How Long is Alcohol Rehab?

Addiction recovery is more than getting clean. Recovery is an ongoing process that starts with detox, then is followed with days, weeks, or months of therapy and addiction counseling, again followed by months or years of aftercare and a lifetime of work. If you or your loved one is looking to get sober with the help of an alcohol rehab program, you may be wondering how long you will be in alcohol rehab. Even if you have been through treatment previously, the next admission may entail a different treatment plan and a different length of time in the program.

How Your Length of Stay at Rehab is Determined

The length of time you or your loved one will be in their alcohol rehabilitation program could vary from a few days to the better half of a year. A major variant in how long a person will be in rehab is what type of rehab program(s) they are admitted to. For instance, one person may be hospitalized for inpatient treatment, then transition to a residential program, whereas another person may admit themselves into a detox program followed by an outpatient treatment program.

Now, let’s take a deeper look at the timeframes associated with different types of treatment programs.

Alcohol Detox

Most outpatient and residential addiction treatment programs require an admit with an alcohol use disorder to go through detox prior to admission. Many rehab companies have detox facilities whereas others have relationships with detox centers that they refer to. Alcohol detox can range anywhere from 4 days to over a week. 5-7 is a typical timeframe for alcohol detox and withdrawal. Once detox is completed, the individual might go home and continue treatment on an outpatient basis. However, they may also transition into a residential treatment center or move into a sober living home or halfway house while they complete an outpatient program.

Residential Treatment

Alcohol addiction rehab at a residential treatment program typically happens on a 30, 60, or 90-day basis. Ideally, a patient will enter residential treatment and will be evaluated on a regular basis to determine their progress and this would be the sole factor in determining the length of their stay. However, factors such as financial limitations and family or work obligations play into the decision. In some cases, individuals may spend longer than 90 days in their residential treatment program.

Outpatient Rehab

Addiction treatment provided on an outpatient basis can happen at a few different levels of care. These include partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, and regular outpatient treatment. Due to the fact that individuals in outpatient treatment may continue to work or tend to familial obligations, there is often more flexibility in the length of the treatment program. The median length of outpatient treatment is 180 days, but this may be for as little as 5 hours or as many as 30 hours per week spent on programming.

Insurance Limitations to Length of Rehab for Alcoholism

As mentioned previously, money, work and family can create some limitations. The goals of a rehab facility are to help get you sober and give you to resources and skills to maintain your sobriety following treatment. It can be distracting if you are concerned with losing your job, paying for your treatment, and your family’s well-being, and reasonably so. All of these factors, in addition to any other substances you have been using and any previous experiences with treatment, are taken into consideration when determining the best route for you.

As you can tell, there is no certain answer to “how long is alcohol rehab?” Some studies have shown that longer, more intensive rehab programs are correlated with lower relapse rates. With that, rehab facilities will usually work with you to find a balance of keeping you in treatment until you have made significant breakthroughs, but not so long that it starts to negatively affect what your life will be like after treatment. 

If any of the factors we mentioned are ones that you worry about, discuss this with an admissions coordinator at Level Up Lake Worth. The more open and honest you are able to be with us, the more we will be able to help you get your life back on track. We look forward to talking soon!