When it comes to choosing a treatment program, there are many factors that one must take into account. One is how comfortable one feels navigating the outside world in early recovery. Individuals just starting their recovery journey can often be triggered very easily and these triggers can quickly lead to a relapse. This is where the concept of “bubble recovery” and keeping insulated away from triggers may be considerably helpful. However, there are also many recovery limitations to the treatment bubble.
What Exactly Is “Bubble Recovery?”
Bubble recovery is very much what it sounds like. It is a treatment program model that keeps an individual focused solely on their recovery by blocking out any distractions from the outside world. This bubble model is also known as the “28-day treatment model,” because that is the standard length of most of these programs.
To maintain this “bubble,” this type of recovery is residential, and the various treatments will happen on-site or in the care of the recovery professionals running the program. Of course, this does not mean that an individual will not see other people while in the program, it just means that they will only see other people who are also in the same program.
The idea of bubble recovery is that with fewer distractions, it will be easier for individuals to focus on their treatment and recovery goals. It can also keep out toxic distractions such as enabling relationships and the potential to connect with previous sources of alcohol or illicit substances.
Does Bubble Recovery Work?
It must always be remembered that recovery is a personal journey, and what works for one person may not always work for someone else. So, does bubble recovery work? For some people, it certainly can. However, it is becoming more widely understood that a recovery model that includes more of the outside world and goes beyond 28 days is much more effective.
Of course, there are some benefits to bubble recovery. The bubble model gets people hyper-focused on their recovery because there are minimal distractions. It also stops people from relapsing because there is no access to alcohol or substances. Bubble recovery also allows family and friends time to heal on their own without worrying about where their loved one is and if they are safe.
However, many of these benefits can go away quickly because 28 days is often not enough time for the tenets of a healthy recovery program to take hold. Also, the 28-day time frame is just one of the recovery limitations of bubble recovery.
The Recovery Limitations of Bubble Recovery
Bubble recovery is not always effective because life is not lived in a bubble. It is one thing to be able to stay safe and sober while in treatment, but it is another thing entirely to be able to stay safe and sober out in the real world. This is why it is important to be able to interact outside of the treatment center while in recovery.
One of the biggest recovery limitations of bubble recovery is that it does not allow an individual to build up the type of resiliency that will be needed to maintain recovery in the long term. This also means being able to practice the tools that are learned in the treatment center in the real world. Ultimately, it is better to run into a “triggering” situation in the real world while still in treatment because an individual still has full access to all of the recovery professionals and tools that can help them get through it both safely and securely.
An important aspect of recovery is also connecting with a recovery community, and being held up in a recovery bubble very much hinders this process. The sooner one connects with and engages with a recovery community that they can rely on after treatment the better. This community can also be the one that can be relied upon to help maintain a healthy recovery and avoid any potential relapses.
A Focus on Long-Term Success at Lantana Recovery
Here at Lantana Recovery, we understand the bubble model of treatment and know that it is important to be hyper-focused on one’s recovery from the very beginning. However, we also understand the recovery limitations of bubble recovery and feel like it is always beneficial to take part in a program past 28 days (if possible, of course).
Recovery is about the journey, never the destination. Due to this fact, one should never try to rush their recovery. It is about enjoying the journey, setting new goals, and always progressing toward those goals.
Life also grows much bigger in recovery, and a bubble is only going to stop that growth from happening. It is time to burst the bubble and live a life in recovery that is as big and as beautiful as one wishes it to be.
“Bubble Recovery,” or the 28-day model of recovery, has been shown to be less effective than longer programs for many people. Due to this fact, it can be a very good idea to expand recovery beyond 28 days, as well as consider transitioning into a sober living facility. Taking these actions has been shown to greatly reduce the chances of relapse. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery. For more information about bubble recovery and other types of treatment, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
