If you or someone you love is struggling with a severe addiction to alcohol, heroin, oxycodone, or other substances, staying in an inpatient or residential treatment center will likely be the best idea. However, a less severe addiction may require lesser treatment options in some cases. You may be considering what type of program would be right for you. What is outpatient drug rehab and how long is it? If you’re wondering if outpatient rehab would be a good choice, we have your questions covered.
Understanding Outpatient Treatment Centers
Outpatient treatment centers work differently than inpatient or residential centers. If you have developed a very severe addiction that may cause intense withdrawal symptoms, outpatient may not be the best choice for you. You may need to stay in an inpatient center in order to be closely monitored by medical staff during the worst of your withdrawals. Many inpatient centers are held in hospitals and hospital-like settings and provide 24-hour monitoring services.
However, your addiction may have been caught in the very early stages, or you may not be able to commit to a 24-hour care center. If this is the case, an outpatient treatment center may very well be your best choice. These programs are more loosely structured while giving you the level of care you need to overcome your addiction.
One of the main perks of an outpatient rehab is the fact that it is NOT a 24-hour requirement. You will have the chance to pick the treatment plan that works best for you and your situation. If you cannot give up your everyday responsibilities, such as work or school, outpatient will be a better choice.
How Long is Outpatient Rehab?
How long you stay in outpatient rehab is usually a personal decision. If you have been court-ordered to attend an outpatient program, you will likely have a certain number of hours to fill, not days. For example, you may be ordered to attend 180-hours of outpatient services for a DUI. Of course, this will depend on multiple factors, such as the nature of your crime, what state you live in, if you have prior convictions, and so forth.
If you do not have a court-order for rehab, then you will be able to choose how long you attend. However, your therapist or doctor may advise you to go for a certain amount of time depending on the severity of your addiction and the number of times you have relapsed. Some people attend programs that last for just a couple of months while others will continue to show up at 12-step meetings for years.
How Outpatient Rehab is Structured
You will have the ability to choose from different treatment plans if you decide outpatient is the way to go. In most cases, outpatient care falls within these three categories: day programs, continuing care programs, and intensive outpatient programs. While some are way more intense and structured than others, each facility will have the same goal in mind- an intense focus on recovery, support, and counseling.
Day programs will give you the best level of care and structure when you need intense treatment. You’ll usually meet every day for a few hours per day. This allows you to sit in on group therapy sessions and have private therapy meetings with a licensed addiction specialist. The center may also offer different holistic activities that will help you in your recovery efforts, such as nutrition and exercise therapy. Day programs will work around your schedule as much as possible.
Intensive Outpatient Programs- These outpatient programs start out longer and harder but become less intense as the weeks go on. This type of program is perfect if you need to keep up with hours of responsibilities at home but still need proper treatment.
Continuing Care Programs- After you have been in an inpatient or outpatient program, you may only need continuing care to stay sober. These programs are often some sort of 12-step meetings such as AA or NA. Many are run out of outpatient centers, residential facilities, churches, and other organizations.
No matter what type of outpatient program you choose, you will be required to stay clean the entire time. In almost every case, you will have to submit to scheduled and random drug tests in order to stay in the program.
We’re Here to Help
If you need help finding an outpatient treatment center, we can help. We are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Call today at 833-846-5669 to learn more.