866-797-79625 Benefits of Long-Term Inpatient Residential Rehab
Medically Verified: 2/1/24
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All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to addiction treatment. Everyone requires a different level of care when it comes to recovering from substance abuse. Because of this, there are a variety of different types of addiction treatment programs for you to choose from.
While everyone is different, long-term inpatient rehab is the most effective form of addiction treatment when compared to shorter programs. This type of program lasts somewhere from 3 to 12 months, providing you with ample time to build your recovery skills and prepare for the real world.
What are the Benefits of Long-Term Residential Treatment?
Long-term residential addiction treatment has been proven more beneficial than shorter programs. According to the National Library of Medicine, “all three studies found high treatment success rates–ranging narrowly from 68% to 71% abstinent–among women who spent six months or more in treatment.”[1]
You may be wondering, why is long-term treatment better than short-term rehab? What makes this type of treatment so beneficial? To keep it short, long-term treatment will provide you with more time to heal from the causes of your addiction and develop coping mechanisms to prevent a relapse.
Here are the top 5 benefits of long-term inpatient rehab.
1. More Time to Recover from Past Traumas
Let’s face it, almost everyone who struggles with substance abuse has a history of trauma. And, as we all know, trauma can lead to an array of issues – including the development of addiction.
Recovering from past traumas requires you to assess the situations that caused your pain and build positive coping mechanisms to deal with your emotions surrounding the trauma. This could take a lot of time, especially if you have suffered from more than one trauma in your lifetime.
If you have childhood trauma, it could be highly complex, requiring lots of time in therapy and counseling sessions. If so, attending a long-term treatment program would allow you the time you need to recover from the possible causes of your addiction.
2. The Ability to Create Positive Relationships
One of the most important aspects of recovery from addiction is peer support. You may feel alone in your struggles, causing you to think that you are the only person in the world who knows how you feel. During treatment, you will be able to meet and interact with other individuals who have gone through similar issues as you.
When you attend a long-term residential program, you get to live with and gain support from your peers over a long period. This provides you with the opportunity to create meaningful and lasting friendships built on mutual goals and interests. Additionally, the camaraderie these relationships provide promotes accountability in sobriety, as you and your peers want to see each other doing well in recovery.
3. Keeps You Away From Distractions
Long-term inpatient rehab is more beneficial than an outpatient program as it provides a sense of safety and security that is unmatched. When you’re in outpatient rehab, you are allowed to leave the facility and live at your own home. This will allow you the opportunity to experience triggers early on in your sobriety, increasing your chances of relapse.
When you are attending a long-term residential program, you will live at the facility and only leave when it is approved or chaperoned by one of the staff members. This prevents you from getting into situations that are unsafe for your sobriety and keeps you away from distractions.
4. Ample Time to Recover from Co-Occurring Conditions
It is extremely common for people with a substance use disorder to have a co-occurring mental health condition. You may struggle with anxiety, depression, or even a personality disorder. Oftentimes, recovering from these mental health conditions can take a long time.
If you struggle with co-occurring disorders, long-term treatment is your best option. These programs provide you with ample time to recover from your addiction and your mental health condition, setting you up for success when you leave the program.
5. Promotes Healthy Routines and Accountability
Long-term residential treatment is highly structured for several reasons. Your days will be planned out down to the minute, ensuring that you never feel bored or complacent in your recovery. This causes you to adopt healthy routines while you are in treatment, allowing you to carry this with you when you leave the program.
Oftentimes, having unstructured days leads to boredom. For many people, boredom is a feeling that causes them to want to use drugs or alcohol. Having a structured and healthy routine will cause you to become accountable for your sobriety and prevent you from relapsing.
Get Connected With a Long-Term Inpatient Rehab Today
Struggling with addiction is never easy, especially if you are attempting to recover without professional help. Because the nature of substance use disorder is so complex, oftentimes treatment takes more than just 30 days. This is why long-term inpatient rehab programs are so beneficial.
If you or a loved one suffer from addiction, it’s time to consider long-term treatment. Contact Carolina Recovery Center today for more information on our substance abuse treatment programs.
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