During outpatient drug rehab, you remain living at home and then come to the facility for treatment. The time commitment varies from a few hours to several hours a day. Treatment mainly consists of therapies in both individual and group settings. Programs can also prescribe medications and offer medical care. You are more likely to benefit from an outpatient rehab if you have a low risk of serious withdrawal, have a less severe addiction, have reliable transportation, and have a support system.
There are many different scenarios where outpatient is the best option, but there are some cases when it won’t be the right choice.
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Shouldn’t Need Significant Withdrawal Monitoring
Those in the early phases of recovery will have significant withdrawal symptoms and, in many cases, this can be particularly dangerous. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines and alcohol can be dangerous, especially if someone is dealing with another psychiatric disorder. In these examples, outpatient treatment may not be the best choice and a residential program, where monitoring can happen around the clock, will be the best choice.
Should Not Have a Toxic Home Environment
A toxic home environment refers to an environment that is either dangerous for the individual or will interfere with his or her success in rehab. Some examples can include abusive relationships, environments where there is a lot of substance abuse, or environments where there are stressors and triggers. In the beginning stages of rehab, clients can be vulnerable and it’s preferable to be in residential rehab in order to show they have stability and can deal with some of these outside issues.
It Could Be the Right Choice for a First Stint in Rehab
For those who have already undergone numerous attempts at recovery, outpatient may not be the best option and instead, they should spend some time in residential treatment. For those who are just beginning to seek treatment for the first time and who haven’t relapsed, outpatient can work as long as he or she is committed to the process.
May Not Be for Those with Mental Health Disorders or Medical Complications
Those who have forms of co-occurring mental health conditions or several medical conditions would be better off in an inpatient facility at first. Those who have cognitive impairment or are suicidal are better in a residential treatment facility until the condition is stabilized and then they can finish treatment with outpatient treatment.
Outpatient programs are typically preferred for the majority of people since those who participate in outpatient treatment can maintain their family, work, and school commitments and it means less disruption in everyday life. Outpatient programs offer clients more flexibility and freedom. Those in outpatient programs are able to immediately start applying what they have learned in rehab to the real world. These programs provide the same quality of treatment as inpatient programs and can also sometimes provide interventions that wouldn’t be available with inpatient programs. Outpatient programs can be less expensive than inpatient or residential programs to reduce the financial burden of addiction. In most cases, outpatient programs are covered by insurance.
