What Is Short Term Drug Rehab?

What is short term drug rehab? As the term implies, a short term drug rehab is a drug and alcohol addiction recovery program that lasts around 30 days or less. The primary focus of these types of programs is medical stabilization, abstinence from substance use and learning to live without using drugs or alcohol.�' While these types of drug rehab programs are short in duration they are intensive in their approach and their ability to improve their client’s condition in a brief period of time. Short term drug rehab programs are typically staffed by medical professionals and counselors who are skilled in the field of addiction recovery. The methods utilized by these types of drug rehab programs are usually a modified 12 step approach in addition to group therapy and counseling.

Generally, short term drug rehabs are inpatient. An inpatient program is where clients live together as they work their way through the rehab program. Staff is always available to program participants and supervise and monitor their safety around the clock. Attending inpatient treatment is a more intensive form of care than other types of programs such as outpatient rehab and going to meetings. While in short term drug rehab the program participant will address the basic aspects of their recovery: detox, abstinence from drugs and alcohol, developing life skills and relapse prevention techniques.�'

Who is short term drug rehab appropriate for? This type of care is recommended for addicted persons who are dependent enough on substances that they need to be removed from their day to day lives. Those who are struggling with substance abuse and addiction issues for a brief period of time; not long term addicts with years of addiction under their belt. This type of treatment is appropriate for persons who have been through treatment before and have recently experienced a relapse. They will find that attending a short term drug rehab gives them the time to come off the drugs or alcohol and relearn how to live without using before continuing on to a sober living home or outpatient program.

Because many people become physically dependent on the substances they abuse, detoxification is often the first step for many in their short term drug rehab process. When drugs and alcohol remain in the person’s body there is no chance of any real recovery taking place. Depending on if it is necessary, some clients need medically assisted detox to help them safely come off the substances their bodies are dependent on. Going through a thorough detox helps reduce and eliminate cravings and effectively stabilizes the program participant so that they are ready to begin focusing on their treatment program and addressing the underlying issues that drove them to use.

The goal of attending a short term drug rehab is to return the addicted person back to their family and community as a sober, productive member of the group. The recovered person will learn many valuable lessons while in treatment including how to make necessary lifestyle changes to ensure sobriety when returning home, how to manage feelings without resorting to drug or alcohol use and develop coping tools and strategies so that using is not their “only” or “best” option to resolve a problem. Lastly, short term drug rehab helps the program participant learn drug refusal skills and teaches them how to identify relapse warning signs.