Last Updated on October 17, 2022 by
A Rehab center should be chosen based on the severity of the addiction and the type of substance involved. For some addictions (such as alcoholism or behavioral addiction), it is okay to go for Outpatient rehab while in a much severe addiction (such as drug abuse) it necessitates one going for an Inpatient rehab program.
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What Is Outpatient Rehab?
Outpatient rehab is a center that allows addicts to come in for their addiction treatment but allows them to perform other life’s responsibilities. As said earlier, outpatient rehab is best for mild to slight addiction. For addicts whose addiction to a substance has not reached the dependency stage but want to stop using such harmful substances, outpatient rehab is the best for them. Need prescription abuse help? Get here for prescription abuse help.
It allows them to have fixed days just for treatment and therapy and ensures they have ample time on their hand to engage in other activities such as providing for their family and work.
In outpatient rehab, addicts run the risk of relapses as the environment they inhabit might pose as a trigger. Thus resulting in substance usage over and over again. Though not fool-proof, unlike inpatient rehab, but it sure does work depending on the stages of addiction therein.
There are three types of Outpatient program, they are;
Standard Outpatient Program
This type of outpatient rehab offers lesser monitoring. It is a minor form of the outpatient program as access to therapist or support group meetings could be once or twice a week. It offers little to no medical supervision at all.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
This program avails patients to meet with their facilitator three to five times a week. Which may be a 2 – 3 hours timeframe per each meeting depending on the severity of the addiction. It is equipped with proper medical assistance, weekly patient evaluation, drug tests, individual and group therapy, or support group.
Partial Hospitalisation Program (PHP)
This program is kind of similar to Inpatient rehab but not as severe as the same (more like a Semi-Inpatient kind of program). Treatments occur in a hospital with on the ground medical care, supervised detoxification process, therapy (individual and family therapy). Depending on the gravity of the addiction, addicts are attended to all the days of the week which may require 5 – 8 hours of treatment every day.
Benefits of Outpatient Rehab
- Outpatient rehab avails the patient the ability to work and attend to other family responsibilities.
- Outpatient rehab is good for addicts whose level of addiction is still mild or moderate.
- Outpatient rehab is cost-effective as it cost lesser than Inpatient Rehab.
- It enables strong motivation from family and friends to encourage the addicts to take to treatment.
Disadvantages of Outpatient Rehab
- Addicts are prone to constant relapses. As they are in an uncontrolled environment.
- Addicts are at the whims of their triggers which may be surroundings or influence from their addicted friends.
- Addicts in this program are at risk of complicated withdrawal symptoms which may result in death or harming themselves.
- Outpatient rehab doesn’t have provisions for cases of concurrent mental illness. This may endanger the life of such an addict.
- There is no proper monitoring of their detoxification treatment.
- Outpatient rehab involves the use of longer time for treatment says three to six months, unlike Inpatient which guarantees successful treatment of addiction within five to seven weeks.
- There is a low success rate for the treatment of addiction, unlike inpatient rehab which ensures the avoidance of future lapses.
Conclusion
Whether it is Outpatient or Inpatient, what needs to be considered is the success rate of treatment. Though this is largely dependent on the severity of such addiction and the responsiveness of patients to treatment.
