Is Outpatient Rehab Right for You?

One of the most accountable actions you can ever take is admitting you have a problem with drinking or drugs — and that it’s time to take steps toward change. It takes real courage and humility, especially when many people with an undiagnosed substance use disorder remain in denial about how their addiction is affecting them and their loved ones, but few attempt to get treated. 

The question is, how do you choose the type of treatment that suits you best? There’s often an assumption that rehab is only on an inpatient basis, checking into a facility and stepping away from life for a period of time.   

While this is a smart option for people suffering from very severe addictions, it might not be feasible when you have commitments that can’t be neglected. Outpatient rehab seeks to achieve a balance, striking a middle ground between enabling you to pursue recovery and the commitments that define who you are.  

What Is Outpatient Rehab? 

Outpatient addiction treatment allows you to receive therapy for an alcohol or drug addiction while still being able to live at home. It’s particularly suited for people who need an intensive level of support but don’t require the 24/7, onsite residential component that inpatient treatment provides. 

During outpatient drug rehab, treatment typically involves attending therapy sessions several times a week, a few hours each day — this might be individual, one-to-one therapy with a counselor, or group therapy sessions with other people like you in recovery, very similar to the structure of a 12-step program. 

When the day’s sessions are complete, you’re able to leave the facility and go home before returning the next day. It’s the best of both worlds because you get to work toward recovery and fulfill your day-to-day responsibilities without sacrificing or compromising either one.  

Inpatient Rehab vs Outpatient Rehab   

Both forms of treatment have distinct similarities and contrasts, but knowing which option is best for you really depends on your needs and the nature and severity of your problem.  

Inpatient rehab: 

• Inpatient rehab offers less independence than outpatient rehab, requiring you to stay at a treatment facility 24/7 for about 30 to 90 days. You’re not allowed to leave during this time. 

• Every aspect of your day and environment is immersive, intensive, and built around recovery, with tight supervision — invaluable if you have a severe addiction, live in a highly triggering home environment, or are prone to relapse. 

• Easily facilitates the transition to therapy from medical detox, a necessary component to treatment that helps you manage, with staff support, withdrawal symptoms after stopping drug or alcohol use. 

Outpatient rehab: 

• Offers the most independence in drug rehab. Routine counseling sessions during the day follow a flexible outpatient program schedule, enabling you to return home at night and still keep up with work, school, or family obligations. 

• Treatment may last for several weeks to several months. 

• Ideal for milder forms of substance use disorder and for people who don’t need round-the-clock supervision or who have supportive families and stable home environments. 

Weigh these considerations when looking into drug rehab. Inpatient may serve best people whose drug abuse or drinking has become life-threatening and who need constant supervision and highly structured care in a controlled setting.  

Outpatient addiction treatment, on the other hand, may be better if you’ve been able to remain functional despite substance abuse. Additionally, full-time residential treatment might be impractical if you can’t take time off from work or miss school.  

Arguably, the most important part of outpatient rehab is that it enables you to take what you’ve learned in therapy and apply those lessons and skills to your life every day when you return home. This opportunity doesn’t exist with inpatient care until the conclusion of treatment when segueing back into independent living. 

What Are the Levels of Outpatient Care? 

Many people new to rehab might assume that there is only inpatient and only outpatient with no other options existing if they need more scheduling flexibility or treatment intensity. However, one of the most appealing parts of outpatient rehab is that there are different graduated levels of care to choose from.  

PHP 

A partial hospitalization program, or PHP, is a more intensive outpatient rehab model recommended for people with more severe addiction issues who call for significant clinical support without 24/7 supervision. Partial hospitalization focuses on promoting personal growth and your own autonomy, ideal if you’re transitioning out of an inpatient hospital stay — or if your symptoms are severe and need rigorous daily care but are stable enough that round-the-clock supervision isn’t necessary. In a PHP program, you’ll attend therapy and treatment about five to seven days a week for several hours but with the chance to return home at night — a hybrid between standard inpatient and outpatient.  

IOP 

IOP stands for intensive outpatient program, and like its name suggests, it’s a type of outpatient rehab that is slightly less intensive than inpatient or PHP care but more engaging and structured than outpatient. Like a PHP, IOP is ideal for people battling addiction who don’t need full-time care, but you’ll receive the same degree of inpatient care while enjoying the benefit of going home at the end of the day — ideal if you have a substance use disorder that needs focused care but also need to balance work, school or family life. 

At our rehab locations, IOP will see you attending treatment several hours a day, multiple days a week. In IOP, group and individual therapy and educational workshops teach coping and relapse prevention skills that you can take home with you every day. 

Outpatient Programs

Lastly, standard outpatient drug rehab is a less intensive, yet still effective, level of care. With fewer weekly therapy sessions, treatment fits seamlessly into your own personal schedule. For some people whose addictions may be moderate and more manageable, outpatient may be their first and only step needed in a treatment program. For others, it’s the next transitional step after completing an inpatient, PHP, or IOP plan — having detoxed from substances and maintained their sobriety. 

Outpatient care usually involves several weeks or months of routine counseling sessions, either one-on-one or group (or both), as you arrive at and return home from therapy each day to give you the full independence in your recovery you deserve.