Making the decision to enter a rehabilitation facility is a monumental life change.
The ability to recognize you have a problem and seek treatment for better wellness is the first step to a new way of thriving. But change doesn’t happen overnight.
It’s common for many people to go through initial rehab in about 30 days. Perhaps they’ve left their homes, families, work, and other familiars in order to detox from and understand their drug or alcohol addiction. In this time, they may also uncover a number of factors that contribute to their condition.
Examining and correcting these factors and moving into a new way of life may require more time—sometimes up to a year or more.
What Long-Term Care Provides
When someone needs initial critical care to get control over addictive behavior, he or she has no idea what will happen. So the first part of the treatment process is to deal with the physical, emotional, and mental condition. At Willingway, we offer a multi-step assessment to evaluate an individual’s condition and make recommendations. It might be necessary for someone to enter an in-patient program, either short-term, lasting two-to-four weeks; or more intensive, lasting perhaps up to two months.
Long-term care is primarily designed to help an addict or alcoholic start the recovery process in deliberate stages, such as:
Withdrawal:
Brain and body detoxification from drugs or alcohol is known as withdrawal. Symptoms of addiction withdrawal range from sweating, headaches, and stomach upset to erratic sleep, anxiety, and mood swings. Your intensity of physical withdrawal varies based on the types of substances used and for how long.
Medically-supervised detoxification helps reduce the potential of dangerous side effects, such as seizures, and should be customized in relation to the abused substance.
In-patient services:
During an in-patient stay, an alcoholic or addict has access to a number of resources to change behavior, including individual, group, and family counseling sessions; 12-step recovery education and meetings; and specific therapies to address certain conditions. These aspects of in-patient programs help people understand the reasons behind addiction; accept how the abuse affected them and their loved ones; learn new coping strategies; and prepare for a sober life.
What Extended Treatment Continues
The first year of recovery is traditionally the most difficult. Addiction took months or years to develop, so it stands to reason that establishing sobriety will also take a considerable amount of time. Experts agree that for many people, a program less than 90 days doesn’t provide the optimum foundation for avoiding relapse.
This is why there may be a number of reasons extended residential treatment is the best next step:
Dealing with post-acute withdrawal symptoms. Toxic substances change body and brain chemistry. While the initial medically-assisted withdrawal process provides critical relief, post-acute symptoms can last up to two years after treatment. These symptoms might include problems with concentration, memory, and physical coordination.
Managing emotions and triggers. As you start to learn more about why addiction happened, being in a supportive environment without judgment helps stabilize your new reality. With proper guidance, you’ll learn how to restructure your life without the influence of drugs or alcohol; apply coping strategies to deal with real world challenges; and avoid or manage key triggers that threaten your sobriety.
Easing back into daily responsibilities. For some people, their addictions derailed their ability to work, manage finances, or engage productively in their communities. Depending on the severity of abuse, they can’t be thrust into an environment of obligations directly out of treatment. It may take a few months to really come to terms with expectations and accountability, adding levels of responsibility gradually. Extended residential treatment may also provide life skills you didn’t have before, adding to your level of confidence and purpose.
Resisting negative influences. Leaving treatment and returning to an atmosphere reminiscent of addictive behavior is a difficult transition. People, places, and other harmful influences from “the old days” make recovery twice as hard if someone has a lot to overcome. Moving through an extended care program helps establish a stronger lifeline to wellness and provide the necessary distance from negative influences to establish complete sobriety.
Sober Living Environments
Another form of extended residential care is a sober living environment (SLE). These programs are especially helpful for people who are highly motivated and willing to follow the facility guidelines, and can also accept a greater level of responsibility.
SLEs provide counseling and medical attention during extended treatment—usually six–to–18 months—but require residents to hold gainful employment to contribute to financial obligations.
Ask About Our Extended Care
We’ve created several extended treatment homes in Statesboro to allow for optimum results in sobriety. These centers, designed specifically to cater to the individual needs of men and women, help surround people in treatment with a supportive community and immediate access to clinical care. Review our approach, and see what might work for you.
