Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?

Making the choice to get help and go into rehab is a brave one, but it’s also one that can come with a great deal of uncertainty. It’s normal to have questions like does outpatient rehab work or does mental health rehab work, but it’s important not to let that uncertainty stop you from seeking treatment. Here are some answers to common questions about the rehab process and its efficacy so you can better understand how rehab can help you successfully get sober.

What Is Rehab?

Because rehab is a very general term that is often used for a variety of different effective treatments, it’s first important to understand what type of treatment plan is involved in a rehab program. Some people use the term rehab to refer to any kind of addiction treatment, which can range from straight detox to a long-term program at a residential facility. There are also outpatient rehab options and short-term inpatient programs — all with different degrees of intensity and differing levels of success rates.

Does Addiction Rehab Work?

The short answer to this is yes, but a more thorough answer depends on the forms of treatment and the definition of success. For example, a detox program that’s only designed for a short-term stay of a couple of days would define success as getting the person totally clean after those few days. This is why most detox centers have a 100% success rate. The only way for someone to not succeed in the program is if they check themselves out against medical advice.

A residential treatment program, however, is more likely to focus on long-term sobriety and helping people make permanent, positive life changes. This higher bar on the definition of success may mean that there is a higher failure rate, but this doesn’t mean that the program itself isn’t effective or that it’s not a good option.

Drug Rehab Success Rate

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, around 45% of participants successfully complete treatment, but there are some differences when the type of treatment is considered:

• Outpatient medication-assisted opioid therapy: 12%
• Intensive outpatient treatment: 37%
• Long-term residential treatment: 45%
• Medication-assisted opioid detox: 47%
• Hospital residential treatment: 54%
• Short-term residential treatment: 55%
• Detox: 69%

While these numbers give a general overview of how successful the common rehab programs are, there is a lot more to the story. The treatment facility, program and your individual level of commitment to getting and staying clean all play a huge role in whether a rehab stay is likely to be successful.

This is why it’s important to really consider the environment and make sure that the rehab program you’re considering can provide a comprehensive long-term support structure. A good rehab program will be able to provide you with the tools you need to make real life changes and stay sober instead of just focusing on getting you clean and back out the door.

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Is the 12-Step Process Effective?

FHE Health is based around the 12-step program, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there on how effective the 12 steps are and whether they actually work. The first thing to keep in mind is that any type of program is going to have some testimonials from people for whom it did and didn’t work. This goes back to the level of personal commitment and the other surrounding factors in the person’s sobriety journey.

For example, many people are court-ordered to attend meetings, but they don’t get into an actual treatment program. It can be much more difficult — although not impossible — to achieve long-term sobriety like this, and those who don’t invest in that level of treatment can bring down rehab success rates. Those who are pressured into going into a 12-step program by family or friends but who aren’t ready for or personally invested in getting help are also less likely to successfully complete a program.

It’s also important to understand that the 12 steps are not a comprehensive treatment program. They don’t involve things like medical care, neurotherapy or individual CBT treatment, which can all be incredibly beneficial for setting you up for long-term sobriety success.

At FHE Health, we have a full array of treatment strategies that we use to create individual treatment plans, and our staff is dedicated to helping you work through any issues that may have contributed to addiction and giving you all the tools — including the 12 steps — to help you get sober.

Here are also some ways you can help yourself succeed at rehab:

1. Stay open and honest with your therapists. As you go through rehab and engage in support groups and individual therapy, make sure you are honest with the people around you. The great struggle with therapy is that it only works if you come to it with sincere intentions. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by clinging to pride and not being honest about your struggles.
2. Be willing to connect to new people. Sometimes living with someone new, or being in a space where you have to meet new friends can be annoying at best and terrifying at worst. Be open with the people around you so that they, in turn, feel comfortable being open and vulnerable with you. You can build some very strong allies in the fight for sobriety in rehab, if you’re willing to be present for it.

Is Rehab Worth the Cost?

The financial investment in rehab is one of the biggest hurdles for many people. However, there are a lot of factors to consider. The first is that most insurance companies at cover treatment at least partially, and they often cover the parts that are the most costly. This means that even if your insurance provider doesn’t cover all of the treatment, it could significantly lower your out-of-pocket costs.

There’s also the financial costs involved in your addiction to consider. Think about how much your addiction is costing your currently, not just in money but also in time, productivity and relationships with your family and friends. Now picture yourself with a few years of sobriety, and think about what that kind of life would look like. What is that very real potential future worth to you?

There is also a common misconception that all rehab facilities are just in it for the money and don’t actually have their clients best interests at heart. Unfortunately, this is partially based on truth because some disreputable rehabs do focus more on their bottom lines than their patients.

However, the state of Florida has introduced a great deal of regulation when it comes to addiction treatment facilities to guard against just this. As long as you’re looking at certified rehab centers with high reviews, you’re likely to find treatment programs like those at FHE Health that put the focus on helping patients with their substance abuse and mental illness issues using some of the most cutting-edge tools and solutions currently available.

If you or someone you love is considering making a positive change by going into a rehab program for drug or alcohol treatment or mental health issues, FHE Health can help. Contact us today at (833) 596-3502 to speak to one of our trained counselors who can answer any questions you might have about how our treatment program works, how effective it is and how it can help give you the tools for a better life.