Outpatient

While many people associate drug rehab with residential treatment, there are thousands of people every day who receive outstanding care for the addictions in an outpatient environment.

The difference between outpatient and residential treatment

While residential rehab asks patients to come to their location and stay, 24/7 for a determined period of time, outpatient treatment programs allow the individual to maintain a large portion of their day-to-day lives while going through treatment. While this creates some different experiences in terms of immersion, you will generally find that the core counseling plan is similar in both types of programs. There are also some differences in terms of cost, as many residential programs are likely to be more expensive that their outpatient counterparts.

The advantages of outpatient treatment

Those suffering from addiction to alcohol or drugs such cocaine, heroin, prescription painkillers and others do not always have the time or resources to stop their life in its tracks and go away to a residential facility for an extended period of time. The outpatient program allows these individuals to stay at home with their families, and in some cases, even continue to attend school or work while going through the rehab program. Also, despite the comfortable setting of many residential facilities, there is still a certain stigma attached to going off to drug rehab. Questions must be answered about the individual’s whereabouts, and other awkward situations have been known to arise. Outpatient rehab can be done, more in less, without anyone knowing.

What to expect in outpatient treatment

Outpatient programs are comprised of several key elements, including detox, rehab counseling and preparation for after-care. In the detox portion of outpatient treatment, the individual stops taking controlled substances in an effort to remove the toxins from their system. In order for the rest of drug rehab to continue, this must occur, even if it means temporarily living with the withdrawal symptoms associated with the removal of drugs from one’s system. Once detoxification is complete, the individual will begin group and individual counseling. These are opportunities to get to the root causes of the drug use, and start changing the behaviors that aggravated the problem. This is also the time when the individual has a chance to meet with their peer group, and share stories of support with other people going through the same things in their lives. For many people, group counseling is the first time they have ever spoken aloud about their drug addiction, not to mention the first time they have ever met other people living with the problem as well. The exposure to these peers and the ability to “open up” can be a real breakthrough.

Finally, outpatient treatment prepares the individual for life after rehab. This includes advising them on after-care programs, setting up appointments for further counseling, and generally making the transition into a life without drugs as easy and effective as possible.