Should you Consider Outpatient Drug Rehab?

Outpatient treatment is not always the best choice for everyone who is trying to recover. In my own situation, outpatient treatment did not really work as far as my own recovery went. But there are some positives as well, and it does have good outcomes for some.

Outpatient is basically the groups, therapy, and lectures that occur in an inpatient rehab setting, just without the overnight stay there. So with outpatient rehab, you go home each night after attending the various meetings and counseling sessions at rehab all day.

So this concept of outpatient is really about receiving less intensive care than if you were to check in to a 28 day program somewhere.

Is outpatient treatment effective?

Some people do find success in outpatient drug rehab, but the odds are lower than if they had checked into a residential program. The research seems to back this up.

Are there any benefits to going with outpatient over other forms of treatment?

Sure outpatient treatment is more convenient, because you can go home each night. So it does not disrupt your life as fully as if you were to go stay somewhere inpatient for a few weeks. It is generally much cheaper, because the client is not paying for food and housing like they are with a traditional treatment visit.
Some might even be able to continue working while attending outpatient treatment, so there is added convenience there as well.

What type of person is a good fit for outpatient?

Addicts and alcoholics who have never attempted to get clean before might do well with outpatient rehab, so it might be a good option for some people. If it works for you, that’s great. Sobriety is what matters. Results matter.

Alternatively, if you tried outpateint in the past and it did not really work for you, then you might want to open up to other possibilities for treatment. Staying in a treatment center for a few weeks is just one possiblity. You could also try attending 12 step meetings on a regular basis or perhaps doing some one-on-one counseling with a therapist. There are many paths to sobriety.

If you fail to stay sober when trying one method of treatment, consider something more intensive the next time you try to get sober. If outpatient fails for you, then step up to inpatient. If that doesn’t work, try long term treatment. You get the picture.