What the Addiction Treatment Process Looks Like

Going to addiction treatment for the first time can be a confusing and frightening time. For me, it almost felt like I had ended up at some sort of twisted summer camp, except with adults who were far less happy than the ones I met in my youth. I didn’t want to be there and was originally forced into it. I kept hearing unfamiliar terms like PHP and IOP and was routinely asked about where and how long I had detoxed for. After a while, I started to settle in, and after paying attention in some of the groups and sessions, I started to realize that maybe the treatment process was exactly where I needed to be.

The Spectrum of Addiction Treatment

Although the spectrum of addiction treatment can vary from person to person, and depending on your location and the qualifications of the state, I am pretty sure that the treatment cycle is somewhat the same overall. When we have found that our destruction and experimentation with drinking, drugging, eating, etc., has led us to a point of complete and utter desperation, we usually end up in detox. This is the first step in the recuperation of the body in a detox facility. I personally spent three days in a hospital. Since the drugs in my system weren’t deemed as life threatening to come off of, I was only allowed in on the decision that my mental state was a threat to myself and those around me (thank God). However, people I met later on described spending anywhere from one day to three weeks in detox, depending on what they abused and for how long. The time spent in detoxification seems to go by pretty quickly, as it requires a lot of rest and nourishment. I gained eight pounds in only three days of detox, thankfully, because I came in weighing a whopping 100 pounds at 5’7’’.

Usually, after we have been physically brought back to life, the next step for many who are looking to recover is going to a partial hospitalization (PHP) or inpatient treatment setting. This, in my opinion, is the most crucial point of creating a solid groundwork for recovery. Although I have met a few old timers who got sober without treatment, I have found that it is much easier to gather a small amount of time to clear one’s head and forget about the cravings for a while.

Addiction Treatment the Basis for PHP

I have been through treatment twice. I am friends with many people who work in treatment, so I have learned that the basis for PHP is pretty much consistent wherever you are. It requires clients to attend anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of group classes and personal therapy sessions, which can cover a wide range of recovery-related topics. I always enjoyed the groups where we were taught exactly what addiction was and why we reacted to life the way we did. I also enjoyed the free yoga and meditation classes. The group therapy was always a hit or miss, depending on how engaged the other clients were. Sometimes, though, people could really make some progress in group therapy, and I always really enjoyed being a part of it. Once group meetings are over, the center would usually bring all of the clients to an outside meeting, or have a meeting for us at the center. This was also interesting for me because I had never even really known about Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous before I came to get sober, so it was a bit of a whirlwind getting my feet wet in the program.

The Length of Inpatient or PHP Addiction Treatment

The length of inpatient or PHP can also vary for each person. This usually depends on how much progress they are making in their mental and emotional state, and, sad but true, how long their insurance is willing to cover the cost of their recovery. No matter how long one stays in treatment, the main goal is to absorb as much knowledge about the disease of addiction as possible and find the way into a solid halfway house.

By the time I graduated from the PHP portion of addiction treatment, I had about two months of sobriety under my belt, and couldn’t wait to get into a halfway and dive into my program. Where I got sober, most halfway houses required us to attend at least 9 hours of IOP, or, intensive outpatient therapy as a requirement for living in the house. The house I chose to move into also required us to have a job, and a sponsor. I am extremely grateful for the rules of that house because they kept me on the right track for a solid 5 months. Unfortunately for me, I forgot everything I had learned and stopped working any sort of program, and relapsed. But luckily, with the connections I had made, the hand of AA had reached out and safely guided me into another amazing treatment facility, where I eventually dug in my solid roots of sobriety and stayed sober.

The beautiful thing about living in a well run 12 step focused treatment center and halfway house is that they really do work for those who are looking to recover. The process can be painstaking for us in the beginning because we are so used to living in a manner of our own will, but when we finally concede to the idea that we are an alcoholic/addict and that we do want to recover, the treatment process becomes a gift.

For millennia, alcoholics and addicts who were deemed as hopeless were just thrown into prisons, asylums, or left to die. Today we have another option that really and truly can work if we embrace the opportunity and the program of recovery. So no matter if you are in detox, treatment, halfway, or afterwards, I, and many of my friends and fellows in the program are living testaments to the treatment process being a crucial stepping stone into living a new way of life.

Freedom From Addiction

If you have found yourself suffering in addiction, you are not alone! If you are ready to change your life and live free of addiction, then FindAddictionRehabs.com can help. We give you the jump start to recovery as well as teach relapse prevention including learning healthy outlets in sobriety . Our program is unique in that it doesn’t just treat the addiction, it treats the whole person. For more information on our program, call 1-877-959-7271 today.

Anna M.( Senior Content Writer )

Anna M. joined Find Addiction Rehabs with extensive experience in the field of addiction treatment. As a former Nurse Practitioner in Miami, she found her passion for addiction treatment when a family member was lost to his disease. With each article and resource, she hopes to save other families from experiencing the anguish of a loved one’s passing due to drinking or drugs.