What Can I Expect in a Short Term Drug Rehab?

In a short-term drug rehab an individual remains in treatment for anywhere from 7 to 30 days. Treatment length can be a crucial aspect which can make or break an individuals recovery, so a short-term drug rehab may not right for everybody. Short-term drug rehab can greatly benefit individuals who have a very brief history of substance abuse, but may not be as effective or beneficial for someone with a heavy substance abuse history. Short-term drug rehabs simply cannot meet the treatment needs of these individuals, who require a more extensive stay in a long term rehab facility which can last a few months. An individual with more extensive treatment needs may find that they aren't prepared to leave treatment after only a short-term stay, and so may therefore transition to a long term facility.

While in short term drug rehab, individuals with even a mild history of substance abuse may be going through withdrawal and will need to be detoxed with the help of detox professionals. Sometimes detox is done prior to the treatment clients arrival in short term rehab and sometimes this is done in-house, depending on the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Typically however, individuals who are not struggling with serious symptoms of withdrawal during the detox process can complete detox within a matter of days. For individuals who have been using drugs and alcohol for many months or years, cravings may persist for quite some time. These cravings may persist longer than the length of time the individual is in treatment in a short term drug rehab, which is why this type of program wouldn't be right for them.

When someone is physically stable and detoxed, the rest of the individuals treatment plan will consist of activities which will hopefully help them discover why they became involved in substance abuse in the first place. Individual and group counseling is often used to bring important issues to the surface, some of which may not have even been evident before they arrived at rehab. There may be certain environmental triggers which need to be resolved or even instances of abuse or a past failure which has been crippling the individual emotionally and psychologically. These issues can be different for each person, and this can take some time to bring to the surface and then completely resolve. If it isn't resolved in the short time an individual spends in short term rehab the individual may benefit from an aftercare plan, and as stated earlier may choose to take part in a more long term rehab program.

A short term drug rehab is often the first option because it is the only option covered by private health insurance and other types of insurance. If this is the case and it is known that a more extensive stay in treatment is necessary, it may be advantageous to speak with a treatment counselor at a long term drug rehab who can help liaise with ones insurance company and possibly persuade them to permit such a stay.