When looking into Cottonwood rehabilitation center and other options for those in need of heroin addiction treatment, the amount of time spent in recovery is an important factor to consider. Remember during the decision-making process that rehabilitation doesn’t follow the same timeline for every person. That being said, research shows that longer treatment for heroin addiction often results in more successful long-term sobriety than traditional 30-day residential rehab.
Why Isn’t Long-Term Treatment More Popular?
While incredibly common, outpatient heroin addiction treatment or shorter-term rehabilitation programs aren’t as successful when it comes to long-term recovery. These programs are so popular because insurance companies will often only cover only a short stay in a heroin rehab center if a stay at a rehabilitation center is covered at all.
Without insurance, a stay in a heroin addiction recovery center can cost a considerable amount of money. Additionally, many people facing addiction also see shorter programs as less intimidating than longer stays. Because the goal of reaching 30 days is more easily accomplished than long-term sobriety, short recovery visits are more popular.
Benefits of Long-term Addiction Treatment
Despite the fact that long-term treatment for heroin addiction isn’t as popular as shorter treatment periods, it benefits the patient in a number of ways:
- Better therapy opportunities: Because clients remain in the heroin addiction recovery center for a longer period of time, they have more opportunity to work on their underlying issues of addiction with the same team of therapists and staff they were surrounded with at the beginning of their recovery.
- Surrounded by sobriety: Long-term treatment facilities require clients to live on the premises. This ensures that patients do not have access to any prohibited substances.
- Continuous support: Clients of long-term treatment centers have support at the ready for clients twenty-four hours a day. Because clients are never far from professionals and staff, they can access support systems at any moment they’re needed.
- Structure and supervision: Being in a long-term rehabilitation facility means following a schedule throughout the day. Clients spend their time doing activities that are meant to help them abstain from their addiction and support their recovery. Supervision is particularly important when it comes to the early days of sobriety. Withdrawals can make beginning a sober journey difficult. In long-term treatment, especially long-term treatment in heroin rehab centers, withdrawal symptoms can be alleviated by medical support available at the treatment center.
Why Long-term Treatment Is Important for Those Addicted to Heroin
Long-term treatment can be taken advantage of by anyone with an addiction, but it may be particularly important for those who are addicted to heroin. Heroin actually alters the brain of the person who is addicted, making them more susceptible to relapse. This means that during the beginning stages of their recovery, those addicted to heroin are even more likely to relapse than individuals who are addicted to other substances. Many people addicted to heroin also have a simultaneous mental health issue. Because addiction and mental health problems often mesh together, they must be treated at the same time. If the mental health issues of the client are not tended to, their likelihood of relapse increases. Long-term treatment in a heroin addiction recovery center is often necessary in order to take care of co-occurring disorders.
The Takeaway About Long-Term Heroin Addiction Treatment
When looking for a rehabilitation treatment program, those who need treatment for heroin addiction, in particular, should consider making their stay in a heroin addiction recovery center long-term. Long-term care benefits those facing a heroin addiction in particular as it gives them more time to adjust to living a sober life after beginning heroin addiction treatment and before leaving the facility.