Could a 28 day rehab program be causing more harm than good?
Don’t get me wrong, there are obvious benefits to detoxing in a safe environment and with medical assistance (if needed).
How long does recovery take?
My question is: Can I really be healed from years of addictive behaviours and mindsets in just 28 days?
What if I then relapse as soon as I get out, does that mean I am a failure, destined for a life in addiction?
The question I am asking is: if the mindset is that you will be cured in 28 days but then you “relapse” again after a month, was it all for nothing? Are you just too broken? Are you just a failure destined for a life in addiction?
Most people believe that a new habit is formed in 21 days – so 28 days should be more than enough. Yes, a new habit can be formed in 3 weeks, but it takes 96 days for the habit to become automatic, for it to set in and permanent new neural pathways to be formed.
A habit formed over 21 days can be broken in just a few hours.
Think about it this way. A broken bone takes about 8 weeks to heal, then it takes time for the leg to strengthen. You would not expect someone to run a marathon the day after the cast comes off right?
Then why do we expect people to just “be ok” the moment they come out of a 28 day detox. It took years for them to get into that space in the first place. Healing of a broken life does not happen in 28 days.
These are my concerns:
Costs of rehab
28 day rehab program or detox cost anything from R30 000 to R76 000 for the stay.
Then they are expected to just “carry on” and “be ok”.
Suppose you did a 28 day stay in a luxury rehab. You spent R40 000. Then you come out and within a week you start drinking again. Within a month you are back on harder drugs.
What are your thoughts? Do you feel like a failure?