never take it lightly.
They offer programs that can be beneficial to the patient to get back to their day-to-day life. Severe alcohol addiction should always be treated using long-term programs.
Long-term addiction inpatient and outpatient programs explained
Recovery is a great process and there are many treatments centers options to pick from. Here is a comparison of Long term outpatient and inpatient treatment centers:
Inpatient rehabs
They are also referred to as residential treatment because patients must stay within the facility. It is an effective option for people dealing with very severe issues with alcohol, drugs, other substances, and habits.
It is also a great option when such addiction comes hand in hand with some mental conditions.
Being within the facility means that influences and temptations are kept at bay and support can be given as needed during the recovery process. Patients live, eat and take their programs in the facility. They are monitored 24/7.
Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
This is a rather comprehensive, intensive, short-term treatment program that requires people to be hospitalized for a short time. One gets more care than outpatient programs, but it is less than residential treatment.
Intensive outpatient program(IOP)
Quite beneficial for different clients and is a great option for persons who do not want or need the residential kind of care. It is also a great program for some people to transition to as a continuation rehab
Outpatient treatment
Outpatient treatment involves treatment on a daily basis where the patient gets group sessions, counseling, and therapy within a facility or clinic.
This program allows people to continue their normal lives at home during recovery so that they can stay in school, keep their jobs or take care of the family.
Usually, the costs are a bit lower compared to the other programs.
The level of care is not that intensive. It is a program that is usually recommended for those with less severe addiction. It is recommended as an aftercare program when one is has done with residential treatment.
Typical treatment process
Every treatment facility is different, however, the treatment steps can be similar in general.
The process for rehab typically involves:
- Intake: This step includes admission and assessment to come up with the best plan for the program
- Detox: This is typically the first step towards addiction treatment. This is the process where the substance is cleaned from the patient body. Supervision and supportive care are offered during this process. Medically-assisted detox is sometimes necessary. The patient may also get a drug replacement or sometimes a gradual drug reduction type of therapy. The treatment at this detox level helps the patient deal with withdrawal symptoms that can be acute and dangerous.
- The actual rehab: This is when the main treatment programs begin. Where the patient goes through planned programs to help them learn how to manage their addiction.
- Aftercare: A very important part of treatment. These are programs designed to help the client continue towards their sober life.
Make sure that when you contact a rehab center that you ask questions about their process.
Detox options for long-term addiction treatment
Detoxification is a process where a patient is assisted to eliminate drugs or alcohol from the body.
The main goal of this process is to clean the body off substance toxins and deal with withdrawal symptoms management.
Even though not a treatment in itself but it is a very very important part of any substance use disorder treatment including long-term addiction rehabs.
The different types of detox include:
Medical detox
Medical detox is a kind of program that is all-inclusive and a person needs to stay within the facility and be monitored during this period. Symptoms are usually managed by professionals in the medical field and medications may be administered to reduce the withdrawal effects associated with the process. This is usually the type of detox recommended.
Rapid detox
The patient is put under medication to remove drugs from their system in a shorter time and avoid withdrawal. Rapid detox is popular with opioid users.
Cold turkey detox or social detox
The patient stops drug use completely and suddenly. Cold turkey detox or social detox can be very severe and risky.
Ultra-rapid
Ultra-rapid is a procedure where drugs are flushed from the patient’s body after he or she has been put under anesthesia. It is expensive.
Holistic detox
The holistic detox program encompasses the patient as a whole and takes care of the body and mind.
The patient may experience very severe symptoms when undergoing detox. The symptoms of withdrawal may be different from one individual to the next and may be determined by the substance that was being used.
So It is important to go through the detox process with professionals who can be instrumental in helping the patient deal with all issues associated with quitting drugs.
Common treatment modalities
Here are what goes on during treatment programs in terms of the actual programs.
- Education & Learning
Education and learning are a great part of rehab.
This is because the patient gets to know more about the condition they are dealing with.
They also get to interact with other people dealing with other kinds of issues.
This helps them be aware of the world in general and their surroundings.
Being informed is important during recovery. It helps the patient make the decision to change.
- Counseling & group therapies
Counseling and group therapies are usually a part of the rehab process.
This allows the patient to talk about their experiences and share them with others like them.
Then, they are guided with ways to handle everyday triggers and issues without resolving to drug use.
- Family therapies
Family is a big part of recovery and when the patient gets support from loved ones, it increases the chances of success. Including this in the program is very important, especially if the patient feels alienated.
Here are some of the treatment techniques used during therapy sessions.
- CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy helps the patient realize the kind of situations that make them vulnerable to relapse.
- MDF or Multidimensional family therapy is a multi-systematic and home-based program that is ideal for adolescents dealing with addiction. It covers different influential areas including substance abuse on the community, friends, family members, and adolescents.
- Contingency management is done to encourage the patient to engage in positive behaviors like participating in tasks and remaining sober. Tangible incentives may be given, and they encourage the person to stay in treatment.
- A motivational interview is a technique that encourages the patient to change and continue with treatment while abstaining from substance abuse. It is a nonjudgmental and non-confrontational kind of approach that makes the patient aware of what is causing the resistance to change.
- Aftercare
This program targets the patient’s support after the long-term treatment program is over.
These programs may include support groups, sober living, vocational training, and one-on-one therapy sessions.
Aftercare helps reduce the chances of relapse. Aftercare should be taken seriously just as the main rehab.
Picking the right facility
There are many factors that you may consider in other to pick the right long-term treatment facility and they include:
- Type of programs offered and whether you feel comfortable with them.
- Location, especially when you want to be close to home or far from it depending on the situation.
- The track record of the facility in offering rehabilitation services and the kind of staff hired.
- The cost and method of payment that is available. This depends on the budget that you want to stay within, or even insurance or the lack of it.
- Method of treatment. Make sure that the treatment facility is following scientifically proven methods.
- Accreditation
Cost of long-term rehab centers
People assume that getting addiction treatment is expensive and that is the main reason why they do not seek help in the first place.
However, if you compare the cost to the social and health issues that follow addiction, it is actually very affordable.
Getting treatment can help avoid many situations and consequences.
Long-term addiction treatment cost differs from one facility to the next with inpatient programs being more expensive.
Intensive treatment also happens to cost more as compared to the standard type of treatment.
Detox which is the first step to the recovery typically costs around $250-$800 a day.
One month of residential treatment can range from $6,000-$20,000 at private rehab facilities.
Long-term care in a residential setting can cost around three times that amount.
There are also some luxury rehab facilities that may charge $40,000 for a one-month treatment.
Outpatient programs may charge $5,000 for 3-month programs.
Intensive outpatient rehab is more comprehensive and includes several appointments every week lasting a couple of hours every day and may cost up to $4,000 dollars for the 30-day program.
For partial hospitalization, the cost can be up to $450 daily.
There are many factors that affect the cost of rehab and they include:
- The rehab facility: Every facility has its own costs that may be associated with where they are located.
- Amenities: Different amenities may determine how much a facility will charge.
- Type of care offered and cost.
- Duration of care and how long the patient needs to stay in rehab.
How to pay for this treatment option
Paying for rehab may be tricky, especially when you are starting out, but that does not mean that you should not get help.
There are many facilities that offer treatment options that are very affordable while others are expensive.
Each client has their own circumstances and therefore having many options available can help with treatment.
Some use insurance and some payout of pocket et cetera.
Following are the ways you can use to pay for your recovery services:
- Insurance: When you have insurance through employment, there is a likelihood that you can enjoy benefits for mental and substance disorder health treatments. It is important to review the insurance company summary to find out more about this. You can use both your employee insurance or individual plans. The good news is that insurance companies can’t deny treatment for pre-existing conditions and they are required to cover substance use disorders. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), after 2014, most individual and group health insurance plans sold in the market are required to cover substance abuse disorder services.
- Out-of-pocket: The insurance company may offer treatment coverage, but you may still need to pay out-of-pocket fees depending on the level of coverage offered.
- Employee assistance programs: These are great for people who do not have insurance. Such programs can help with personal issues like drug and substance abuse, grief, family issues and so on.
- Third-party healthcare loans: There are some centers that can assist you with getting healthcare loans to pay for rehab. Attaining such loans may depend on financial and credit circumstances.
- HSA funds: For anyone who has a health savings account, you may use the funds for some aspects of rehabilitation like transportation, meals, and lodging. This can help you reduce the cost of rehabilitation in a great way.
- Credit cards: Financial debt is never attractive, but if there is no other choice, it may be necessary for drug or alcohol rehabilitation. If you can apply for a card that charges a low rate of interest or one without any interest. This means you will not have to deal with greater balances.
- Crowdfunding: This allows you to raise any kind of funds for different causes including rehab. There are different websites where you can come up with a campaign and raise funds for strangers, family members, and friends. Websites like GoGetFunding, FundRazr, Fundly, and GoFundMe are great resources.
- Medicaid: If you have Medicaid you can also use it to get treatment
- Medicare: Some treatment facilities accept medicare.
- Scholarships and grants: There are some treatment centers that offer a scholarship to their facility. Normally these centers will offer one or two beds per year. There are also government and non-profit grants for substance use disorder treatment.
Please note that there are private treatment centers that do not accept Medicare and Medicaid for short or long-term substance use disorder treatment.
How do I know if this is the right program for me?
Everyone is unique in his or her own way and everyone has different treatment requirements. As such, there is no universal treatment that is adequate for everyone in general.
However, if you wonder how to know if long term treatment centers are right for you, then you should know that the long-term option is suitable for people who have:
Long-time substance use, abuse, or addiction:
When people are addicted for a longer time, these long-term treatment center programs give them more time to get a strong footing.
Chronic relapse:
If you keep relapsing then it may be time to check into a long-term recovery program.
Co-occurring disorder:
It is also a great option for people who have dual diagnoses like a combination of bipolar disorder and alcoholism.
This is because there is enough time to handle many issues.
If you find that addiction such as drugs and alcohol is taking over your social, work, sleep, psychological, and physical health in a bad way, then you should consider going for the long-term treatment centers plan.
Faq
Can I tax deduct my long-term rehab payment?
Yes, you can. according to the IRS, you can tax deduct residential treatment fees for alcohol and drug.
Speak to a tax professional for more details
Should I go to a local rehab or go far away for my long-term residential treatment?
It depends on each individual, however, some people are encouraged to go far from home to avoid being around temptations and quitting easily.
Check out our blog titled rehabs near me for more details on this topic.
Which long-term treatment program duration should I choose?
It depends on your situation so the best thing is to speak with your doctor or treatment facilities for addictions so they can guide you on how long to stay in rehab.
The number to speak to an addiction center for free
Get connected with an outpatient or inpatient long-term addiction rehab program for drug and/or alcohol use disorder at no obligation. 866-579-8780 calling the number and speaking an admission counselor is FREE.
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