Leading New Jersey drug and alcohol addiction treatment center, Summit Behavioral Health offers both outpatient and inpatient treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Here, they discuss the advantages and drawbacks of outpatient drug rehab so that those who are struggling with drug abuse or addiction can decide if outpatient is the right approach for their treatment.
People who decide to seek treatment for addiction are making one of the most important decisions of their lives. It’s a life-changing, possibly lifesaving, choice to get healthy and live a better life. The next decision they have to make is which kind of treatment to choose. Inpatient or residential, treatment is one option, and outpatient drug rehab is another. The following are the pros and cons of outpatient treatment, to help you decide if it is right for you.
What is Outpatient Drug Rehab?
Outpatient drug rehab, commonly called Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), offers recovery education, therapy, and relapse prevention on an outpatient basis. The program typically meets several times a week for several hours.
Pros of Outpatient Drug Rehab
Lower cost. Outpatient programs are less expensive than inpatient ones, and some of it is usually covered by insurance.
You don’t have to be away from home. However, this can be a disadvantage as well, because it doesn’t remove you from the environment in which you engaged in drug use. But, if you have a strong support system among your family and friends, it can be an advantage to do outpatient treatment.
You can still work or go to school. Many outpatient rehab schedules can accommodate you staying at work or school. This can also be good or bad depending on the stress level at those places. Financially it may be important to continue earning a paycheck while receiving treatment, but it may not be in the best interest of your recovery if you have a high stress job or school environment.
You’ll receive therapy and education. Much of the therapy and education in outpatient drug rehab is the same that you receive inpatient – just on a smaller scale. You learn about self-awareness, addiction, coping and life skills, and relapse prevention.
Cons of Outpatient Drug Rehab
You’re not in a drug-free environment. Outpatient treatment doesn’t offer the safety of not having drugs around. Once you leave a meeting, you may be back in the same places you were during active addiction. You are also likely to be around the same people, places, or things that triggered your using. Those things can be difficult to navigate in early sobriety.
Too many distractions. The challenges of daily life can make it easy to lose focus on recovery. It’s difficult to put your recovery first when you have a family, job, and bills. Outpatient treatment is definitely a step in the right direction, but it can be hard to find the balance between recovery and the rest of life.
Is Outpatient Drug Rehab Right for You?
Choosing which type of treatment to seek is an important decision. If you have done outpatient rehab before and relapsed, inpatient treatment may be more helpful. If you have a job that will not allow a leave of absence, then outpatient might be right for you. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons and talk with the supportive people in your life to make the right choice for your needs.
About Summit Behavioral Health
Summit Behavioral Health treats patients in both inpatient and outpatient programs. If you are not sure which one is right for you, please contact one of our addiction specialists for help deciding.
FOR DRUG & ALCOHOL DETOX & PERSONALIZED 12 STEP PROGRAM ADDICTION TREATMENT
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Serenity at Summit - New Jersey Addiction Treatment Centers - 609-422-5788 (Union, NJ)
40 Minutes from New York City
Serenity at Summit - New England, Addiction Treatment Centers
978-574-5999 (Haverhill, MA)
45 Minutes from Boston, Massachusetts
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