Long Term Rehab:  What You Should Know

In the context of alcohol and drug addiction and recovery, long term rehab facilities are recognized as those with extended stay programs of 90 days or longer.  These extended treatment programs come in different forms but what they all share in common is that the recovering addict is in residence of their own free will.  If someone chooses to leave a long term rehab treatment facility they are able to do so at any time.  How such action might impact contingency orders of the court notwithstanding, you cannot be forced to stay.

1.  Rehab is not jail.

When a person enters a long term rehab treatment they are doing so to take an active role in reclaiming their life from the throes of addiction and they are not being forced to do so.  No program for the recovery of alcohol or drug addiction will work unless and until the subject wants to make a change.  Being forced through the detox process does not help an addict and may in fact cause them to relapse more quickly than they would if allowed to come to the decision to attend a long term rehab treatment on their own.

2.  Break the rules and you’re out.

The rules at long term rehab are basic and simple.  Structure is the order of the day.  While the rules at each facility may differ, generally speaking there are two that are constant: no contraband and no inappropriate behavior. In most facilities, if you break any one of the rules you are excused from the program and asked to leave, period.

3.  Support is crucial.

Having a strong support system is absolutely critical to the success of any rehab treatment and long term rehab is no exception.  From peer support groups and 12 step programs to counseling sessions with family members, knowing that those around you are behind your efforts makes the difficult process of recover from alcohol and drug addiction a lot easier to manage than going it alone.