Key takeaways:
- Inpatient rehab can be 30, 60, or 90 days long.
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends at least 90 days at rehab for the best chances of success.
- Factors that affect the duration of rehab include the duration and severity of the addiction, co-occurring mental disorders, and personal motivation.
- You can choose to join an outpatient rehab program if you prefer that option.
- Avenues Recovery can help guide you through the rehab process and available options.
How Long Is Rehab, Really?
Many people delay rehab not because they don’t want help, but because they’re afraid they can’t afford the time.
As an outwardly functioning individual with a demanding schedule and many responsibilities, the thought of dropping everything to attend rehab is overwhelming. Most of the people in your life- if not all- have no idea how much you’re struggling to keep up appearances. Inside, you feel like everything is crumbling, but no one can tell. To suddenly leave work, family, and your friends to take care of your addictive behaviors is simply out of reach.
Well, the first question you need to answer is how long you’ll need to be away for in order to attend rehab. For alcohol addiction, the usual amount of time is 30, 60, or 90 days at an inpatient rehab center. However, every case is individual, and it’s difficult to determine at the outset exactly how long you’ll need to stay at rehab. Before you despair of ever being able to attend rehab and get the help you need without everyone finding out, know that there are also other options. Read on.
Why the duration of alcohol rehab varies
Rehab doesn’t follow a single timeline because recovery doesn’t follow a single path.
Although it’s impossible to decide at the outset exactly how much time you’ll need at an inpatient rehab center, here are some factors to consider that can help you estimate how long you’ll need. Keep in mind that even if you need an extended stay to support your recovery, it’s an investment. The cost of continuing life as it is now often far outweighs the benefits of getting sober. Sobriety is a life-long gift that keeps giving: it gives you your sanity, your happiness, and your serenity.
Below are some factors which can affect the length of rehab for alcohol:
- Duration of addiction- If you have been addicted to alcohol for a long time, you may need a more extended length of stay at an alcohol rehab in order to reverse the damage that was caused to the brain and its reward system.
- Severity of addiction- If you use alcohol frequently (regardless of whether over a short or extended time period), you’re more dependent on the substance and therefore need more time in rehab to recover.
- Co-occurring disorders- If you have a co-occurring mental health diagnosis like schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, or bipolar, you may need more time at a rehab facility to fully recover.
- Polysubstance abuse- If you abuse both alcohol and drugs at the same time, you may need more time in rehab to safely detox from both substances and learn to live without your substances of choice.
- Motivation- If you’re determined to enter recovery and become sober for the long term, you may be able to make progress in a shorter time frame than someone who enters recovery reluctantly or because of outside forces against their will.
How Cost Fits into Rehab Planning
If you’re like most people considering alcohol rehab, you’re probably wondering about the following two questions: “How long is rehab for alcohol?” and “How much does alcohol rehab cost?”
Obviously, the cost of rehab is dependent on how long you attend rehab for, and which type of rehab program you choose. If you have the right insurance plan, you may even have the whole cost of rehab covered for you. Reach out to Avenues Recovery so we can help you work out a treatment plan.
The First Step: Alcohol Detox
Detox is often the most intimidating step, but it’s also the most stabilizing.
Like many people suffering silently, you’re using alcohol more often than is normal. Day after day, you’re hung over and feeling miserable. You’ve been warned that your liver is taking a hit, and no one around knows why. It’s exhausting to keep up the show, but you feel like you don’t have a choice. You know you need alcohol detox and a rehab program ASAP, but how will you find the time for rehab now?
Allow us to introduce you to the recovery process, starting with the detox procedure. Although there is no one answer to ‘how long does alcohol rehab take,’ there is an approximate time frame for the different aspects of rehab. The first step of alcohol rehab is detox, which is the natural process the body undergoes as it rids itself of all harmful substances and toxins.
Having used large amounts of alcohol over the course of time, your body has developed tolerance to and dependence on the substance, so that it cannot function optimally without the usual amount. This means that when you join rehab and quit alcohol, the body experiences many different side effects (called withdrawal symptoms) that are uncomfortable at best and dangerous at worst.
Detoxing at a reputable rehab center allows you to detox in the safest, most comfortable way possible. The time it takes for a person to detox is dependent on age, gender, duration of alcohol use, frequency of alcohol use, and genetics, and can last anywhere from 7 to 10 days.
Inpatient Alcohol Rehab Timelines
Inpatient rehab facilities usually offer 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day treatment plans. Every case must be assessed by a mental health professional so they can craft a personalized treatment plan that works for you in your situation. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggests that addicts enter rehab for a minimum of 90 days because that exponentially increases the chances of sobriety.
If your schedule is demanding, you may be pinning all your hopes on one stint at rehab for long-term sobriety. Although having a strong determination is a key factor for success at inpatient rehab, it’s important that you know that addiction is defined as a ‘chronic, relapsing disease.’ In other words, it’s normal to relapse and need another round of rehab after completing the first round. It’s a natural part of the process, however frustrating that can feel.
Outpatient rehab for alcoholism
Rehab doesn’t always require stepping away from life entirely.
Remember we said there are other options if inpatient rehab isn’t possible for you? Well, here goes: Outpatient rehab. This is a model of care where you would not live at a rehab facility, but receive care in the programs during the day and go home in the evenings. This is ideal for people like you who are leading productive, busy lives, and don’t have the time needed for inpatient rehab. Or you may prefer to maintain privacy and avoid unnecessary questions.
There are various types of outpatient rehab programs, some of which meet for a few hours every week, and more intense programs that meet every day for a number of hours.
At Avenues Recovery, we recommend outpatient alcohol rehab for people who have a strong and supportive network at home which can aid in recovery, or people struggling with alcohol abuse who do not have the financial means for inpatient rehab. In this case, we’re recommending it because you understandably don’t have the time for inpatient rehab.
Duration of alcohol rehab insurance covers:
Two acts ensure some form of rehab care through almost all insurances: the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). However, different insurances offer different levels of rehabilitative care for people struggling with alcohol addiction. Some insurances limit rehab to the cheaper outpatient options, some allow a limited amount of days inpatient, and others allow a longer stay at an inpatient rehab center.
The insurance company will usually work with the patient’s mental health professional and follow their recommendation for a treatment plan. If you’re considering rehab, reach out to your insurance company to determine what your benefits are and which kind of plans you’re entitled to. If you’re exceptionally determined to get sober and you can set aside time and money for the cause, you can choose to extend your stay at the rehab beyond what your insurance plan covers.
Finding Support at Avenues Recovery
You don’t have to have everything figured out to take the first step.
Reaching out for help is so, so scary. We sympathize with this difficulty, especially since it may require you to disclose your secret to some people you love. Disappointing your loved ones is one of the toughest things you’ll ever do, but getting the help you need will probably be the best thing you’ll ever have done, both for yourself and your family.
At Avenues Recovery, we welcome you to join our incredible staff and hundreds of people just like you who struggle with the same thing you struggle with, every single day. We offer evidence-based, affordable, and compassionate treatment for alcohol addiction. Reach out 24/7 (really) to speak to a skilled and friendly admissions rep who can answer all of your questions and determine which rehab programs your insurance covers.
At Avenues, we’ll create an individualized treatment plan tailored for you, from medical detox all through aftercare. Here you’ll find the professional support, 24/7 care, and all the compassion you need to embark on the most rewarding journey of your life: Recovery.
You can find your way home today!