Residential Rehab Durations

If you are considering undergoing treatment with a drug and alcohol rehab it can be difficult and confusing to decide on the length of time to stay.

How long does rehab take?

Residential rehab can be costly but in the long run, undertaking a full programme including rehabilitation can save you from further treatment episodes.

Different people require different treatment. There is no one size fits all when it comes to treating addiction successfully.

For example, an individual who is fit and healthy (other than their substance abuse problem) will generally require a shorter treatment period than someone who has had a longstanding addiction that has caused severe physical, emotional and mental damage.

The type of addiction can also dictate the length of treatment needed within a rehab facility. Some drugs such as cannabis require only a very short detox, other drugs such as prescription drugs, benzodiazepines or opiates can take far longer to safely detox from. This needs to be factored into the duration of the rehab stay.

The time that you personally should stay within residential rehab needs to be tailored to your individual treatment needs. It should also be flexible, in that you can choose to stay longer if required.

Optimum residential treatment duration

Contrary to popular belief that 28 days is the optimum treatment time, this should be considered the absolute minimum!

6-12 week programmes and longer, with aftercare, have shown to support the best long term outcomes in recovery from addiction.

When considering the length or duration of a treatment programme, it is important to focus on the bigger picture and achieving long term abstinence and health.

Addiction is a complex disease of the brain that manifests in compulsion, lack of self control, dysfunctional behaviours and the continuation despite negative consequences. There is no quick fix or cure!

All aspects of an individual who suffers from addiction need to be treated comprehensively, leaving no stone left unturned, as this could prove a future stumbling block in ongoing recovery.

Past traumas and issues need to be healed and a whole new way of living and guiding principles need to be instilled that is conducive to living a life free from alcohol and drugs.

Average detox duration

The length of your detox can have a huge impact on the length of stay you require for successful rehabilitation. Intensive rehabilitation, as a rule, should not commence whilst an individual is undergoing detox.

Detox can be mentally, physically and emotionally challenging. Undergoing a medical inpatient detox using approved and prescribed pharmaceuticals also clouds a persons judgment and thinking.

This is why we at Delamere keep rehabilitation very much separate from detoxification. Therapeutic treatments are only fully beneficial when undertaken with a clear mind.

The average drug and alcohol detoxification times:

• Alcohol 5 to 14 days
• Cannabis 5 to 7 days
• Heroin 5 to 14 days
• Methadone 10 to 20 days, or longer
• Benzodiazepines two to eight weeks or longer

Detox durations depend very much on the individuals tolerance to the detox process, their mental and physical health, the duration of their substance dependence and the amounts of the substance they have been regularly taking.

Short term and long term residential rehab programmes

Statistics show that long term residential treatment programmes provide the best long term outcomes for the successful treatment of addiction

Long-term residential treatment provides care 24 hours a day. This should be delivered within a purpose built residential rehab facility where the patient resides for the duration of their stay.

The most successful types of treatment programme for addiction have proven to be those that focus on reintegration and resocialization. This is vital for the individual to maintain recovery back home once the detox and primary care treatment period has been completed.

Long term rehab programmes last anything from 6 months to one year.

Long term rehab programmes are best suited to:

• Those that suffer from multiple or long standing addictions
• Those that suffer from co occurring mental health illnesses
• Those that are homeless or have a very toxic home environment
• Those that have learning difficulties, or that have never worked and require further help in these areas
• Those that come from a dysfunctional family background or abusive relationship
• Those that have been in the criminal justice system
• Those that have suffered trauma/abuse
• Those that require help in relocating and starting all over again
• Those that are facing life changing events back home such as a difficult divorce or a family member with a terminal illness
• Adolescents and younger people who have never learned life skills other than the dysfunctional behaviours that supported their addiction

There can be numerous reasons why a longer stay in rehab can benefit an individual, it really comes down to the person’s individual treatment needs and their circumstances

Some rehabs also offer therapeutic communities, where the patient can reside after inpatient treatment and still benefit from regularly connecting with the rehab and live with others in abstinence based accommodation.

Short term rehab programmes are best suited to:

• Those that have relapsed and already have the tools of recovery and support in place but need to kickstart their recovery.
• Suffer from a drug or alcohol dependence as oppose to addiction – yes there is a vast difference and someone can become physically dependent to drugs and/or alcohol without showing any symptoms of addiction
• Those that require no detox and can commence rehabilitation immediately
• Those that have a very supportive family environment to return to
• Those that are very proactive in their recovery and willing to do whatever is needed to stay sober and clean on returning back home
• Those that do not suffer from any additional mental health, social, environmental or educational problems
• Those that respond very quickly to treatment and undergo a profound transformation within a relatively short space of time
• Those that are willing to continue addressing their issues/ behaviours on an outpatient basis with the appropriate professional care

The duration of a short term rehab programme should still be considered a minimum of 28 days in order to be optimally beneficial.

Delamere treatment durations

At Delamere we take the treatment of our guests very seriously. We understand the complexities of addiction and that it is very much a life threatening condition

We take every step possible to ensure that our guests do not relapse on leaving our treatment environment. This means full proofing their recovery whilst they are with us!

Furthermore our ‘Grow’ phase of treatment which is mainly delivered on an outpatient basis provides continued support, access to regular aftercare and also a recovery retreat for those that feel their recovery is in danger. Prevention is always better than cure!

For information on how long you or a loved one would need to stay with us at Delamere, please call and speak to a member of our team. Our detoxes and rehabilitation treatment programmes are uniquely bespoke to each of our guests to ensure the best treatment outcomes possible.