Rehab is a key component of addiction recovery but there are many different types of rehab individuals can choose. Options like residential care, outpatient care and long-term care provide opportunities for patients to seek help no matter their lifestyles, budgets or preferences. One popular option is short-term residential rehab. Take a closer look at what short-term residential rehabilitation looks like, what it can accomplish and why it is beneficial for patients in search of lifelong sobriety.

Differentiating Between Short and Long-Term Residential Rehab

It is so important to clarify to prospective addiction treatment patients and their loved ones that short-term doesn’t mean instant. There is no quick fix for addiction and there is no way to successfully prevent relapse in a matter of days. However, there are varying timeframes for rehab to accommodate the schedules and individual needs of patients.

Short-term rehab is generally considered to be a month long. Often, it is anywhere from four full weeks, or 28 days, to a full calendar month, or 31 days. Typically, short-term rehab does not stand alone, but will follow a detox program where patients break their physical ties with addiction before moving to the rehabilitation stage of recovery.

In contrast to short-term rehab is long-term rehab. This, essentially, is anything longer than 30 days. Some of the most common long-term rehab lengths are 60, 90 or 180 days long. Long-term rehab may appeal to those who have the financial means and the available time to commit to recovery for several months at a time.

Exploring Residential Rehab

Beyond just the length of rehab, there are several major categories that can define the rehabilitation process. The two broad categories that all rehab programs fall under are residential rehab and outpatient rehab.

Residential rehab is a rehabilitation program that is 24/7. It includes accommodations, meals, treatment and therapies for patients. Residential rehab is a popular option because it takes on 100 percent of the stress of everyday life, letting patients focus on their recovery rather than on things like shopping for food, cooking or cleaning. Residential rehab also offers the accountability and enforcement that simply can’t be available if patients leave the premises each night.

Outpatient rehab is any form of rehabilitation where patients don’t stay overnight at the recovery facility. There are several varieties of outpatient rehab, including the all-day curriculum of partial hospitalization programs, the half-days of intensive outpatient care and the infrequent visits coordinated through general outpatient programs. Outpatient care can be beneficial, but it often can’t promise the same results as a short or long-term residential program.

Whether patients opt to participate in outpatient programs or residential Inpatient programs, there will be a focus on evidence-based treatment methods. These can include tried and tested approaches to recovery like individual behavioral therapy, pharmacological treatment, dual diagnosis treatment and group counseling.

Both residential and outpatient rehab programs can also rely on alternative or holistic therapies in addition to the bedrock of evidence-based treatment. Just some of the alternative options that may be included in short-term rehab are:

• Nutritional therapy
• Equine therapy
• Exercise therapy
• Art or music therapy

Benefits of Short-Term Residential Rehabilitation

There are many benefits to choosing short-term residential rehabilitation for the treatment of a drug or alcohol addiction. Some of the most common benefits include a lower cost, less disruption to everyday life and an intensive focus that allows for more successful recovery.

The first benefit of short-term residential rehabilitation is its cost. Naturally, long-term programs have higher costs, increasing the expense to patients. Just as important to consider is insurance coverage. Many health insurance providers will cover the cost of 30 days of inpatient treatment, but won’t cover long-term care options.

Second, short-term inpatient programs only ask patients to suspend their ordinary lives for 30 days. While this might be slightly inconvenient, it is far more convenient than being asked to suspend everyday life for 60 or 120 days. Many individuals can and should take a few weeks out of their schedule in order to commit to rehabilitation, sobriety and lasting recovery.

A third benefit of short-term residential treatment is that this format is intensive, by nature of its 24/7 curriculum. Patients attending residential rehab will have their days filled with educational seminars, group therapy, individual therapy and life skills classes. This packs as much support, education and awareness as possible into a month, preparing patients to maintain their sobriety and avoid relapse in the future.

Candidates for Short-Term Inpatient Rehab

Not all patients are necessarily the ideal candidates for short-term residential rehabilitation. Those that are the best fit will be individuals who can take the necessary time to complete the program, those who are completely focused on the goal of recovery and those who are aware of what it will take to achieve and then maintain lasting sobriety.

Some patients won’t be a good fit for short-term residential rehabilitation. Patients who struggle with mental health disorders or extreme trauma, for example, may require a longer period of inpatient care. Those who need to go home in the evenings to care for family members won’t be suited to the 24/7 format of residential rehab.

Goals of Short-Term Rehab and What Comes Next

There are several primary goals for short-term residential rehabilitation. These include uncovering any hidden issues, preparing a plan for relapse prevention and better understanding addiction as a whole.

Individual therapy, which might be cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy or dual diagnosis treatment, can directly reveal underlying mental health issues, traumas or contributing factors to addiction. Therapies can also help patients prepare for the threat of relapse and learn how best to prevent feelings of stress, boredom and loneliness. Following rehab, ongoing care and group meetings may be necessary for sobriety maintenance.

Short-term residential rehabilitation is a popular and effective means of treating addictions. In just 30 days, patients will have the tools to maintain their sobriety for a lifetime, and this intensive format means that patients can minimize the costs and duration of the program to best accommodate their lifestyles.

Alcohol Detox

The first step in treating an alcohol addiction is typically a detox. This is a medically supervised program where patients cease all alcohol consumption. Generally, patients will experience withdrawal symptoms that range from mildly unpleasant to painful.

A detox can come in many forms, but the duration tends to be between seven and nine days for the average patient. Treatment facilities can opt to go natural for a detox, which means there are little to no pharmacological remedies offered, or they can opt for more prescribed medications and even sedatives to minimize discomfort. After the detox is complete, patients will be ready to explore their next options on the road to recovery, which will include a rehab program.

Short-Term Residential Rehab

Residential rehab, also known as inpatient rehab, is a 24/7 treatment option that includes virtually everything that a patient will need for the duration of the program. This will include accommodation in a sober environment where alcohol isn’t permitted, and it also includes meals, therapies and various treatment methods.

Although the exact duration of residential rehab can vary, short-term programs are the most common. These programs tend, on average, to last 30 days. This gives patients a foundation upon which they can create healthy habits and routines on their journey to recovery.

There are a number of different therapies and treatment methods that can be administered during a short-term residential rehab program. Individual counseling is often the bedrock of the curriculum, and it involves a one-on-one meeting between a patient struggling with addiction and a counselor, therapist or psychologist. Group therapy may also be included as a way to share experiences with others, learn from past mistakes and generally feel less isolated in the environment.

Long-Term Residential Rehab

In many ways, the format of a long-term residential rehab program will be the same as a short-term program. There will still be structure and accountability around the clock, and patients will still have all or most of their needs met right on the premises. However, long-term programs tend to last for six months or longer.

Long-term residential rehab programs can be beneficial for patients who struggle with a more severe alcohol addiction. They might also be recommended for people who have been through rehab several times in the past but need to make a serious time commitment to reshape habits, routines and perspective. Living in a controlled environment for an extended period of time can help to re-frame people’s worldviews, helping them to create coping strategies without the temptation of alcohol anywhere in the vicinity.

Partial Hospitalization Programs

Patients who have a stable living situation, and the support of family or roommates, may do well in a partial hospitalization program. This type of program allows for daily treatment in a facility that offers therapy as well as medical monitoring. There’s a daily accountability at play in this type of treatment, mandating that all participants retain their sobriety throughout the process. However, patients are free to go home each night after their 4–8 hours of curriculum is complete.

Partial hospitalization programs can be ideal for patients who need medical attention and a daily routine for structure. It’s also suited to those with families who don’t want to leave their spouse, their children or their parents for weeks or even months at a time.

Outpatient or Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment programs for alcohol addiction are the primary alternative to residential programs. There’s no accommodation provided for patients in outpatient programs, so they spend each night independently in their own residence. During treatment, however, patients will participate in group counseling, individual therapy sessions and other treatment methods designed to help with their recovery.

The main difference between outpatient treatment and intensive outpatient treatment is the time commitment. Intensive outpatient treatment is the bigger commitment, often requiring patients to come in three or four days a week for several hours each time. Outpatient treatment, on the other hand, may only take place once or twice a week, and possibly in the evenings. Outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment may be best for those who need to take care of family during the day, attend school or maintain their careers while seeking sobriety.

Sober Living Facilities

Another option for alcohol addiction is sober living. When patients reside in sober living facilities, they are in a type of transition period between residential rehab and independent living. The environment is alcohol free, and residents are surrounded by other like-minded individuals with the goal of sobriety. Sober living facilities seek to eliminate temptations, and increase accountability, which makes it easier to stay on the right path and work toward a lifetime of sobriety.

Sober Companionship

An infrequent means of alcohol addiction treatment, but certainly an effective one, is sober companionship. This is the opportunity to have a sober counselor, or someone trained in addiction treatment and alcoholism, spend most or all of the day by your side or on call. This individual is someone that patients can talk to when they’re struggling with temptation to avoid falling into a relapse. Sober companionship can work best for those individuals who want to return to their careers quickly, but who don’t want to fall into old habits.

Alcohol addiction simply isn’t a condition that can be treated solo. Since there are so many different types of programs available, individuals struggling with an alcohol addiction can easily find a program or treatment method that fits their needs and their schedule.