Inpatient Drug Rehab Versus Outpatient Drug Rehab

Inpatient drug rehab is the most common type of treatment.

Choosing the best drug rehab for yourself or for someone you love can be challenging at best.  You’re already stressed out and you know how important it is to make the right decision, but what is that decision?  Is inpatient drug rehab the right choice or should you go with a less invasive and more affordable type of treatment such as outpatient rehab?  Each has advantages and disadvantages which may lead you to sway in one direction or another when making your decision.

Inpatient Drug Rehab

If you’re heavily addicted to drugs, suffer from withdrawal symptoms that are dangerous or potentially hazardous to your health or you have tried to quit using drugs in the past in outpatient rehab and relapsed, than inpatient drug rehab is likely the best choice for you.  This method of treatment will cost more but you’ll get what you pay for!  During inpatient drug rehab, you can expect to spend a period of 30 days or more in treatment and you will have very little leeway when it comes to spending time with others outside of treatment.

The primary benefit of inpatient rehab is the fact that you will be removed from the elements that you are accustomed to spending time in such as with friends or family members whom you may use drugs with.  You won’t have to focus on paying bills, going to work or school, caring for others or any outside of treatment tasks.  Your primary focus in an inpatient drug rehab center will be to get sober, stay sober and heal.  There are many benefits to shifting your focus onto yourself and your recovery including the ability to heal more quickly and more efficiently.

If your addiction is physical and you feel a range of adverse withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit, inpatient drug rehab can help tremendously.  Instead of facing the burden of withdrawal alone or without medical intervention, if you spend time in inpatient drug rehab you can be sure that you will receive proper medical treatment and care when you need it.  This will help to reduce withdrawal, prevent relapse and provide you with a stronger foundation for lifelong recovery.

Outpatient Drug Rehab

Outpatient drug rehab has benefits too!  While you won’t spend 30 days in a treatment facility and you won’t be removed from the elements of your normal routine which may leave you prone to relapse, you can receive effective counseling and therapy on an outpatient basis and it can help you to recover.  Outpatient drug rehab is ideal if you are not heavily dependent on drugs, you have not tried to quit before, you have not relapsed or if you have a significant level of support at home from friends and family members whom you do not use drugs or alcohol with.

Many outpatient drug rehab programs provide similar services to those offered in an inpatient rehab program.  They provide counseling and therapy, monitoring and support.  The primary difference between the two types of treatment is the level of monitoring and the housing that is provided in each.  Inpatient drug rehab provides consistent monitoring and housing while outpatient drug rehab does not provide any housing.  The patient will live at home and attend regularly scheduled treatment sessions at the outpatient facility.

If your addiction is mild, and you do not suffer from withdrawal symptoms when you make an attempt to remain abstinent from drug use, outpatient drug rehab can be very beneficial.  Parents who have children to care for can also benefit from the support and treatment offered at an outpatient facility.  Instead of being stuck in a residential setting where they cannot care for their kids while they are undergoing addiction treatment, parents can continue to maintain their priorities at work and at home while also receiving adequate treatment for their addiction to drugs.