Does Rehab Work?

Components of Effective Rehab Programs

Several components, such as a broad range of approaches, personalized care, and compassionate staff, set rehabs up for success.

Evidence-Based Practices

An evidence-based practice means there’s evidence backing its effectiveness. It’s been vetted by scientists, clinicians, and published case studies demonstrating how and why it works, and who it may not be as effective for. 

Examples of evidence-based practices include:

• The 12 Steps
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
• Motivational interviewing
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
• Art therapy
• Equine therapy

Personalized Treatment Plans

Therapies are more effective when they’re delivered in a personalized treatment plan. For example, if horses scare you, equine therapy probably wouldn’t be a great fit for you. Instead, a center with personalized care plans would offer you another option, like art therapy or EMDR.

Personalized treatment accounts for your conditions and diagnoses, cultural background, family history, and your preferences. Tailored treatment can help you connect more to the recovery process and feel hopeful on your journey.

Challenges in Measuring Rehab’s Effectiveness

Trying to measure the overall effectiveness of rehab is a bit like answering the question, “Does going to college mean you’ll get a good job?”

Theoretically, yes. But everyone’s experience is different. If you went to college, even got into Harvard, but didn’t put in the effort to pass your classes and loathed your time there, you wouldn’t get the same post-graduation results as someone who studies, does all their homework, and wants the education for the job they have in mind.

Similarly, someone who goes to rehab but doesn’t engage in treatment with the goal of recovery won’t have the same experience as someone who does. For them it wouldn’t be as effective, even though they went. 

Most Outcomes Go Unmeasured

Rehabs may try to collect information on their success rates so they can publish it on their website and make their outcomes public. But gathering that information takes time and work. Even if a rehab sends out a short questionnaire to each patient a year or so after their discharge,

1. Not everyone will respond.
2. There’s no way of knowing if their responses are truthful.
3. People may do the survey but decline to have the information collected and published, especially if confidentiality is a major issue.

Plus, addiction can be a relapsing disorder³ like asthma and diabetes. Some consider ‘successful treatment’ as a recovery with zero relapses. Some view relapses as a natural part of the recovery process—they happen, but don’t mean rehab didn’t work. There’s no right way to feel about relapses. But they can alter the overall perception of rehab’s effectiveness.

Patient Experiences and Testimonials

Rehab can have life-changing effects, whether people go once, twice, or two dozen times. Many rehabs post the testimonials of past clients, highlighting their experiences in treatment. We asked two of our own at Recovery.com for their stories: Amanda Uphoff, Chief of Staff, and Cliff McDonald, Chief Growth Officer.

Success Stories

Amanda describes her rehab experience as this,

Cliff says, 

Challenges and Setbacks

Some people go to rehab to appease others. They don’t want to be there or recover, which makes committing to the process harder. A lack of willingness can become a setback when someone goes through the motions of rehab, gets released, and immediately goes back to substance use. While relapses don’t erase progress, they can delay long-term recovery and the benefits that come with it.

Rehabs with low-quality care can also set back someone’s recovery. Cost doesn’t always mean the care will match the value; any rehab can have great, or less passionate, professionals. Patient reviews, checking what therapies they have, and the clinician’s credentials can shed light on the true quality of a rehab’s care.

Role of Support Systems in Recovery

The support of family and friends can make all the difference in someone’s recovery⁴. They can 1) offer encouragement and motivation to stay committed to recovery and 2) help their loved one find their treatment options and go with them to any initial appointments as emotional support.

Many rehabs involve related or chosen family in the recovery process directly through family therapy. This setting helps the family unit heal emotional wounds, process their addiction, and strengthen relationships. Family members also learn how to better support their loved one once they return home, which can be crucial in preventing a relapse—and helping families know what to do if one happens.

Alternatives to Traditional Rehab

The ‘traditional’ route of residential rehab may not work for everyone, and that’s okay. Many other options exist just for that reason. For example,

• Peer-support programs: Peers in recovery lead these sessions, instead of therapists or other mental health professionals. Groups may discuss a certain topic, challenges they’re facing, or what’s going well in life. They form bonds and a crucial sense of belonging. The 12-Step meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are an example of a peer-support program.
• Alternative treatments: A more holistic approach may appeal to those with different cultural backgrounds or spiritual preferences. Alternative treatments include Ayurveda, acupuncture, nature therapy, supplements, herbal remedies, and more. 
• Psychedelics: As an emerging treatment option, psychedelics are becoming a more mainstream treatment option for addiction and mental health recovery. For some, they can have a more immediate and long-lasting effect than traditional therapies and medications. 
• Virtual options: Virtual rehab is also becoming more and more mainstream. Those living in remote areas or with mobility limitations may find virtual options most effective.

Continuing Care and Relapse Prevention

Imagine treatment for a broken leg—even if you spend a lot of time at the hospital and leave with it in a nice cast, it still needs help and attention to heal completely. If you began walking on it, not going to follow-up appointments, or even taking the cast off simply because you got released from the hospital, the results wouldn’t be good.

Addiction treatment often follows a similar scenario. If you leave rehab and return to all your usual habits and behaviors, neglecting follow-up sessions and maintaining your progress, it’ll likely be much harder to stay on the path to recovery. 

Importance of Aftercare

Aftercare begins after you leave rehab. It’s less intensive and requires less time than residential treatment, like weekly therapy sessions and 12-Step meetings. Residential rehabs often offer their own form of aftercare, which typically includes check-ins from staff and resources for the patient to connect with help 24/7. 

Aftercare serves as a crucial median between the world of residential rehab and outside life⁵. It eases the transition, helping patients strengthen their newfound recovery and avoid relapse. It also solidifies that patients are still cared for and valued, even after they leave intensive care. 

Back to the example of the broken leg, aftercare would look like using crutches and going to all your doctor’s appointments. You would avoid stairs, bumpy terrain, and practice pain-reducing habits like icing and elevating your leg to make the recovery process smoother. Addiction recovery isn’t all too different—you’ll avoid places you used to go to use substances (like a bar or club), go to your aftercare sessions and join a recovery group, and practice habits like self-care and stress reduction to proactively address the intense emotions that could lead to relapse. 

Strategies for Long-term Success

Recovery is an active state you have to continually choose. Strategies and habits can strengthen this practice and help you get back on track in case of a relapse. Here are some examples:

1. Have accountability partners. Identify which friends or family members could help you stay accountable to your sobriety. They may send you a text each morning to check in, or they can be the person you call when cravings and temptations get strong.
2. Integrate self-care into your routines. This doesn’t mean take a bubble bath every night (though you could), rather, to habitually practice activities that relieve negative emotions and bring you joy. Set aside a little time each day to spend time doing these activities.
3. Connect to a support group. Join a local recovery community to stay in regular contact with others in recovery. This could be a 12-Step group, a SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) Recovery group, or even a sports league with people in recovery.
4. Prioritize continued care. Maintaining your recovery is as important as achieving it in the first place. Going to therapy or an outpatient program can help you navigate stressors and challenges as they arise, strengthen your overall recovery, and keep you connected with treatment professionals. 

Making The Decision to Enter Rehab

How do you know if going to rehab is the right thing to do?

A crystal-clear answer likely won’t come—you’ll have to listen to yourself and your gut. Ask yourself questions like,

• Do I want to keep living the way I am now, or am I willing to make a serious effort for change?
• Can I get through a day without using substances?
• Are the physical effects of stopping too uncomfortable to bear? (Note: it’s always safest to detox in a professional setting and not by yourself.)
• Can I really get better on my own or do I need help?
• Will I lose relationships with my loved ones if I go on like this?

You can start your search for the best treatment for you using Recovery.com. Talk about it with your support system, too; they can help you with the technical details and offer emotional support.

As you make your decision and commit to treatment, keep in mind rehab isn’t a cure-all and often reaps benefits based on your willingness to recover, and if you’re ready to commit. Not everyone goes to rehab once and never relapses again, and that’s okay. 
Rehab is much more than a substance-free place—it teaches you skills for recovery, connects you to peers, and addresses underlying causes of addiction through therapy and personalized healing. Find a rehab that fits your needs on Recovery.com.