A lot of people will need more than one period of treatment over
the course of a lifetime. Relapse is simply the nature of the
disease. A relapse does not mean that a previous treatment was a
failure; it simply means that some level of treatment is once
again needed. The longer you stay in treatment the better your
chances of lengthy sobriety and the longer you can stay
abstinent, the less likely you are to relapse. NIDA says that
rehabilitation programs (residential or outpatient) should be at
least 3 months in duration for best efficacy, and that a person
on methadone should stay on the medication for at least one
year. What Makes Treatment Effective? According to the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) some of the elements of effective
drug or alcohol addiction treatment include: - Treatment must be
matched to the needs of the individual – there is no one sized
fits all solution, and a treatment plan needs to evolve as a
person’s need for treatment changes over time - Addiction
treatment works well, bu