How Long Do You Need to Stay in Residential Treatment for Addiction Recovery?
Admitting that you need help is an important and brave first step for anyone struggling with addiction. The equally important next step of seeking that help out can be just as daunting, however, when you’re not sure what to expect (and when you may be imagining the worst). One concern at the forefront of many people’s minds when they seek addiction treatment is how long it will take. Time heals all wounds, or so you’ve been told—but how much time?
The answer is a little more complicated than you might expect. Oftentimes, how long you stay in residential treatment for addiction depends on who you ask. But it really should depend on your unique treatment needs because this approach will initiate the best possible results for your lasting recovery.
Typical Recommendations for Length of Stay in Rehabilitation
How long do you need to stay in residential treatment? The best recommendations for length of stay are based on a careful evaluation of your needs. Certain programs are set up for a defined length of time—perhaps 30 or 90 days—but there is no catch-all estimation for how long residential treatment should last.
Public perception of residential addiction treatment tends to be colored by media portrayals and popular works of fiction. A so-called “typical” stay is usually regarded as being around a month in duration, as seen in movies like 28 Days.
A one-size-fits-all option is not possible when it comes to addiction recovery for the simple reason that no two people experience addiction—or recovery—the same way.
If you ask an insurance company, however, the answer you get may be anywhere from one to six weeks or more and may change depending on factors such as the number of treatment programs an individual has participated in before. State mandates may also come into play when someone faces legal involvement. And, of course, different treatment centers may offer different programs with potential durations of anywhere between a month to a year or more.
In short, there is no hard-and-fast rule for how long you should stay in residential treatment. The guidelines that do exist are arbitrary, at best; a one-size-fits-all option is not possible when it comes to addiction recovery for the simple reason that no two people experience addiction—or recovery—the same way.
The Reality of Addiction Treatment and Recovery
The reason you can use an instruction manual to repair something like a car or a computer is that they are not unique. One manual can help thousands of people repair thousands of different cars or computers of the same model or type. But human beings aren’t mass-produced, and there’s no instruction manual for addiction recovery. Even two people who are addicted to the same exact substance may still require very different kinds of support, as both addiction and recovery can be influenced by innumerable psychological, physiological, social, and environmental factors.
In other words, there is no such thing as a “typical” stay. How long you will need to spend in residential treatment will depend entirely on your needs and the extent to which the treatment center you choose can support those needs.
Determining How Long You Should Stay in Residential Treatment
How long you stay in residential treatment, ultimately, depends on you, but there is more to it than simply choosing how long you would prefer to stay. To determine how long you actually need to stay, it’s important to work with mental health professionals who can expertly guide you through detox, evaluate your health, and provide you with a personalized roadmap that will help you get on track to long-term recovery.
As such, when choosing a treatment center, it’s vital to choose one that offers programming that adapts to your needs, rather than one that asks clients to conform to the program. Treatment centers that offer long-term programming without requiring an extended stay are ideal, as they will be better equipped to offer continued support throughout your recovery—even if your initial stay in residential treatment is brief. Recovery is not the work of a moment; it does take time, patience, and effort. But with the emotional and medical support of the right treatment program, it’s possible not only to achieve recovery but also to sustain it.
A Revolutionary Continuum of Care
The New Choices Treatment Centers’ Continuum of Care is simple and fundamental in that it mirrors what an individual actually needs at any given time. The varying levels of care are designed to meet people as they progress through different stages in their recovery; they are also designed to support people who may not require every different stage, and so they can enter the continuum at the level that is most appropriate for their needs.
The stages along our Continuum of Care include:
- Detox and Stabilization
- Residential Treatment Program
- Intensive Outpatient Program
- Day Treatment Program
- Alumni Program for Lifelong Support
While each level of care builds on those that have come before, that doesn’t mean that everyone will navigate through them all or that they will follow the same order of steps. Our knowledgeable team of clinicians and therapists can help you determine the best level of care for your recovery journey to start now. They’ll consider your medical and psychological needs, your social pressures and responsibilities, and your own goals for wellness and healing.
