It is estimated that 43 percent of all people who go to drug rehab successfully complete their treatment programs, while another 16 percent are transferred to other rehabilitation centers for further treatment. Rehab success rates for those who complete drug and alcohol detoxification are 68 percent combined. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), between 40 and 60 percent of patients in addiction treatment relapse. Like any chronic medical illness, addiction requires ongoing care and symptoms may recur after treatment.
Relapse does not always mean that treatment has failed. Sometimes a person progresses a lot, but they need more time to fully heal. It is possible that they relapse but can sober up on their own due to the skills they learned in rehabilitation. NIDA notes that “recovery from drug addiction is a long-term process and often requires multiple episodes of treatment.
Most individuals also need ongoing care after completing a drug rehabilitation program. Aftercare usually includes substance use counseling or support groups to keep the individual connected with others who understand their struggle. During inpatient treatment at Recovery Centers of America, patients who are dependent on drugs or alcohol usually begin a doctor-supervised detoxification process to rid the body of drugs and alcohol in a safe and comfortable manner. Attending drug and alcohol counseling for an extended period of time may provide a responsibility to help you stay sober.
The chronic nature of the disease means that relapse to drug abuse is not only possible but also likely, with recurrence rates of symptoms similar to those of other well-characterized chronic medical diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma (see Figure Comparison of relapse rates between drugs Addictions and other chronic diseases) that also have physiological and behavioral components. To avoid the pain and struggle that drug detoxification entails and ensure that your drug dependence treatment is effective, remember how difficult the detoxification period was. Drug and alcohol counseling is conducted on an individual basis and focuses more on you and your personal life experiences. Spontaneous remission for drug or alcohol addiction refers to the phenomenon in which a person with a substance use disorder (SUD) stops using drugs or alcohol without any formal treatment or forced rehabilitation.
