Timeline of Your Recovery from Drugs or Alcohol and Your Body [Infographic]

Once patients have committed to rehabilitation, one of the major questions about the process relates to the timeline of your recovery from drugs or alcohol. Recovery isn’t immediate, and it takes time and effort. With more than 40 million Americans meeting the clinical criteria for addiction, this question is repeated more than ever. Keep in mind that recovery from addiction varies by individual and substance.

Alcohol Recovery Timeline

Recovering from alcohol starts with a detox, or cessation from all alcohol. In as few as five hours, the body may start to go into withdrawal, beginning with tremors. The initial detox phase for alcoholics begins with some of these common symptoms, many of which will begin and end within a week:

• Sweating
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Insomnia

In some more severe cases, detox from alcohol causes DT, or delirium tremens. This can cause severe hallucinations and even death in up to 5% of cases. This just drives home the clear need for medically supervised detox. As you plan the timeline of your recovery from drugs or alcohol, keep in mind that treatments vary in length beyond the initial detox phase. Programs for alcohol abuse recovery tend to be 30, 60, 90 or 120 days in duration.

Drug Recovery Timeline

The timeline of your recovery from drugs or alcohol will depend, of course, on the substance. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific schedule for recovery when it comes to drugs because different drugs cause symptoms of varying severity. There are also some recovery tools that might need to be relied upon for months, including methadone, which is typically recommended for over a year in order to help opioid addictions. Detox for many drugs, including heroin, opioids prescription painkillers, and cocaine, tends to last for one to two weeks. After the detox has been completed, the physical recovery can begin in earnest. However, the emotional and psychological aspects of recovery take time to develop. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends that patients in a drug rehab program commit to 90 days or more in order to reap the maximum benefits. Of course, the type and duration of the program you choose can vary. There is no right timeline of your recovery from drugs or alcohol other than what works best for you. Remember that a recovery program is the most effective way to overcome your addiction. At Stepping Stone Center for Recovery in Jacksonville, Florida, you can find the program that will benefit your ultimate recovery. Call 866-957-7298 today to start your timeline for lasting rehabilitation.