Drug Rehab: Outpatient vs. Inpatient - What's
The Difference?
CalRehabGuide Staff
When an addict finally decides to seek out the help they so
desperately need, they will have two primary types of addiction
treatment programs to choose from: inpatient and outpatient.
Understanding the differences and similarities of these two
programs will help make it easier for the addict and their
loved ones to identify which is best for their individual
needs.
Similarities Between Inpatient and Outpatient Addiction
Treatment Programs
Inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs have many
characteristics in common. For instance, both types of programs
generally utilize individual and group therapy. Because
addiction has an effect on the entire family, most provide
couples and family therapy. Inpatient and outpatient programs
also educate the addict and the family about the nature of
addiction while guiding the addict through goal setting and
monitoring of those goals.
Differences Between Inpatient and Outpatient Addiction
Treatment Programs
The most obvious difference between an inpatient and outpatient
addiction treatment program is the location of the patient
during treatment. As the name implies, those who receive help
through an inpatient treatment program remain at a treatment
facility 24 hours per day. The exact number of days the patient
remains at the inpatient treatment facility depends on the
policies of the rehab center and the individual needs of the
patient. In general, these programs last three to six weeks.
After the intensive inpatient treatment is complete, it is
generally suggested that the patient receive extensive
outpatient treatment.
An outpatient program, on the other hand, allows the patient to
remain at home while undergoing treatment. This makes it
possible for the addict to continue working and to be with his
family while undergoing care. In an outpatient program, the
patient attends treatment during the day. As with inpatient
treatment, the number of days the addict attends treatment per
week and the length of the program depends on the rehab center
policies and the individual needs of the addict. 85% of people
participating in an addiction recovery program opt for
outpatient treatment.
Another option some addicts choose to follow is partial
hospitalization. With this type of treatment, the patient
remains home at night, but attends treatment more frequently
than a person undergoing standard outpatient treatment.
Generally, a person in a partial hospitalization program
attends the program three to seven days per week for three to
twelve hours per day.
Advantages of Outpatient Treatment
When it comes to choosing the right addiction recovery program,
there are many factors to consider. For example, an outpatient
treatment program may be best for a person that:
* Needs to continue working every day while undergoing
treatment
* Cannot afford to pay for inpatient treatment, which tends to
be quite costly
* Needs to remain near to family
* Has a supportive household that will ensure he attends
treatment programs and carries through with program goals while
at home
It is important to note that a person utilizing outpatient
treatment needs to be able to deal with the real world while
recovering from addiction. For some, this is too much to bear,
while for others the daily tests they encounter can help to
strengthen their commitment and their methods of coping with
addiction.
A partial hospitalization program has many of the same
advantages of an outpatient addiction treatment program. It
does, however, provide more structure and more intensive
programming than outpatient treatment. Partial hospitalization
is usually more costly than outpatient treatment, but less
costly than inpatient.
Advantages of Inpatient Treatment
There are many reasons to consider inpatient addiction
treatment rather than outpatient. These reasons include:
* The addict has already undergone outpatient or partial
hospitalization treatment and it was unsuccessful
* The addict has other medical problems, such as digestive
problems, liver problems, infections, heart problems, anxiety,
or intense depression that requires a greater amount of
attention
* The addict lives too far away from the drug rehab center to
make outpatient treatment feasible
* The home situation of the addict is chaotic and unable to
provide the support necessary
Despite its advantages, inpatient treatment can be difficult to
undertake. Perhaps the hardest aspect is the difficulty patients
have reconnecting with their community, family, and friends
after being away for a period of time. It can also be difficult
to provide after care services to a patient that lives far away
from the treatment facility.
About The Author: The California Rehab Guide,
http://www.calrehabguide.com/
is a comprehensive list of drug
rehab and alcohol rehab facilities, a rolodex of Lawyers and
Interventionist, a dictionary of drug, alcohol and rehab
definitions with articles on addiction recovery and addiction
treatment.
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