How Long Does it Take to Break an Addiction?

If you have ever been addicted to something, or you are currently addicted, then you know how tough it is to break an addiction.

You may have gone through the process many times to stop yourself from going deeper into your existing habit, but with withdrawal symptoms and relapses, it can be incredibly difficult to really shake free and get on the road to addiction treatment and addiction recovery.

Today, we will discuss how long it takes to break an addiction as well as what factors play into addiction recovery.

Getting The Right Help

Whether you are currently dealing with drug addiction or you are going through the recovery process, there are support groups out there, online and in-person, that can help you with whatever stage you are at.

Addiction affects everyone differently, so if you are dealing with alcohol abuse or drug abuse, it is important you are put into contact with the right people that will help you break these harmful habits and keep you focused on your ongoing recovery.

Do not give up hope when it comes to getting better.

Addiction is a mental illness and should be treated the correct way for maximum effect.

Breaking addiction is not easy, but with the right recovery programs that focus on relapse prevention and forging a healthier and new habit, you will see it through to the other side.

21 Days to Break a Bad Habit

You have probably heard that it takes 21 days to break a habit so you can achieve long-term recovery, however, that is not always the case as it depends on the severity of the habit as well as what else the person is dealing with, e.g. chronic disease/illness that can cause addiction like substance abuse.

A study conducted by University College London states that the time it takes for individuals to change their habits and behavior patterns typically varies from 18 to 254 days, and it takes around 2 months to develop new behavior patterns.

90 Days May be Better

Yale University has said, through one of their studies, that the brain’s prefrontal cortex needs about 90 days to regain analytical function as well as proper decision-making.

This is named the “sleeper effect”, and it explains that a longer-term addiction treatment program has a higher and better success rate than a shorter-term addiction treatment program.

Treatment Program Statistics

In the journal – Archives of General Psychiatry, there is a clear distinction between shorter and long-term stays, and as research suggests –

35% of people in treatment for less than 90 days will go back to using drugs again around a year after they have been in a treatment center for a rehab program.
17% of people in treatment for more than 90 days will relapse after going through a recovery program.

As you can see, staying in for longer, whether it is drug addiction or alcohol addiction, people have a better chance with their recovery journey than they do if they went in for a shorter time.

What Can 90-Day Programs do For People?

If you do go for the 3-month treatment, then you will be able to achieve a lot more than you thought you would.

You can have individual therapy that focuses on your addiction to show you how you can navigate through that, as well as go for family therapy if you need to help your family at this time because they suffer along with you as well.

Other benefits of a 90-day program are –

Breaking Bad Habits

Through these 90 days, you are helping your brain break the bad habit that is taking over your life.

You will be able to reframe your mindset, manage emotions, reduce stress, and resist the cravings you are feeling.

Focus on Your Recovery

You need to have the right amount of time to focus on being the better version of yourself, so you need that space to put your mind into recovery mode.

Getting fully involved in recovery programs at this time will keep you on the right track for longer periods.

Maintain Sobriety

Having longer for your recovery will help you when you are released as you have learned so much about what you can do for yourself to maintain sobriety and stay away from the drugs or alcohol that have dragged you down before.

What Impacts Addiction Recovery?

There are many evidence-based treatments out there that will help you break an addiction, however, for them to work, you will need to think about some factors that play into your recovery time and your success.

Addiction Type and The Severity

Your recovery time will be impacted by what exactly you are addicted to and how bad it is.

Some substances can have severe withdrawal symptoms which can make it harder for people to break away.

For instance, opioids and alcohol are highly addictive, and getting off them will take time, but if the habit is more than average, it can be harder to stop people from taking them, so a stronger program may need to be had.

Mental Health Issues

People who are dealing with drug abuse or any substance abuse may already have mental health problems that impact their recovery.

If someone has depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, or any other type of personality disorder, then they are more at risk of not stopping their harmful habits.

It can make the process quite challenging, and other programs will be needed to make sure that everything is factored into the recovery.

Personal Willingness

People are not able to recover if they do not put the effort into making sure they are on the right path.

If you do not show a willingness to get better and off the substance that you are taking, then your recovery will not work correctly.

You have to be sure that you are ready to do this and that you will fight your way through to kick the addiction that is ravaging your body.

You will achieve long-term recovery if you keep focused and make a point of pushing through the challenges you are facing.

Supportive People

Having the right support group around will make all the difference when it comes to recovery.

If you have to face it alone, then things can feel harder as you don’t have people spurring you on to keep moving forward.

Even if you do have a big family or friend group, if they are not supportive of your focus on getting clean, then this can also pull you back as they may be still showing off their bad habits in front of you which can make it a lot harder.

It is important that you surround yourself with the right people, and if you can’t, you need to distance yourself from the bad ones, and lean on the support of the treatment programs that are there to help you.