Choosing Between Inpatient Rehab and Outpatient Treatment: Which is Best for Me?

Drug treatment programs run the gamut in terms of different types and services offered; however, most all of them can be categorized as either inpatient or outpatient environments. From there, the program types break down into variations of these two categories.

Inpatient rehab and outpatient treatment are structured differently, with inpatient rehab being highly structured and outpatient programs allowing for considerable freedom and flexibility. In effect, the structure component plays a big part in determining which type of program will work best for you.

Matching Treatment Needs with Treatment Setting

Consider whether you require a controlled environment in order to avoid relapse.

Addiction recovery entails a process of healing and growth that often takes place within a series of treatment settings. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, people entering addiction treatment start with the most restrictive or structured setting, such as detox treatment or inpatient rehab and progress onto less structured settings, such as outpatient treatment.

The need for structure during the early stages of treatment has to do with the degree in which addiction’s effects prevent a person from following through on treatment objectives. The need for a structured treatment environment can also become an issue in cases where addiction’s effects have caused considerable impairment in a person’s day-to-day life.

If you’re considering treatment and you’re not sure if your insurance will cover your treatment costs, call our helpline at 800-430-1407Who Answers? for more information.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Inpatient Rehab and Outpatient Treatment

Severity of Addiction

Addictive drugs have cumulative effects, wearing down the brain’s functional capacity as well as the body’s overall health. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the severity of your addiction has a considerable bearing on the level of care that will best address your needs.

The longer a person abuses drugs, the greater the damage done. In this respect, someone who’s at the early stages of drug abuse may only require outpatient treatment, whereas someone who has a long history of drug abuse may well require inpatient rehab care.

8 Reasons Inpatient Drug Rehab Programs Are More Effective Than Outpatient Programs

Physical and/or Psychological Impairments

The damaging effects of addiction can extend well past the addiction itself, causing serious medical and/or psychological conditions to develop along the way. The presence of these conditions only makes the addiction worse by aggravating drug-using behaviors.

If you’re struggling with a depression disorder or diabetes on top of an addiction problem, inpatient rehab provides medical and psychological treatment as part of their treatment approach, whereas outpatient programs tend to focus solely on treating the addiction problem.

Past Drug Treatment Outcomes

It’s not uncommon for a person to go through multiple rounds of treatment before making any real progress in recovery. This is especially the case for people with extensive drug abuse histories.

When past drug treatment attempts don’t work, this may be an indication that a more intensive or structured level of care is needed. Inpatient drug rehab can be of benefit for someone who’s had little to no success with drug treatment in the past.

Overall, the degree of damage addiction has caused in your day-to-day life can be a guideline for choosing between inpatient rehab and outpatient treatment.

If you or someone you know are struggling with drug addiction and need help finding a program that meets your needs, please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 800-430-1407Who Answers? to speak with one of our addiction specialists.