Outpatient or Inpatient Drug Rehab? Exploring the Options

Making the decision to stop using drugs is the first step toward recovery, But the second step – getting the right treatment – can be more complicated.  The long list of treatment options including outpatient rehab, inpatient treatment, or a combination of both can make it difficult to choose the best option for your circumstances and your budget.

Outpatient Rehab: A Range of Choices

Outpatient rehab programs offer a range of addiction treatment services, including detox, intensive interventions, long term support and even medication to help people stop using drugs, cope with withdrawal and work toward long term recovery.

In outpatient treatment, people with addictions conduct daily life as usual, but meet with counselors, therapists and support groups on a regular basis. If they use medications such as methadone to help with their recovery, they meet with health care professionals who monitor these medications too.

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Even detox, the process of clearing the body of addictive substances, can be conducted on an outpatient basis under careful medical supervision. Outpatient rehab programs can also serve people who have completed detox in a dedicated detox facility, which provides support during withdrawal. Those who have completed an inpatient program may also continue their recovery in a long-term outpatient program.

In whatever form they take, outpatient programs share some important characteristics.  Participants are able to keep daily routines, jobs and community connections – an important issue for psychological well-being.  Outpatient services can work with individual schedules and circumstances and make it possible for participants to keep up with the program for the long term.

Outpatient programs can be less costly than inpatient rehab, too. Although some programs offer an intensive version of outpatient treatment that is similar in some ways to inpatient rehab, most participants in outpatient rehab can expect to be receiving services for months or even years.

In the US, coverage for mental health and substance abuse issues is mandated, but insurers can determine how much to cover – and some plans may cover a larger part of outpatient rehab services than inpatient treatment.

Inpatient Drug  Rehab: Comprehensive Support

Inpatient, or residential substance abuse treatment, offers a total package of treatment and support for recovering from addiction. During stays that can range from less than one month to 90 days or more, participants can focus entirely on recovery in an environment free of the stresses and distractions of daily life.

Inpatient programs concentrate in one place all the services and support needed to begin recovery from substance abuse. Although participants can enter inpatient programs after completing withdrawal in a dedicated detox facility, many residential programs include detox in the package, with medical supervision and intensive interventions if necessary.

Although outpatient programs typically have crisis staff on-call around the clock for emergency situations, inpatient rehab programs have trained addiction specialists and support staff on-site at all times.

Inpatient treatment can cost more than outpatient services, but insurance typically covers at least part of the program. Some facilities also offer payment plans and sliding fee scales, too.

Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment – Contributors to Recovery from Drug Addiction

The Bottom Line: Best Outcomes for Recovery

In study after study, addiction researchers have compared the effectiveness of various modalities for treating substance abuse.

When compared on a service-by-service basis, inpatient drug rehab programs consistently show higher rates of long-term recovery than their outpatient counterparts.

People who complete at least a month in a residential program are less likely to relapse in the crucial first 3 to 6 months after completing the program, and they appear to be less likely to experience addiction related problems such as arrests, accidents, or illegal activity. What’s more, those in inpatient rehab are far more likely to complete treatment than participants in outpatient programs.

Outpatient or Inpatient? Choosing the right rehab depends on many factors.  But if you’d like help exploring the options, we’re only a phone call away. Contact us at 800-430-1407Who Answers? to find the rehab solution that’s right for you.