What Is the Period for Rehabilitation for Drug Abuse?

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By Ralph Heibutzki
eHow Contributing Writer

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The type of addiction is a crucial factor in treating it.

Popular media references 90 days as the standard period for drug rehabilitation. In reality, however, the length of time depends on the available treatment options, the individual's commitment, and the facility itself.

Factors

A scene from an anti-drug public service announcement.
Rehabilitating a patient from drug addiction should not proceed without considering the length, severity and type of their addiction. Other factors include the current living environment, mental and psychiatric issues, and number of times in treatment, according to recoveryconnection.org.

Time Frame

Detoxifying the patient of substances is the first priority, so they feel physically comfortable enough to start the next treatment phase. Three to seven days is considered the standard time frame.

Short-Term Treatment

Short-term residential treatment programs offer a three to six-week hospital inpatient phase, according to an Office of National Drug Control Policy fact sheet. Participants then go into therapy as outpatients, and join self-help groups for reinforcement.

Long-Term Treatment

Patients with severe addictive behaviors may require long-term residential treatment, which usually lasts six to 12 months, the office's fact sheet notes. This is normally done in a non-hospital setting.

Outpatient Therapy

Patients with stable employment and extensive social support networks may only require treatment in an outpatient setting, focused on group counseling. Sessions can last for a couple of hours per week, to several hours per day.

Considerations

Entering hospital-based care after detoxification may be an unavoidable alternative for patients who feel suicidal, or display mental and physical symptoms that are too severe for admission to residential care programs.