If you’re struggling with substance abuse or addiction, what should you do next? You may have been trying different ways to quit drugs or alcohol on your own, and nothing’s working. Maybe you’ve realized that you need help to finally achieve sobriety. But if you’re considering professional treatment, which kind should you choose? After all, there are multiple options out there, such as inpatient or outpatient treatment, individual counseling, medical treatment, and more. For some, outpatient substance abuse treatment is just what they need to overcome their addiction.
Outpatient vs Inpatient Rehab: What’s the Difference?
As you’re doing your research, you may have come across inpatient addiction treatment center options, as well as outpatient addiction treatment center options. So what’s the difference between the two?
Inpatient treatment, for starters, is also known as residential treatment. At a residential treatment center, you live in a full-time residential environment alongside support staff. The goal during substance abuse inpatient treatment is to prepare you for a substance-free, independent life by addressing both your addiction and its root causes, according to EBSCO. This is often done in a community-focused way that emphasizes personal responsibility and behavioral change. And because you’re living onsite at the treatment facility, inpatient treatment programs are more structured and involved. Residential rehab may take longer in duration, ranging from 90 days to six months.
On the other hand, what is outpatient treatment? Outpatient treatment has similar goals to substance abuse inpatient treatment in that it’s focused on helping you overcome your addiction and achieve long-term sobriety. However, outpatient rehab is different from inpatient in that you aren’t staying overnight at the treatment center. Instead, you live at home and can even work while participating in outpatient treatment for alcoholism or drug addiction. Because of this, outpatient treatment is designed to help you build the skills you need to overcome problems you may face in recovery in the “real world,” shares Kaiser Permanente. That also means your outpatient program may only require a few hours of your time a week, meeting during the day, in the evenings, or on weekends. Because it’s more spread out, outpatient addiction treatment may last six months to a year or more.
The Levels of Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Available
Partnering in an outpatient treatment center for addiction recovery may be the right choice for you. But even within outpatient rehab there are different levels of care involved. Each requires a different kind of focus and goal, meant to take you from struggling with addiction to thriving in recovery. It’s a process, as overcoming addiction isn’t something you can do overnight. It takes time, even in an assisted outpatient treatment program. With that said, the various levels of outpatient addiction treatment may include:
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Often the next step after residential treatment or the first step in addiction rehab for some, a partial hospitalization program (PHP) is the most intensive level of outpatient treatment. It’s a good option if you need a high level of support and care, but don’t require 24-hour supervision. You essentially have one foot in addiction treatment and one foot in regular life as you spend several hours in treatment each week. Yet you’re able to return home at night or stay temporarily in sober living accommodations during the PHP stage.
During PHP, you’re involved in treatment five days a week and six hours each day. As a result, PHP provides comprehensive care in a highly structured environment, similar to what you may experience in inpatient rehab. This allows you to build a solid foundation for recovery so you can progress into the next phases of outpatient treatment (which are less restrictive). Each day in PHP is filled with both group therapy and individual therapy sessions. Some of the therapies utilized in a partial hospitalization program may include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
- Psychodrama
- Medication-assisted treatment
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is often the next step after a partial hospitalization program (PHP). Less involved than PHP, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) may only require a few hours a day for a few days a week. Our IOP at Defining Wellness Centers is on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 6 to 9 pm, for example. This gives you the flexibility needed to go to work or school, as well as maintain family obligations. You also have extra time to attend outside support groups or seek individual counseling, in addition to IOP.
Our IOP at Defining Wellness Centers lasts 10 weeks. Often taking place during the early stages of your recovery journey, our IOP heavily emphasizes relapse prevention, helping you to identify potential addiction triggers and learn to navigate them in a healthy way when they happen. It’s often in returning to the rhythms of your daily life that you’re most vulnerable, and IOP can help you stay the course with your recovery goals.
Outpatient Treatment (OP)
After completing an intensive outpatient program (IOP), you likely will step down to a traditional outpatient treatment program (OP). In many ways it’s a continuation of IOP, as you may keep working with your primary therapist. At Defining Wellness Centers, our traditional outpatient treatment program consists of two 90-minute group therapy sessions and one individual therapy session per week.
In a traditional outpatient treatment program, the goal is maintaining your sobriety long-term. As such, OP is tailored to your specific situation and unique wellness journey. You may focus on developing healthy coping mechanisms, for example, as well as processing past trauma, or learning how to handle a life transition without substances.
Because it’s often personalized to the client, how long is outpatient rehab, typically? The answer varies, as some may spend just a few weeks in traditional OP, while others may choose to continue in the program for months at a time.
Aftercare
Eventually, the primary levels of rehab end. When they do, your outpatient journey can still continue on in the form of aftercare programming. After all, maintaining long-term recovery is a lifelong endeavor. With an aftercare program, you develop an aftercare plan, which is like a roadmap of sorts for you to continue following your recovery plan back at home.
Aftercare at an addiction treatment center also means continued therapy that you can utilize once you’ve completed initial treatment. We offer ongoing aftercare therapy sessions for clients at Defining Wellness Centers, for example. In addition, we provide an alumni program to give you access to helpful resources post-treatment, as well as a recovery community for ongoing support.
Benefits of Outpatient Addiction Treatment
In exploring outpatient vs inpatient rehab, outpatient treatment can provide some key advantages you won’t find in residential care. That’s why some people may choose to start with outpatient rehab first, instead of inpatient treatment programs. Some of the benefits of outpatient treatment include:
- Convenience: With outpatient rehab, you can get treatment locally without having to travel and spend significant time away at a residential treatment center.
- Flexibility: Participating in an outpatient program allows you to keep up with work, school, and personal responsibilities while getting treatment. You can also stay connected to your family and support network, too.
- Cost: Compared to substance abuse inpatient treatment, an outpatient rehab is a more affordable addiction treatment
- Privacy: Because you can return home after treatment each day, outpatient treatment can better alleviate privacy concerns compared to residential treatment.
Is Outpatient Treatment Right for You?
As you’re reviewing the benefits of an outpatient addiction treatment program, you may be inclined to pursue it if you’re struggling with substance abuse. However, it’s not always the best first step for everyone. So how can you determine whether outpatient treatment is right for you? Here are a few signs that may indicate outpatient rehab can work well for your situation:
- You have a limited budget and need affordable addiction treatment.
- You desire to be close to friends and family.
- Your home environment allows you to stay away from substances.
- You’re unable to take a leave of absence from work or school.
- Your struggles with substance abuse are less severe.
- You already have a strong support network.
SOURCE: Kaiser Permanente
It’s best to talk to a medical professional or admissions team before determining whether outpatient vs inpatient rehab is right for you. For some, residential addiction treatment may be the best course of action, in spite of outpatient rehab’s benefits. In fact, a substance abuse inpatient treatment program may be the right choice for you if:
- Your addiction requires a medical detox as a first step.
- You’re having trouble managing daily life and responsibilities.
- You have co-occurring mental health disorders like depression or PTSD.
- You don’t live near an outpatient treatment center.
- Your situation at home makes you vulnerable to relapse.
- You already tried outpatient treatment, and it didn’t work.
SOURCE: Kaiser Permanente
Achieve Lasting Sobriety at Defining Wellness Centers
Getting professional help is always the right choice if you’re struggling with addiction. At Defining Wellness Centers in Mississippi, we can help you achieve lasting sobriety whether you’re the right fit for inpatient rehab or outpatient rehab. From residential treatment to PHP, IOP, aftercare, dual diagnosis treatment, and more, we provide a full continuum of care to help you break free from addiction’s stronghold in your life. To learn more, call us today.
