Other programs report similar results. Still, there is a group of addicts for whom 10 to 21-day stays don't work. They have gone through treatment before and relapsed. Under professional supervision, they interact with each other, with shorter-stay patients, and with people who have established long periods of successful sobriety. It requires a total change in lifestyle, and it is pretty much impossible without a group held together by a lot of trust.
Lives are on the line.
Weller notes that insurance companies are beginning to take notice. Once it is established that the dependency is that serious, extended treatment is actually far less expensive. There's no question that everyone involved in treatment for chemical dependency wants to contain costs while maintaining quality. The emergence of extended care programs reflects this reality, as well as a growing understanding that the greater the severity of the addiction, the longer it generally takes to heal. Without a disciplined, structured and monitored program during treatment and well beyond, relapse is more likely.