Short Term Treatment

While there are no quick fixes for drug addiction and dependency, patients may opt for short-term treatment program over a longer, more protracted rehabilitation process. Generally speaking, short-term rehabilitation programs last less than six months and may include everything from residential therapy (living full-time in a drug treatment facility with other substance abusers), medication therapy (includes the use of prescribed drugs to aid in the rehabilitation process) and drug-free outpatient therapy (encompasses a wide variety of different programs that include regular visits to a treatment center). Short-term treatment programs are sometimes reserved for first-time addicts without a long history of drug dependency.

When an addict must attend to their obligations, preventing them from receiving long term treatment, it’s common for him or her to take part in a short term drug treatment program. In a short term drug treatment program, the individual follows a specific program after detox which includes outpatient care and regular participation in other group centered substance abuse classes, both of which allow an individual to maintain their daily work and family obligations. Intensive outpatient programs can sometimes be effective, but most experts in the field of drug addiction highly recommend long term drug treatment. There are different types of short term treatments that are outpatient (individual usually goes home every night) or inpatient (residential or hospital, where the patient moves into the facility for a period of time).

Types of Short Term Drug Treatment Programs

Outpatient Short Term Treatment for Addiction

Outpatient short term treatment for addiction care is usually a six week period when the patient has group or individual counseling 3-4 nights a week. Outpatient short term addiction treatment programs are more suitable for individuals who are employed, have extensive social support systems, can maintain abstinence for up 72 hours and are highly motivated individuals. Individuals participating in short term outpatient addiction treatment programs generally reside at home and attend the program several evening or days during the week. While most people with substance abuse or alcohol problems would rather attend outpatient addiction treatment, not everyone will do well with this minimum level of care. An extensive assessment must be completed to determine whether an outpatient addiction treatment program can meet the needs of the individual seeking treatment.

Therapeutic Communities

Therapeutic communities can range in treatment times from short or long term. This form of short term treatment for addiction focuses on behavioral modification .Generally in therapeutic communities; the short term treatment option is outpatient care but can sometimes be inpatient depending on severity of addiction. It is important to mention that some treatments consist of trading one drug for a pharmaceutical drug to help stop addiction. These treatment times can vary largely on how quickly the patient can let go of the alternative drug. Often these treatments are started in or right after detoxification and go hand in hand with either inpatient or outpatient care.

Hospital Based Inpatient Short Term Treatment

Hospital based rehabilitation units are almost always a short term treatment for addiction and generally support people who have medical problems and need medical care along with addiction treatment. Partial hospital or day addiction treatment programs are a step above outpatient addiction treatment in that they meet five days a week for approximately four hours every day.

The first stage in any treatment program, short-term or long-term, is for the patient to break free of their drug dependency through a process of detoxification. Drug detox focuses on ridding the body of toxins, easing withdrawal symptoms, and giving individuals a fresh start on a path of recovery. The natural drug detox process is fairly straightforward. Under professional care, an individual stops taking drugs and experiences the symptoms of withdrawal, which can sometimes be painful and emotionally draining. Significantly, detoxification or ‘detox’ for short does little to prevent or manage long-term drug addiction and is only intended as the first step towards drug rehabilitation. As such, short term drug treatment programs are meant to aid patients in the safe withdrawal from acute and sometimes painful physical symptoms that occur when they stop taking drugs, the immediate goals of detoxification are:

• To provide a safe environment for withdrawal from drugs to occur and aid the individual who is addicted in becoming drug free.
• To provide relief from withdrawal symptoms and offer support during this difficult process.
• To prepare the individual to enter a drug rehabilitation program.

After detox, there’s still a long road ahead. Actually, all that detox does is help to clear your mind to get you ready for the real work you have to do in drug treatment. Now you will need to learn behavioral changes, how to recognize the triggers that cause you to use drugs or alcohol, and learn new coping mechanisms to prevent relapse. Mastering all of these things in short term drug treatment will be a challenge at best, due to the limited amount of time available.
While short term drug treatments can be effective for some people, certain individuals will see a much greater benefit from 90-day drug rehab treatment. Those with the most to gain from a treatment program that lasts three months or longer include users of intravenous drugs, long-term drug addicts, those who have a history of treatment and relapse, and people with a very severe drug or alcohol problem. It's important to take these factors into consideration when choosing a drug rehab program in order to settle on the most appropriate treatment option.

It is important to note that chemical addiction is a lifelong battle and even in short term drug treatment, individuals will be required to integrate the teachings they have learned into their daily routine once they leave the rehab center .Individuals seeking drug or alcohol treatment should work closely with a drug rehab with a high success rate to decide on the right treatment program. Making the right choice in drug rehab treatment is an essential step in helping an individual get their life back.