If you’ve been struggling with an addiction to alcohol, entering a treatment program can be one of the best decisions you will ever make. Before you begin, you will want to gather some important information, such as which services are best for you and how long does alcohol rehab last. To accurately answer the question, “How long is alcohol rehab?” you first have to understand the full scope of your needs. Then you need to identify the levels of care and types of services that will properly address these needs. When a client chooses Birmingham Recovery Center, we work closely with them to assess how they’ve been impacted by alcohol addiction. This helps us develop a personalized plan for them, which will include an estimate of how long they should remain in treatment.
Here are just a few of the factors that we consider when we make these decisions:
- How long have you been struggling with alcohol addiction?
- Are you also dealing with anxiety, depression, or another mental health disorder?
- What specific goals do you hope to accomplish by participating in alcohol rehab?
- Have you previously completed a treatment program, or is this your first time in alcohol rehab?
- Do you need to take part in detox?
- Which level of care is best for you, our partial hospitalization program (PHP) or our intensive outpatient program (IOP)?
- After you’ve completed our PHP or our IOP, can you benefit from continued support through our outpatient alcohol rehab program?
Once we have a full understanding of a client’s needs and goals, we can make an informed length-of-stay recommendation.
How Long Is Alcohol Rehab for Detox?
For many people, alcohol rehab begins with detoxification or detox. Once you’ve become addicted to alcohol, you can experience several painful symptoms when you try to stop drinking. This is known as alcohol withdrawal. Depending on how much you’ve been drinking and how long you’ve been addicted to alcohol, withdrawal can be dangerous. In some extreme cases, trying to get through alcohol withdrawal without professional help can put a person’s life at risk.
Thankfully, detoxification, or detox, provides a safer and more comfortable option for completing alcohol withdrawal. Detox is a short-term program where you will be under the care of experienced addiction professionals. During detox, you may receive both medical and therapeutic support. Alcohol detox typically lasts three to five days. However, in some cases, it may take a week or longer. Once you’ve successfully completed detox, you can transition to the next phase of treatment. If you don’t need inpatient or residential care, you might enter a partial hospitalization program (PHP) or an intensive outpatient program (IOP) after detox.
How Long Does a PHP for Alcohol Rehab Last?
A partial hospitalization program (PHP) for alcohol rehab usually features full days of treatment without a residential requirement. During a typical treatment day at the PHP level, you may take part in several different counseling and educational sessions. If you’re receiving prescription medication to help you remain in recovery, you may meet with a psychiatrist or another medical professional.
When the PHP treatment day is over, you can return to your home or to a supported living residence. For most people who receive care at Birmingham Recovery Center, our PHP for alcohol rehab lasts about four weeks. Of course, the exact length of time that you spend at this level will depend on your needs and progress. After PHP, you might end your time in treatment, or you may step down to an intensive outpatient program.
How Long Does an IOP for Alcohol Rehab Last in Birmingham, AL?
Intensive outpatient programming for alcohol rehab in Birmingham usually involves a few hours of treatment a few days per week. At Birmingham Recovery Center, our IOP sessions are three hours long. Most clients attend treatment three to five days each week. To make this service as convenient as possible, we offer IOP sessions during the day and in the evenings.
If a client has stepped down to our IOP from an inpatient, residential, or partial hospitalization program, their goal for this level may be to make a successful transition out of treatment. If a person enters treatment directly at the IOP level, they may need to spend a bit more time in the program so they can establish a solid foothold in early recovery. Depending on these and other individual factors, IOP for alcohol rehab in Birmingham, AL may last from a few weeks to a month or longer.
How Long Does Outpatient Alcohol Treatment Last?
Outpatient rehab is the most flexible level of care at Birmingham Recovery Center. Most clients who receive care at the outpatient level participate in one to two hours of treatment per week. Depending on the client’s needs, their outpatient care may include individual counseling, group therapy, or both services.
Clients typically enter our outpatient program after completing our PHP or IOP. The services they receive at the outpatient level are designed to help them strengthen their recovery skills as they fully reintegrate into their workplaces and communities. Since the general goal of our outpatient programming is to promote continued progress, clients may remain in treatment at this level for an extended period of time. Thus, depending on what’s right for each person, their involvement with our outpatient alcohol rehab may last several months.
Begin Alcohol Rehab in Birmingham, AL
Birmingham Recovery Center offers detox and several other levels of care to help adults who have become addicted to alcohol. Our alcohol rehab center in Birmingham, Alabama, is a safe place where you can receive personalized services from a team of dedicated professionals. To learn more about our programs and services, please contact us by phone or visit our admissions page today.