🏥 Withdrawal and detoxification
In brief
Physical withdrawal (detoxification) treats the acute physical withdrawal symptoms (e.g. circulatory problems, seizures, delirium), usually over a few days to just over a week, generally in hospital. A "qualified withdrawal" lasts longer and adds motivational work, education and preparation for subsequent addiction treatment (rehab) to the physical detoxification.
The funding body for withdrawal and qualified withdrawal is the statutory health insurance. The subsequent addiction treatment, on the other hand, is usually a benefit of the pension insurance (see "Rehabilitation/addiction treatment").
Step by step
- Get in touchVia your GP, an addiction advice centre or directly a clinic with an addiction ward; in an acute emergency, emergency services/emergency department.
- Admission to hospitalWithdrawal/qualified withdrawal takes place as a rule as (part-)inpatient care in a clinic with a corresponding specialist department.
- Clarify what comes nextFurther treatment (addiction treatment, outpatient aftercare, self-help group) is usually already being prepared during withdrawal.
Deadlines
- Purely physical withdrawal without accompanying motivational and aftercare work, in experience, does little to reduce the likelihood of relapse – a qualified withdrawal or subsequent rehab usually makes more sense.
- There is no legally prescribed duration for qualified withdrawal – the often-cited "three weeks" is a professional guideline value, not a legal entitlement to exactly that duration.
- Withdrawal (health insurance fund) and addiction treatment/rehab (usually pension insurance) are different benefits with different responsibilities – mixing them up risks delays in clarifying costs.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Legal basis and distinction from rehab
Withdrawal and qualified withdrawal are hospital treatment under § 39 SGB V in conjunction with § 27 SGB V; the funding body is the statutory health insurance fund. The subsequent addiction treatment is a medical rehabilitation benefit, for which, for people in work, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung is generally responsible (§§ 9, 11, 12, 15 SGB VI); if someone does not meet its insurance requirements, the health insurance fund is responsible on a subsidiary basis (§ 40 SGB V).
Qualified withdrawal (QE)
Qualified withdrawal, under specialist medical direction, adds motivational work, psychoeducation and social work support as well as preparation for addiction treatment or rehab to the physical detoxification. There is no fixed statutory duration; in professional practice, an order of magnitude of about three weeks is often cited for alcohol dependence (framework concept AKQE/LWL) – for other substances the duration may differ.
Uncertain/not fixed by law
The exact duration of a qualified withdrawal is not a legal norm but a professional guideline value from individual professional associations, which may differ depending on the clinic, substance and individual case.
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