What is long-term addiction recovery? Is there a set time frame that identifies what can be considered long-term sobriety? At Harmony Haus, we like to think of long-term recovery as lifetime recovery. No one sets out to be sober for a set number of months, years, or decades. When you want to reclaim your life and health, you want it to last. That being said, if someone remains sober for any length of time, that is a success story. How can case management for addiction at Harmony Haus help recovery expand to fill the rest of your life?
How long does it take to recover from addiction?
The journey of recovery starts with a choice to reclaim sobriety. It continues when you access services to help with withdrawal—such as medically managed detox—and continue rehab through evidence-based therapies and other supports.
The initial intensive phase of recovery may last 30, 60, or 90 days in outpatient or inpatient rehab. However, this is not the timeframe for recovery. Addiction is a chronic disease that, though treatable, has no cure. That means your recovery is something that continues throughout life.
Relapse happens and is not only normal but carries no shame or sense of failure with it. However, the goal for every person with an SUD and those who love and support them is to avoid relapse. Ongoing support and services with the help of a case management professional is an important part of what makes long-term recovery possible.
The stages of recovery
Recovery requires lifestyle changes that reflect a long-term commitment over months and years. The stages of recovery are often broken down into the following:
Precontemplation
This is the stage before you even realize you have a problem with substance misuse. You are not ready to hear about the risks and reject any advice or signs of concern.
Contemplation
At this point, you accept that you have a substance use problem and understand the benefits of being substance-free, but you are not ready to commit to any course of action. The benefits of quitting don’t quite override the benefits you perceive in continuing use. Supportive, non-judgmental guidance from others can tip the balance.
Preparation
You are open to making lifestyle changes and have taken some steps, such as calling a treatment center, mentioning plans to a trusted friend or loved one, or finding a therapist.
Action
You are making plans, which may include speaking with a rehab center or enrolling in a program. You may have tried abstinence for several days at a time to test the waters. Doing so may have helped you understand that simply stopping is not enough. To make recovery work, you need support in addressing what underlies and triggers your addiction.
Maintenance
This period ushers in long-term recovery and includes your treatment, aftercare, sober living, and ongoing efforts to maintain sobriety and avoid relapse. It is not uncommon for people to experience relapse during this stage. For most people, this stage requires between two to five years to truly establish change so that they are no longer threatened by the risk of relapse.
Ultimately, in long-term recovery, there is a lasting stage that is sometimes known as termination. It is when you are secure in your recovery and can live substance-free with confidence.
How do case managers help with long-term recovery?
Getting from early recovery to long-term recovery takes time and commitment, and success can be amplified by the support of a case manager. Moving from one stage to the next can be streamlined by a case manager, as can long-term action items and support access. Your case manager will be engaged in all aspects of your recovery plan as a support to make things work on your behalf.
A sober living community like Harmony Haus will connect you with case management as soon as you are ready to commit to the action stage of recovery. That person will ensure that you receive the treatment you need, have transportation to and from rehab services, complete the necessary paperwork required to receive services or financial support, and so much more.
Action steps for your long-term recovery
As you strive toward long-term recovery from addiction, the following can be guidelines for maximizing your outcomes through life.
- Use the coping mechanisms you learned in rehab: Practicing them consciously will lead to making those steps habitual and automatic, so you walk the talk and talk the walk.
- Stay involved in support groups: Research shows that peer support has a positive impact on recovery, including staying engaged in treatment and developing self-efficacy.1
- Know your triggers: In rehab, you learned to identify your triggers to avoid walking into situations that might endanger your sobriety. Keep track of them and make avoiding them automatic.
- Practice mindfulness: There is growing evidence that mindfulness practices such as meditation and therapies based on mindfulness like dialectical behavioral therapy reduce relapse rates.2
- Exercise: Physical exercise is effective in increasing the rates of abstinence from substances.2 Keep moving!
- Stay in therapy: Continuing therapy beyond the end of rehab has a more than 20% success rate in ongoing sobriety.3
Your case manager can help you stay the course with the above action steps and more.
Contact Harmony Haus today for case management support for your long-term recovery
Your case manager works with your therapist. The former involves ensuring you acquire all the services you need, while the latter supports you through self-discovery that enables lasting personal change. Case management services at Harmony Haus provide the infrastructure that supports all your efforts to reclaim your sobriety, health, and life.
You deserve the kind of recovery that lasts. Call Harmony Haus at 877.349.1544 or message us through our online form to get started.
Sources:
- PubMed Central. “Benefits of Peer Support Groups in the Treatment of Addiction.” Accessed March 26, 2025
- PubMed Central. “Mindfulness Meditation in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders and Preventing Future Relapse: Neurocognitive Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.” Accessed March 26, 2025
- Science Direct. “A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of the Long-Term Treatment and Support of Substance Use Disorders.” Accessed March 26, 2025
