Though many facilities use the 28-day model that was first pioneered at the Hazelden Treatment Center (now Hazelden Betty Ford) in Center City Minnesota, research has shown that drug users who are treated for fewer than 90 days are no more likely to stay sober than people who don’t go to treatment at all. One-third of people who leave treatment begin using again within three days, and half begin using again within two weeks. Only one in five people who enter treatment are sober after five years.
With stay-at-home orders across the U.S., meetings and counseling sessions for those who struggle with addiction issues are now taking place online during the coronavirus pandemic.
These types of resources are more needed than ever, according to addiction groups, mental health counselors and individuals who struggle with substance abuse issues.
“I don’t know what I would have done if I had been in this situation when we didn’t have access to virtual meetings,” said a 26-year-old woman from Brooklyn, who attended a 1,000-person Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
