How Long Does Alcohol Rehab Last?

You’ve finally come to the realization that your drinking is out of your control. This is a hard realization to come to, as looking in the mirror and admitting to your misgivings is never easy. Family members have likely been urging you, and you’ve been suffering negative consequence after negative consequence due to your drinking. Chances are, you are ready for help and are ready to change your life. But, how long does alcohol rehab last? What is involved? The more you know and the more you are prepared, the more comfortable you will be when you finally begin.

What Determines the Length of Alcohol Rehab?

The thing about alcohol rehab length is that it truly depends on your needs and a few different factors involved with your alcohol addiction. These factors include:

• Length of addiction. The longer you have been addicted to alcohol, the longer you may need to stay in rehab to untangle those habits, routines, and behaviors.
• The severity of the addiction. Do you drink hard alcohol from morning until night? Do you drink multiple bottles of hard alcohol a day? The more dependent on alcohol you are, the more severe your addiction is.
• Genetics. This is a unique determining factor, especially if you are the child of an alcoholic. Your weight, age, and gender may also affect how long your alcohol rehab stay lasts.
• Co-occurring mental health conditions. Mental health conditions and addiction feed off of each other. They make the other worse, so any underlying or untreated mental health conditions can be a factor in making your addiction spiral out of control.

Medically-Assisted Detox

Upon entering alcohol rehab, the first step to becoming sober is to experience medically-assisted detox. This is the safest and most comfortable way to detox from alcohol. Depending on the severity of your addiction, your detox experience may last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. It may even require a hospital stay, should you begin to experience delirium tremens.

Medically assisted detox offers:

• Around the clock medical care
• Medical professionals specifically trained in addiction and its associated symptoms
• Medications to ease your cravings and withdrawal symptoms
• Better chances at long-term recovery
• Lowest chances of relapse

Delerium Tremens

Alcohol is the only substance that offers potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms. This makes medically-assisted detox an especially crucial part of your alcohol rehab stay. Symptoms most often occur within 48 to 96 hours after the last drink, however, they may still occur 7 to 10 days after the last drink.

Symptoms may get worse quickly, and can include:

• Delirium, which is sudden severe confusion
• Body tremors
• Changes in mental function
• Agitation, irritability
• Deep sleep that lasts for a day or longer
• Excitement or fear
• Hallucinations (seeing or feeling things that are not really there)
• Bursts of energy
• Quick mood changes
• Restlessness
• Sensitivity to light, sound, touch
• Stupor, sleepiness, fatigue

30, 60, and 90 Day Programs

Depending on your needs, you may be placed in a 30, 60, or 90-day length of stay in alcohol rehab. The benefits of each include:

30 Day Program:

• A great start to see how long you may need to stay
• Lower cost
• Ability to receive detox, treatment, and craft an aftercare program

60 Day Program:

• More time to fully detox and change behaviors before returning home
• Time to practice healthy coping habits
• Ability to grow a healthy, sober social circle

90 Day Program:

• Highest success rate
• Best for individuals with extremely severe addictions
• Ability to strengthen skills, habits, and new healthy routines and hobbies

Extended Care and Aftercare

Becoming sober from alcohol doesn’t end on the 30th, 60th, or 90th day. Alcohol recovery requires ongoing work and consistency in order to achieve the best results. Depending on your needs, an aftercare plan may be developed for you including any or all of the following:

• Sober living facility. Recommended for those with severe addictions and a triggering home environment, this transition period allows more time to adjust back into living a normal life outside of rehab before returning straight home. It also offers time for individuals to find a job, enroll in school, or otherwise figure out their next step.
• Intensive outpatient treatment. Some individuals may still require intensive therapy when they are done with inpatient rehab. This can be offered in an outpatient setting, where the individual is able to return home yet still be in therapy for up to 8 hours a day.
• Ongoing therapy. If your family life and relationships have greatly suffered from your addiction, ongoing therapy may be recommended to you to help rebuild these bonds. Family therapy is important for recovery, as is setting boundaries and laying out realistic expectations on both ends.
• Regular meetings. It’s the age-old saying: If you work it, it works. The more you are able to attend regular meetings, the better your chances are of long-term recovery.

About Channel Islands Rehab

The only way to find out how long alcohol rehab lasts is by making the call. Every individual has different needs and requirements. To find out what might work best for you, give our admissions office a call. They can help walk you through the entire process and give you a good idea of what to expect on your journey.

The Channel Island Rehab Total Immersion Method is not an out-of-the-box approach to addiction treatment, like many other rehabs. It is unique in that it involves specifically around you and your individual, unique needs. No two people’s journeys are the same at Channel Islands Rehab, allowing for the best chances for long-term success.

Complementing these vital treatments and therapies is our powerful, unwavering ring of support. Through these collaborative efforts, we help you to uncover the underlying issues of your addiction. Our ultimate goal is for you to leave the facility strong and confident, with a practical plan for lasting recovery.

At Channel Islands Rehab Treatment Center, we work to make your residential stay pleasant and stress-free. Our beautiful, calming home, located only one-half block from the ocean, gives you an opportunity to relax and reassess your direction in life. The facility overlooks the harbor, providing the most appealing of settings for reconnecting with yourself.

For more information, visit channelislandsrehab.com