Outpatient rehab can be just as effective as inpatient rehab if the patient is willing to put in the work it takes for the program provided.
What is Outpatient Rehab?
Outpatient rehab involves daily treatment, such as therapy, counseling, or group sessions, at a clinic or facility. People who choose outpatient treatment can continue to live at home as they recover. This allows them to take care of children or family members, keep up with their jobs, and stay on track in school. Outpatient care typically costs less than inpatient rehab, but the level of support may be less intensive.
How Effective is Outpatient Rehab-The Success Rates
Every year in the United States, drug overdoses cause tens of thousands of deaths (nearly 92,000 in 2020). Specifically, synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) contributed to the death of more than 56,000 Americans, while an estimated 95,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually.
When caught in the grip of alcohol or drug addiction, people struggling with this chronic disease may consider obtaining inpatient or outpatient treatment. Choosing the right level of care for your drug and alcohol treatment is an important decision and one that can be extremely difficult to make. Both types of treatment have their benefits.
Here’s something to consider when deciding on the type of treatment they want —in a survey of 164 patients with opioid addiction (80% who had been in detox before), 27% said they relapsed the day they were discharged from their brief detoxification program and 65% relapsed within 30 days.
This is one reason why it is strongly encouraged that whatever type of treatment a person chooses, they stay in treatment for a minimum of 90 days. That doesn’t mean 90 days in inpatient treatment, but ideally about 30 days in inpatient detox and treatment followed by some form of outpatient treatment.
How Does Outpatient Treatment Work?
Outpatient treatment consists of scheduled visits that the patient will make to the treatment center each week. During these visits, the patient will participate in similar treatment to inpatient options, such as therapy, counseling, group activities, educational programming, and more. The number of visits and their duration is often a critical part of the outpatient program and are decided on by the patient and their healthcare and addiction team.
Features of Outpatient Rehab
The features of outpatient rehab include:
- Scheduling flexibility
- Being able to sleep at home, even when in a day program
- Minimal disruption to your daily life
- The ability to get treatment without taking months away from work and daily life
- Easier to maintain treatment confidentiality
Questions to Ask Yourself When Deciding on Outpatient Treatment
There are a few questions you may want to consider asking yourself before entering into an outpatient treatment program. These questions can have a significant effect on your overall recovery process. They may also help in your everyday life relapse prevention abilities. Below are some of the biggest questions to consider beforehand.
Have You Completed Inpatient?
Outpatient treatment can only be ideal in the ideal circumstances, and in most cases, those circumstances involve the individual who has gone through an inpatient program.
If So, Outpatient is a Great Step Down
If you have already done an inpatient program and are looking for an ideal step down then the efficacy of outpatient rehab is going to be a perfect option for you. Not only have you already tackled the challenge of detox and acute withdrawals, but you’ve completed an inpatient program and demonstrated your commitment to recovery. This means you may be ready to start building an outpatient treatment program.
Initially, you may want to start with a more intensive outpatient program. Intensive outpatient programs will generally involve more visits to the treatment center each week, and each visit will be longer in duration. The longer time frame allows the patient to continue receiving individual and group counseling, psychotherapy, behavioral therapies, and general addiction education. It also allows for some time in their daily lives to begin learning how to integrate the new skills into potentially triggering situations.
If Not, Contemplate an Inpatient Program Before Outpatient
The success of an outpatient treatment program is highly dependent on the patient’s initial completion of a detox or short-term inpatient treatment program. Being able to apply the techniques and coping skills learned in rehab is only as effective as the patient’s ability to resist using. If you haven’t been through a detox program, there is little chance of you being able to focus on recovery while dealing with acute withdrawal symptoms.
Can You Maintain Recovery While Away From Treatment?
Maintaining recovery while away from treatment is one of the foundations of outpatient treatment. It helps the patient transition from a highly-managed residential setting back to their independent living or sober living facility arrangements. If you don’t feel that you’re ready to actively maintain your recovery during the times you aren’t at the recovery center, you may need a more intensive program before outpatient or inpatient options will be right for you.
Are You Committed to Your Sobriety?
Another primary component to being able to successfully leverage outpatient treatment is if you are actively committed to recovering from your alcohol addiction or substance use disorder. When you partner with a treatment center like Agape, you will have the resources you need to succeed. From the help of medical professionals to the latest evidence-based approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy, you just have to be ready to fully commit to your recovery.
The Advantages of Outpatient Care
There are tons of benefits to outpatient care and outpatient treatment programs, but we’re only going to go into a few here. Below are some of the most common advantages that you might notice of outpatient programs over inpatient programs.
Flexible Schedule
Inpatient programs are completely planned, scheduled, and regimented. Outpatient programs, however, allow the patient to live a more conventional life, even including holding a job, while still receiving active treatment for their addiction. The appointments can be scheduled whenever is most convenient for you.
Able to Sleep at Home
There’s nothing like sleeping in your bed, and outpatient treatment allows patients to do just that. Each day you’ll be able to sleep in your bed at your own home, and the independence of that can be incredibly empowering, making holding on to recovery easier.
Less Time Away From Family, and Daily Responsibilities
Sometimes, you just can’t put your entire life on hold for 3 months while you undergo inpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment allows patients to continue going to school, seeing their children, and participating in life.
Outpatient Treatment at Agape Treatment Center
Outpatient treatment programs can be the best way to integrate recovery with daily life, but they often require that the patient has recently completed an inpatient program. To start, or continue your recovery journey you can reach out to the team at Agape. No matter what stage of your recovery journey you’re at, you can experience the lap of luxury and comfort at Agape Treatment Center.
Stephanie Robilio is an accomplished Clinical Director at Agape Behavioral Healthcare. With a Master of Social Work degree, LCSW license, and extensive training in Rapid Resolution Therapy under her belt, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Her unique combination of education and experience allows her to provide exceptional care to clients and lead her team with confidence. Stephanie’s joy comes from witnessing the moments when her patients creatively connect the dots and bravely move toward reclaiming their power. Her purpose is to help individuals understand their past so they can create a future full of hope, growth, and success. Stephanie attributes a large portion of her success to the supportive culture and strong sense of community fostered by the Agape team.
