An Intensive Outpatient Program or IOP offers a continuity of care that many drug addicts and alcoholics find beneficial. It keeps them connected to resources they had access to during the time they underwent inpatient treatment.
However, you might wonder if you really need IOP or if you are ready to go back into society to resume your day-to-day life. You could be convinced to transition to IOP care by learning about what advantages it can offer to patients like you.
Maintenance of Sobriety
The most important benefit it can offer to people in your situation is the opportunity to maintain your newfound sobriety. Once you are discharged from inpatient care, you may feel anxious or fearful about going back home to pick up your normal life. You worry that you could be tempted to drink or use drugs again.
By transitioning to IOP from inpatient treatment, you have the opportunity to maintain your sobriety. The counselors and therapist who work with you in IOP will teach you coping mechanisms to resist the urge to use again. Many IOP programs also teach cognitive or dialectical behavior therapies that allow you to avoid behaviors that once triggered your addictions.
Behavior Therapies
IOP programs today incorporate critical behavior therapies that help addicts avoid the temptation go use drugs or drink again. These behaviors are often referred to as skills. During the time they spend in IOP, patients learn about and practice these skills so they can use them effectively once they are discharged from the program.
These IOP skills include:
- Distraction or turning one’s attention away from the urge to abuse drugs or alcohol
- Mindfulness
- Radically accepting one’s current emotions and thoughts without acting on or judging them
- Coping ahead or planning ahead of time in order to avoid using drug or alcohol
Another component of IOP that many patients find helpful is meditation. During the time they are in IOP, patients learn how to meditate, which in turn rewires their brains and heals their minds.
They also learn how to use self-compassion mantras that are beneficial to their emotional and spiritual well-being. These lessons are critical in helping people avoid the temptation to lapse back into addiction.
IOP can benefit people who are coming out of inpatient care and want to maintain their sobriety. This program teaches addicts behaviors that help them cope with triggers that once led to drug or alcohol use. Find out more about IOP by calling 833-846-5669.