When it comes to treatment programs for substance addiction, there should never be a one-size-
fits-all mentality. There are a number of influencing factors impacting the length of time you
should spend in therapy in order to adequately address your substance use disorder.
Factors can include:
• Longevity of the addiction
• The types of substances being abused
• The existence of a mental health disorder
• Any history of personal trauma
• Your social support network
• Various other personal influencers
A rehab center that will take the time to fully address all your specific needs confirms that you are selecting the most appropriate treatment facility and planning to stay as long as clinically necessary in order to achieve personal progress and sustained sobriety.
Understanding the length of stays typically offered by clinical facilities, and the best length of stay for your specific addiction, can ensure that your transition into a therapeutic environment possess the greatest potential for long-term health and happiness.
On Average, How Long is Rehab?
Typically, residential treatment lasts between 28 to 30 days, depending on the facility and their established clinical approach. This prevailing standard first gained popularity in the 1950’s and has driven the clinical vernacular regarding length of treatment ever since.
Rehab programs incorporating both an inpatient element and outpatient services can vary between 30, 60, and 90 days, depending on the severity of the addiction and the necessities of the patient. This therapeutic time frame enables the treatment programs to accomplish the following:
• Clinically assess an incoming patient
• Identify individual behavioral concerns
• Establish personal goals
• Create an individualized treatment plan to drive the treatment process
While 30 days is the most common approach to residential therapy for substance addiction, outpatient treatment typically runs closer to 90 days, on average.
While the outpatient timeframe has remained consistent, both 60-day residential treatment stays and 90-day programs have grown in popularity over the past 3 to 5 years, and a lot can be attributed to the explosion of the opioid epidemic.
Deeper rooted addiction can require a longer lasting treatment program in order to adequately address a client’s physical addiction, mental reliance on the substance, and overall maladaptive behavioral patterns established throughout the life of their substance use disorder.
This increased push for longer residential programs and the proven effectiveness of 90-day outpatient rehab programs reinforces the notion that the longer someone participates in a clinically supportive therapy, the better off they are in the long-term.1
30-Day Inpatient Treatment Programs
As stated earlier, 30-day residential treatment programs have been the standard approach for nearly 60 years. This is due to their ability to provide adequate time for a patient to enter into the residential environment and safely detox from their substance of choice.
30-day treatment programs allow participants to genuinely address their negative decision patterns and work to establish improved methods of decision making and social connectivity. They also provide various clinical interventions, like alternative stress management techniques, improved methods of communication, decreased impulsivity, and increased positive social supports.
The only downside to 30-day treatment programs is their length of stay and the potential necessity for extended placement. While these programs can adequately address your substance addiction, engaging in a clinical program that provides both inpatient interventions and transitional outpatient therapy tends to ensure a safer and smoother transition back into the community for participants.
60-day treatment programs
Treatment programs lasting 60 days enable participants to immerse themselves within the therapeutic process, extending their time in clinically beneficial environments while remaining surrounded by excellent social support and clinical experts.
This length of therapy incorporates a wide range of medical and behavioral therapies aimed at challenging deep seeded cognitive distortions while simultaneously working to rebuild an individual’s impulse control techniques.
60-day treatment is largely the same as 30-day rehab but with more recovery and aftercare preparation time.
Two-month rehab options can be a good middle ground for those who have less than severe addictions, but still need more time in a sober environment to address problematic behavioral patterns, ineffective stress management techniques, and an overall healthy personal life perspective.
90-Day Treatment Programs
The 90-day treatment approach has become more popular due to its ability to incorporate an effective, and sometimes extended, inpatient experience with transitional outpatient therapy aimed at providing prolonged clinical oversight.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), treatments that are ninety days or longer have the highest likelihood to lead to successful rehabilitation and relapse prevention.2
While 30-day inpatient treatment programs focus mostly on detoxing and treating the immediate symptoms of addiction, 90-day treatment programs provide the time to properly detox while also encouraging permanent lifestyle changes, such as:
- Establishing routine physical activity to naturally improve a participant’s mood
- Dramatic dietary adjustments to encourage sustained personal health
- Extended accountability in order to ensure the greatest chance of long-term health, happiness, and sobriety
- Holistic Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment at Ranch Creek Recovery
If you’re looking for a luxury, non-12-step rehab in California, consider Ranch Creek Recovery’s
alternative approach to addiction rehab. We go beyond the traditional, widely used 12-Step program
and focus on tailor-fitting each recovery program – whether 30, 60, or 90-day – to address every patient’s unique needs.
With a more intimate recovery experience, a higher level of care, a serene environment, individual
recovery plans, and a holistic approach, you can be sure you or a loved one will receive everything
needed to achieve sobriety and prepare for a thriving, sober life.
Learn more about Ranch Creek Recovery, including what we offer and what we treat.
Have questions? We’re here to help. Contact us today.
Resources:
1 National Public Radio. How We Got Here: Treating Addiction In 28 Days. Accessed November 13, 2018. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/10/01/495031077/how-we-got-here-treating-addiction-in-28-days.
2 National Institute on Drug Abuse. Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide (Third Edition). Accessed November 13, 2018. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/principles-effective-treatment.
