Today, America is facing more challenges than we are possibly able to count. One of those challenges is addiction. Millions of Americans are addicted to substances such as alcohol, heroin, prescription drugs, cocaine, and many more. And while not nearly enough of these individuals are obtaining the treatment they need to properly overcome their active addiction and begin living in recovery, there are still plenty of individuals that are. And for those individuals, there exist several treatment options that can help them see their way to the other side of addiction.

When the time comes to obtain treatment, you might not even know where to begin. You might be so preoccupied with your current situation that you are not thinking about the different options for addiction treatment. However, finding the right program for you is extremely important to your overall success in ending your addiction for good.

One way to start weeding out different treatment options is by attempting to determine the length of your treatment. In some cases, individuals sign up for a 30-day residential program but find that they end up staying a few weeks (or even a few months) longer. With that being said, as you make your decision about the type of treatment you will attend, keep in mind that once you get going in your program, that there is a possibility that you might be recommended to participate longer than your originally planned. Of course, you will have a say in this decision, but it is always good to consider the recommendations of the professionals with whom you have worked.

What is the Difference Between Short-Term and Long-Term Treatment?

Addiction can be treated in a number of different ways, however, every single form of treatment will provide a strong therapeutic component.

Short-term treatment typically lasts anywhere from a week to 30 days. During this time, patients are able to detox comfortably and then transition into the therapeutic aspect of their treatment. This can include participating in behavioral therapies, as well as group and individual therapy sessions. Short-term therapy is usually conducted in a residential setting, meaning that the individual stays on campus for the duration of his or her stay.

Long-term treatment often spans anywhere between 60 to 90 days (sometimes more). Like short-term treatment, this approach to treatment is usually done in a residential environment so that patients can be fully focused and present during their therapy. Patients in long-term treatment will also engage in several different therapies, including those offered in short-term treatment.

Weighing Your Options

If you are not sure what kind of treatment is best for you, weighing your options can help dramatically. Consider the following regarding short-term and long-term treatment.

Short-term treatment is usually the most effective for people who respond well to therapy, who do not need elongated periods of detox, and who are not struggling with polysubstance abuse or a dual diagnosis. Given that short-term treatment only lasts about a month, so there is not much time to unpack and sort through a large amount of emotional baggage so to speak. If you feel that you need that catalyst to get sober and begin the life-long process of recovery, short-term treatment might be an ideal choice for you, given that the other offerings of short-term treatment meet your needs.

Long-term treatment is usually reserved for individuals who have a number of different mental health issues occurring alongside a substance use disorder. This is because, in order to properly treat the addiction, the individual must also receive the appropriate treatment to address the other mental health issues at the same time. This process can be lengthy even though it is very effective. Long-term treatment is also a great option if an individual has previously tried short-term treatment but was unable to maintain his or her recovery. Or, long-term treatment can be a good choice for an individual who has tried multiple times to get sober on his or her own but has been unsuccessful doing so. Sometimes, individuals who experience these challenges require prolonged therapeutic care to help make recovery a life-long thing.

Making the Decision

After considering the kinds of patients that short-term and long-term treatment programs treat, you still might struggle with making a decision. If this is the case, talk to those around you. See what their opinions are. Better yet, if you have a short-term or long-term program in mind, call them up and talk to someone in admissions you can help you choose. Remember, that getting into treatment as quickly as possible is important to your physical and psychological well-being.

If you make a decision, know that if you realize that it was not the right one, that you can always advocate for a different type of treatment. Just because you begin a long-term treatment program does not mean that you have to start all over again just to transition to a short-term program. The most important thing you can do is make as much of an educated decision as possible so that regardless of where you land, treatment can begin.

Do I Really Need Rehab?

Trying to decide upon which treatment program is best for you can be overwhelming to a point that you might start thinking that you do not need to go to rehab anyway. This is extremely common in those who make the decision to go to treatment but spend a large amount of time ruminating about where to go. As previously stated, the more time that passes between making the decision and walking into the facility for treatment, the more likely you might be to back down on going to treatment. If that is the case, ask yourself the following:

Are you unable to control how much drugs and/or alcohol you consume?
Do you experience withdrawal symptoms when you do not use for periods of time?
Do you put your substance abuse above all other responsibilities in your life?
Have you tried to get sober before but did not succeed?
Do you need more and more of your substance of choice in order to achieve your desired effects?

Even if you answered just one of these questions, it is probably a good idea to reach out to a treatment center for help. You do not have to continue down this path, and you certainly do not need to do it alone.

If you are ready to get help, call us right now. We can help you.