Cleveland News

Treatment for drug and alcohol addiction is usually conducted in one of two forms: inpatient or outpatient care. The primary difference between the two is the intensity of the treatment and whether a person is required to remain at their treatment facility for the entire time. They serve the same purpose in recovery, but that does not mean that they are interchangeable. For some, outpatient treatment may be a better choice than inpatient.

What Is Outpatient Treatment?

Outpatient treatment is a non-residential option where you or your loved one is able to return home every day after a treatment session(s). This means that you are not required to stay in a facility for a long period of time during your treatment. It’s a less intense option that allows you to focus on other things going on in your life in addition to your recovery. There are obligations that a person has that they may not be able to put on hold as they seek treatment, including responsibilities tied to family, work, and education. For those who have a less severe addiction—either in terms of the intensity of the addiction itself or its effects—this may also be a more appropriate option than inpatient care.

What Does It Involve?

An outpatient program is very similar to an inpatient program in regards to what it can feature. Different treatment features are usually spread out into a schedule that accommodates other obligations you have. In that regard, it’s a much more personalized form of treatment. Not everyone does well with or needs a strictly focused treatment regiment, and thus you or your loved one may find value in an outpatient format.

Detoxification Programs

Treatment programs, in general, tend to act as the follow-up to the detoxification process, and will often partner with those programs to reduce any strain it incurs. That partnership helps with the transition to treatment and allows any care that was started during detox to continue. With outpatient treatment, a detox program may be included in the different treatment offerings as part of outpatient care. Those who go with outpatient treatment tend to have a less intense addiction and associated symptoms, so their detox is usually shorter with less recovery time. Once the process is completed, they are then able to go home or directly into their outpatient schedule with relative ease.

Individual and Group Therapy

Therapeutic approaches are fairly standard in addiction treatment. They are intended to both determine the causes of a person’s addiction and address them in an effective manner. They can also be helpful to you or your loved one as you process the emotions that treatment and addiction bring up. Therapy can be done individually or in a group therapy drug rehab, both of which are helmed by a counselor or therapist trained on how to work addiction. In an outpatient program, these are often conducted at a treatment facility with some regularity (e.g. weekly, alternating days, etc.). These sessions can also be supplemented with support groups, either offered by the treatment center or through organizations like community centers or religious institutions.

Transitional Care

Due to their unique format, outpatient treatment programs are able to offer services related to the transition from treatment back into the world. Transitional care in addiction treatment could include things such as a sober living environment and usage of coping tactics. Even though you or your loved one would be going back and forth between the treatment center and their home life, this is only a partial transition into the real world that will be completed at the conclusion of treatment. This care and the resources it provides can help ease the rest of that transition when it comes.

After Care Programs

Addiction treatment doesn’t always end once you’ve left the treatment facility for the last time. Some elements of treatment can be continuous throughout a person’s recovery, which lasts for the rest of their life. An aftercare feature of an outpatient program could offer additional therapy and counseling services, or access to medical care for the treatment of any health issues caused by addiction.

Why Is It Important For Recovery?

Outpatient treatment is as equally important for recovery as inpatient treatment; that importance just manifests differently. The freedoms that outpatient treatment provides can act as an incentive; being able to go home, interact with loved ones, and have that connection with the outside world is a strong motivator for recovery. That freedom can also be a risk, as it is easier to be exposed to temptations that can trigger cravings and bring about a relapse. However that risk is to be expected once treatment ends, and group therapy drug rehab can be a means of easing that transitional shock and increasing the chances of a successful recovery.