A study published in the Substance Use & Addiction Journal on August 14, 2026, put a number on something that families of people in treatment have described for years: when opioid withdrawal is left untreated, patients leave before their treatment is complete. The primary outcome the researchers measured was patient-directed discharge, the more current term for what has historically been called discharge against medical advice. The findings are striking.

At Rehab Malpractice Law, we think about mental health differently than most. We see it through the lens of what happens when the systems designed to support people in recovery fail them.