How long should you stay in drug rehab?

No one can answer this question without first making an evaluation of the needs and degree of addiction of the individual. Many addicts find an initial month of drug rehab treatment more than sufficient, and a month of rehab allows them to live better lives of sobriety with only a minimal participation in aftercare. Still others, with longer addiction histories, with less sober family support, or with dual diagnosis' may well require a slightly longer period of residency.

But one often overlooked option, as addicts consider their time investment in a drug or alcohol rehab, are the advantages of remaining a resident in a drug rehab after a successful graduation, as a nominally paid recovery assistant.

3 advantages to staying on in drug rehab

1) The largest single advantage to remaining a resident and employee at a drug rehab is the continuing access to the care and therapies of rehab. The greatest influence on continuing sobriety is the degree of aftercare participation, and those graduates who maintain residency within a rehab even after graduation can maintain intensive therapeutic participation, without worry about the costs of therapy, or time away from employment.

Continuing residency in a drug rehab reduces temptation from daily life and allows you to gain strength and time over addiction, without having to pay the monthly expenses of therapy.

2) Staying on as a therapeutic advisor can also give meaning and worth to those unsure of what to do after rehab. The experience of addiction and successful recovery does lend authority and weight to your story, and resident advisors can offer great therapeutic assistance to those newly sober, and new to recovery.

Addiction is a disease, and although you had little control over your actions while using and abusing, the period and behaviors of addiction are nonetheless very selfish and self centered by nature. The act of giving and of helping those new to recovery lends meaning to a lot of lives, and can be a very beneficial part of anyone's long term recovery process.

3) Staying on in a rehab also removes much of the stress from the end of rehab and concerns about a full transition back into the outside world. While obviously as a resident gradate you are not as restricted in your movements, you do not need to worry about finding a sober living environment, finding outside employment, and facing all of the temptations intrinsic to the outside world.

The longer you can stay sober, the easier continuing sobriety becomes; so staying on in rehab as a resident gradate advisor greatly increases the odds of your own long term sobriety and success.

It may not be right for everyone, but by staying on in rehab you continue to gain access to intensive therapy, you avoid the full stresses of a return to the outside world and complete temptation, and you lend meaning to your recovery through helping those newly sober achieve their own goals.

Stay sober, learn how at Choosehelp No Drug Rehab Relapse

Read the Daily addiction and recovery blog TroubleBlog Addiction Treatment