Detox Process: A Timeline of Treatment for Substance Abuse

Achieving Recovery After Detox

Completing the detox process is a huge accomplishment in and of itself, but it is only the first step down a long road to recovery. Because addiction is a complex and chronic disease, it is important to consider your options carefully after detox. Three of the options you can take include:

• Returning home right away – of all the options, this is the riskiest. Many people mistakenly think they can simply will their way through intense cravings and difficult situations without turning back to substance abuse. This attitude sometimes comes from a lack of understanding about what addiction is. Addiction is not simply a lack of willpower. For many, it is a complicated and deep-seated issue that requires months or even years of treatment to overcome. Drugs and alcohol can make serious, physical changes to the brain, affecting the way you think for the rest of your life, and without proper therapy, medical care, and treatments, you are very likely to relapse if you return home after detoxing.
• Moving into an inpatient addiction treatment program – inpatient rehab is the option recommended to almost everybody after detoxing because, with a customized treatment program that is right for the client, it offers the best possible chance of rehabilitation and long-term recovery. For some, inpatient rehab may not be possible due to work, financial, or family obligations, but it provides the intense, therapeutic care needed to make big changes within the body, the mind, and the spirit.
• Moving into a sober living home – going to outpatient rehab part-time is a happy medium for those who need strong support and care but cannot go into inpatient rehab full-time. A sober living home is a high-accountability residence with a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol. You live in the sober home, paying rent and often your portion of the bills, along with other sober roommates in early recovery. Many people in sober homes hold a part-time or full-time job or go to school, and they also attend a partial hospitalization program (PHP) or intensive outpatient program (IOP), which are varying levels of care offered on an outpatient basis. In outpatient rehab, you still receive therapy, relapse prevention training, and other helpful services, but you can live outside of the rehab center so you can still see your family or go to your job.