Treatment Options

Treatment types include medical detox, residential inpatient rehab (30-90 days), partial hospitalization programs (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP), standard outpatient counseling, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT). The right level depends on severity and individual needs.

Detox: 3-14 days. Short-term residential: 28-30 days. Long-term residential: 60-90+ days. IOP: 6-12 weeks. Outpatient: 3-6 months. Research consistently shows that longer treatment duration is associated with better outcomes.

Detox (medical detoxification) is the supervised process of safely clearing substances from the body while managing withdrawal. Medical detox is especially critical for alcohol and benzodiazepines, where withdrawal can be life-threatening.

MAT combines FDA-approved medications (like buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone) with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. MAT is the gold standard for opioid use disorder and is also used for alcohol use disorder.

PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) involves 5-6 hours of treatment daily, 5 days a week. IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) involves 3-4 hours of therapy, 3-5 days a week. Both allow patients to return home or to sober living each night.