What Percentage of Addicts Stay Clean?
Legacy Healing Center Blog
Wondering what percentage of addicts stay clean? The answers may surprise you.
You often hear about people attending alcohol or drug rehab in Florida or other parts of the country repeatedly. It understandably can cause you to wonder what percent of drug addicts stay clean.
Before looking at the statistics, it is essential to know that recovering from alcohol or substance use disorder (AUD and SUD), often referred to as “addiction,” typically involves a relapse in the future. Some patients will experience multiple relapses.
Instead of seeing addiction as something that can be solved in one shot at rehab, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shares that AUD and SUD should be treated just like a chronic illness that distresses the entire body.
Drug Rehab Success and Relapse Rate
The NIDA compares the statistics of managing SUD and AUD to people with other chronic conditions, diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure, and how well they manage the disease.
- 50 to 70 percent of those with long-term high blood pressure do not take their BP medication as directed.
- 30 to 50 percent of those with Type 1 diabetes do not stick to their doctor’s treatment plan.
- 50 to 70 percent of those who have asthma fail to implement lifestyle changes or take their medications as directed.
- 40 to 60 percent of people with AUD or SUD will relapse from the treatment plan
You see, an addiction relapse after recovery is statistically similar to a person with diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure still having episodes, events, attacks, or triggers to their chronic conditions.
What is a Relapse?
What does it mean to relapse after having gotten clean or sober from drugs or alcohol after rehab? A relapse is when a person uses alcohol or drugs after a period of abstinence.
Doesn’t it mean a person isn’t trying or has given up? Does it mean I’ve failed? Is my loved one just lazy or destined to use drugs and alcohol forever?
Absolutely not! Much like a medication for high blood pressure may no longer be effective, even though it once was, a relapse could mean the current AUD or SUD treatment is no longer effective. Relapse may also be the result of a triggering circumstance or event. Or it could be as simple as the ongoing persistence in the changes of the brain as a result of past use.
It may take some trial and error. But with the right, customized treatment plan for your AUD or SUD, which could include medication, trauma therapy, group therapy, and more, you can succeed in managing your SUD or AUD and live a clean, sober, healthy, and happy life.
What to Do if You Relapse
What happens if you or a loved one relapses? First, give grace to yourself or a loved one and remember that this is a disease. Relapses are not as simple as poor choices. Next, get back into a treatment program if you have walked away. Whether you choose in-patient or out-patient is up to you and your medical team to determine the right solution. Learn from your relapse, about yourself, and your AUD or SUD. Grow from the experience and commit to lifelong treatment and wellness, one day at a time.
Short-Term Solutions
Before achieving long-term sobriety and cleanness, you have to achieve short-term goals. Start with a drug detox program to safely rid your body of the toxins in a safe, medically-supervised environment.
If you’ve already done an in-patient rehab stint, humble yourself enough to do it again. Your intake team will advise you on the appropriate length of stay. What percentage of addicts recover directly relates to what percentage of addicts seek help. Without short- and long-term support, recovery is complex and the relapse percentage is much higher.
Long-Term Solutions
Getting clean is good. Staying clean is great. The good news is that the longer you’re clean, the higher your chances are of staying clean. When asking what percentage of addicts stay clean, it is also important to know about some of the long-term statistics that are out there on the subject. When it comes to long-term results:
- In people who have achieved at least a year of sobriety, less than 50 percent will relapse.
- In those clean and sober for at least five years, less than 15 percent will relapse.
A big part of staying clean long-term is ongoing treatment and therapy. For some, therapy allows underlying emotional traumas or mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, to be identified and treated. It is important to be aware of coexisting conditions because if they are left unchecked, theymay feed the addiction. Therapy can help treat mental and emotional conditions alongside addiction.
Support Systems
After rehab is over, men and women who attend support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or other after-rehab support programs fare much better than those who do not seek out these services.
Family therapy or counseling may also help you rebuild damaged relationships or help loved ones better understand your condition. Don’t be afraid to continue reaching out for help as needed, and connect with a group of like-minded, sober individuals. Support and ongoing treatment are the keys to how to stay clean from drugs.
You can learn more about the treatment options and services available at Legacy Healing Center, and find out why so many people struggling with addiction are starting the first step of their recovery journey with us. Call us today at 888-597-3547.
Contact Legacy Healing Centers
Whether you have recently relapsed, have never had treatment for your SUD or AUD, or are wanting to prevent a relapse, help is available. Contact us at 888-627-2216 and discuss your goals with a recovery specialist today. We welcome you with open arms and hearts at Legacy Healing Center, where Ladies and Gentlemen care for Ladies and Gentlemen.
At Legacy Healing Center, our approach to recovery is built around a holistic methodology. We look at addiction as a comprehensive issue and offer a complete set of services to heal the physical body, the mind, and the spirit. Combining research-evidenced practices from medicine and psychology, our team of highly trained professionals looks at all aspects of our clients’ lives on an individual basis. Our holistic approach to healing encompasses more than dealing with addiction through primary treatment strategies like therapy and meetings. We offer a full range of services to heal the whole person, body, mind, and spirit.