Coming to the realization that you suffer from a serious substance use disorder can be jarring. You might have initially started using drugs for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you were curious and obtained a specific type of drug to satisfy your curiosity or had a legal prescription to treat a medical condition or chronic pain. Whatever the case, drug addiction can stifle your entire life.
Once you acknowledge that you have a serious problem, you can take positive steps forward. Getting help is the best thing for you and your loved ones. The detoxification process is the first step. You might wonder how long this takes and what to expect.
How Long Is Detox?
When you enter drug rehab, detox is the first part of your treatment. It involves the process of removing all traces of drugs from your body and managing your symptoms of withdrawal. Withdrawal occurs because your body has grown accustomed to having drugs on hand at all times and has become dependent on them. Depending on the substance or substances you’ve abused, you might also have medication administered to help ease you through your withdrawal. Symptoms can range from mild to moderate or even severe and life-threatening without medication-assisted therapy (MAT).
The exact length of time the detox process takes varies from person to person. There are different factors that can determine how long you might expect it to last when you enter a treatment facility. Overall, however, detox can take anywhere from several days to up to a few years. The following factors can dictate the length of time you might have to go through detoxification:
• The drug you have abused
• Whether you took multiple drugs
• How long and often you abused drugs
• How much of the drug or drugs you consumed and the means by which you took them
• The last time you abused drugs
• Whether you have any co-occurring mental health disorders
• Your full medical history and whether you have any other medical conditions
• Whether you take any prescribed medications that might interfere with or exacerbate your withdrawal symptoms
• Your age
• Your gender
<h2>How Long Do Detox Treatment Programs Last?</h2>
During this first stage of your treatment, you enter a detox program that might vary in length depending on your personal situation and factors. However, detox treatment programs normally last three to 10 days. As a general rule, if your drug addiction is particularly severe or you suffer from dual diagnosis with a co-occurring mental health disorder that worsens your substance use disorder, you might need a longer stay in detox.
Additionally, different types of drugs can cause shorter or longer periods of withdrawal. In cases of more severe symptoms, you can have care from skilled staff personnel around the clock when you need it.
Entering a Drug Rehab Treatment Program
After you have successfully completed the detox process, you can then move forward and enter a drug rehab treatment program. Like detox, there are different lengths of time that treatment can take depending on your own personal situation. There is also no one-size-fits-all approach to your program, which is tailored to fit your needs. However, there are treatment programs that vary in length that you can choose: 30-day, 60-day and 90-day programs. There is even the option of a longer-term program where you enter a sober living facility or halfway house.
As a whole, most people choose the 60-day treatment program to overcome their substance use disorder with drugs. Many find that during their initial recovery period, they can seek further treatment to keep them on a healthy path to maintain their sobriety. However, the longer the program, the more likely it is to have a successful outcome in the long term.
It’s important to remember that your ultimate goal is regaining your sober self. This is not something to speed through with the fastest recovery program possible. If your drug addiction has crippled you for years and you have struggled with severe addiction, it’s worth going through a long treatment period. Recovery takes time, and the reward of your sobriety is well worth it.
Ready to get started? We can help you find the detox facility that fits your needs. Call us today at 833-497-3812.