7 Amazing Benefits of Outpatient Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment

Outpatient drug rehab has significant benefits both for people who have completed a residential alcohol or drug program or those who require a more flexible delivery of care. Ultimately, outpatient treatment serves as a crutch to people who are living at home and coping with life without drugs or alcohol so that they are supported in their sobriety.

Outpatient Drug Rehab

Continuum of Care

When someone has attended a program at a specialist addiction treatment center, they will have had a personalized treatment plan devised for them. Towards the end of the program, patients and therapists know which treatments are the most effective for each patient and these are the elements that will be continued in outpatient drug rehab.

Ensuring there is no gap in the delivery of addiction treatment is important, particularly if someone is transitioning from rehab into their daily lives. Outpatient drug rehab programs are personalized in exactly the same way as residential treatment although the sessions are arranged at the patient’s convenience to allow them greater flexibility.

Outpatient Drug Rehab Creates a Sober Community

When someone attends residential drug and alcohol treatment, they are surrounded by professional therapists, practitioners, and others receiving care. A completely sober environment is essential when someone is going through detox and rehab and this can be continued after treatment in outpatient aftercare.

Research shows that patients are more likely to sustain a recovery if they feel supported by others who understand them. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a wide network of family and friends and so outpatient treatment can be invaluable in providing support where there would otherwise be none offered.

Patients Discover Diverse Interests and Pursuits

Comprehensive outpatient drug rehab allows patients to access a wide variety of activities they can pursue to keep them sober including holistic practices such as:

  • Meditation
  • Adventure therapy
  • Music and art therapy
  • Physical fitness and exercise
  • Yoga
  • Massage therapy

Provides Access to Individual and Family Therapy

Drug addiction and alcoholism can have a devastating effect on individuals and also their families and loved ones. This is the main reason family counseling is offered in outpatient drug rehab centers so that a third party can mediate to heal family wounds caused by addiction. When families and loved ones are involved in a person’s recovery journey, they are much more likely to feel supported, increasing their chances of positive outcomes.

outpatient drug rehab center

Keeps Patients Accountable

When someone has struggled with drug addiction or alcoholism, they are no longer accountable for their actions. This is because they are no longer in control of their behavior including their desire to abuse substances. They will become totally preoccupied with uncontrollable cravings for drugs or alcohol to such an extent that they may resort to illegal activity to seek them out.

Addicts can also indulge in risky behaviors such as sexual encounters or driving under the influence, which can have tragic results. Learning how to become accountable for the negative behavior is an important element of rehab and outpatient alcohol treatment reinforces this when someone has completed a addiction treatment program. Because outpatient alcohol treatment ensures patients are in constant touch with therapists and physicians to record their progress in recovery, it means they are forced to account for their actions between sessions.

Allows for Slow Reintegration

The period when a patient leaves rehab and returns home is a vulnerable time. They are essentially leaving a sober environment to return to the place they associate with abusing drugs or alcohol. This can be daunting as they may face situations and circumstances that have the potential to cause them to relapse.

Outpatient drug rehab is extremely effective in providing the extra support needed to meet the challenges of life after rehab. It is particularly beneficial in that patients are able to call for support at the precise moment they need it so that they are less likely to slip back into negative behaviors when faced with stress. The transition from rehab to recovery takes as long as each individual requires which is why an outpatient program continues until the patient no longer needs extra help.

Patients Can Continue To Meet Obligations

Attending a residential program is not an option for some people with substance use disorder. Some may have high-powered jobs or be business owners who have people relying on them to get paid. Others may be in a care giving role or have young children meaning that they are not able to take the time out to attend a residential program.

In these cases, outpatient alcohol rehab is highly effective as it offers the same treatments and therapies as residential rehab but without the time commitment. Outpatient drug rehab center appointments can be made at the discretion of the individual so that they can fit their treatment around their responsibilities. If someone is reluctant to have others know they are being treated for drug or alcohol abuse, outpatient services offer them the discretion they need.