Most people are familiar with the concept of the 28-day alcohol rehab program. It has been the topic of many television shows, movies, podcasts, and other parts of popular culture. Short-term alcohol treatment may not always produce the best results, especially for someone with long-term alcoholism. However, it is often a tremendous treatment for individuals whose alcohol abuse has not reached extreme levels of severity.
Who Do 28-Day Alcohol Rehab Programs Work For?
An individual struggling with alcohol use disorder and at the same time is responsible for providing for the family financially or caring for children could benefit from short-term alcohol rehab in a residential facility. Individuals with responsibilities are often extremely motivated to get rehabilitated fast. For these individuals, staying at a 28-day residential treatment center followed by outpatient rehab offers the best scenario for successful rehabilitation.
Continued success is dependent on the individual having the will to stay away from alcohol and also the long-term support needed to recover. Researchers have shown that beginning the rehabilitation process at a 28-day inpatient program and following it up with serious outpatient care and support can have the same effect as longer-term residential therapy.
Why Are Rehab Programs 28 Days?
It is not that 28 days is some magic number of days that scientific research has seen a person needs to get better after alcohol addiction. The truth is that 28 days is chosen because insurance companies stop paying after 28 days.
This trend began with recovery programs sponsored by the US military in the 1970s. Military personnel could only be away from duty for a maximum of four weeks without getting reassigned. A 28-day program allowed women and men in the military to get the treatment they needed and then return to their duties without getting reassigned.
Other programs quickly began to follow suit, and insurance companies saw this as the standard for rehabilitative care. Decades later, the practice still continues.
The Advantages of a 28-Day Treatment Program
All rehabilitation programs start with detoxification. Detox is when your body is ridding itself of unhealthy substances. This is a process that can take up to seven days to finish. During the process, professionals sit by your side to help you deal with withdrawal symptoms and make sure that you can go through the detox process safely and relatively comfortably.
Once the detox process is complete, you immediately start working with counselors. The 28-day program is intense because of its time constraints. Counselors are there to help make people aware of how they started using alcohol and the triggers that get them to drink.
Treatment is also designed to help patients create goals and find safe and healthy ways to stay away from alcohol and drugs as well as the harmful patterns that led them to addiction in the first place.
In addition to detox and treatment, people you will undergo assessment. This means that health professionals will try to get a picture of your physical, mental, and emotional needs. The goal is to help you get the most out of your 28 days.
Assessment is where professionals identify what your withdrawal symptoms are and provide tailored assistance. It is during this assessment phase that your counselors identify the type of therapy you need.
Throughout the program, you will be able to participate in group and independent therapy and activity sessions. These sessions are designed to help you learn from the mistakes of the past and provide the toolset needed to continue recovering in the future.
A 28-day program is ideal for someone who is nervous about getting help and is not willing to commit themselves to a program that is longer. It is beneficial because it provides the constant support needed to help a person stay sober. Most 28-day programs are covered by insurance programs and are designed to offer a quick detoxing process.
If you are dealing with alcohol abuse or substance use disorder, there is nothing wrong with getting help. The sooner you get help, the better your chances are of staying sober. If you or someone you love needs help, contact us today at 833-610-1174. We look forward to helping you.