Why 90 Days for Substance Abuse Treatment

Âbenzodiazapines (i.e. Valium, Xanax, or Ativan) usually
For many individuals contemplating treatment forrequire a longer "controlled" taper off of these drugs
substance abuse, ninety or more days of residentialwith medication that will prolong detoxification. The
treatment can be a daunting thought; even difficult forBetty Ford Center employs state-of-the art
some to consider beyond the once-mainstay "30 day"detoxification protocols that affect the duration of
inpatient treatment program. While many programs stilldetoxification based on multiple factors in a patient's
use this "30 day" model, this duration was not basedhistory.
on research or science. It was simply the time periodÂ
that insurance carriers agreed to provide coverage inAt the onset of treatment, a multitude of factors can
the 1940's and 1950's, and so was adapted as themake it more difficult for a patient to engage in
model for treatment.treatment quickly, and increase the need to extend
Âtreatment for up to 90 days or more. These may
Fast-forward nearly seventy years. The wisdominclude a prolonged detoxification as discussed, or
found in experience, combined with large outcomecomplications that may develop during the Detox
studies, have clearly shown that patients completing atperiod (such as high blood pressure or high blood
least 90 days of residential treatment have aglucose levels, for example) that require closer, longer
significantly reduced relapse rate compared with thosemonitoring. Of course, a patient may be lacking
who stay for shorter time periods. The Nationalmotivation to begin treatment immediately, or may be
Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) now considers 90 daysin frank denial of their disease that would slow
of treatment as the "gold standard". With longerengaging into the treatment process.
treatment for addiction or substance abuse, patientsÂ
have more time to fully participate in a meaningful levelAddiction or substance abuse to alcohol or drugs is
of treatment. They are able to begin applying andalso rarely an isolated event. Many serious problems
"practicing" real-world skills important for their recoverycoexist, including multiple drug addictions, legal and
in the relative safety of a residential program.criminal problems, mental and physical health disorders,
Âprofessional licensure issues or a family home-life that
Detoxification from alcohol and other drugs, especiallyis not conducive to new recovery. Research again has
in the face of other physical and psychological issues,shown that the return to drinking or drug use is
may be prolonged and may take several days up toconsiderably lower after 90 days of treatment even
several weeks to complete. Within that timeframe, awhen these complicating problems are present. At the
patient may just begin engaging in the treatmentBetty Ford Center, for example, alcoholic/ addicted
process towards recovery, which is continued andphysicians who undergo a 90 day treatment program
reinforced during the longer stay in residentialenjoy an impressive 78% long-term sobriety rate, with
treatment.a five to seven years of continued monitoring.
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The length of detoxification can vary greatly due toThe traditional 30-day treatment program may
multiple factors that must be accounted for at thecertainly be appropriate for many patients. However, a
start. An uncomplicated detoxification from alcohol in alonger length of stay allows a patient to focus on
relatively healthy patient may be as short as 48 hours.recovery, while learning new tools to maintain
Conversely, patients with a history of withdrawallong-term sobriety.
seizure from alcohol, or a dependence to