Understanding Why Long Term Addiction Treatment is Recommended
Research suggests that people who attend long term addiction treatment are more likely to succeed in their recovery and to have a reduced chance of relapse following treatment. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “treatment approaches and individual programs continue to evolve and diversify, and many programs today do not fit neatly into traditional drug addiction treatment classifications.” Long term treatment is recommended for many simply because it allows for adequate time to heal, recover and reintegrate into society following an addiction.
Consistence
One of the reasons why long term treatment is recommended is because it is consistent. Patients can receive around-the-clock care that is consistent and controlled while they are in long term treatment for addiction. Most residential treatment programs that offer long-term solutions provide care 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. The recommended length of stay for this type of treatment is generally around 12 months but some programs span a shorter duration as little as 6 months or a much longer duration.
Reintegration
Long term treatment allows for ample time to reintegrate back into a life that doesn’t include the use of drugs or alcohol. When addiction has taken over and caused upheaval in your life, it can take quite a long time to get back on track. The reintegration process can be a rocky and challenging road. Long term treatment allows you ample time to get your footing and to relearn what it’s like to live sober.
Accountability
While you’re in long term addiction treatment, you will learn how to be accountable for your actions. Addiction teaches us to avoid accountability and to not worry about our actions. Treatment teaches us to take accountability for our behaviors, to accept our wrongs and to make right on the things that we can.
Comprehensive Treatment
One of the great benefits of long term treatment is that it is comprehensive. You won’t just go into treatment, receive some counseling and be deemed “healed.” Long term treatment is a comprehensive program that will focus on helping you to heal on all levels and to reintegrate so that you really are “healed” and so that you really can go back into society and live drug free.