For those millions of American who suffer from only a milder form of drug abuse and who are seriously committed to getting completely clean, there is the excellent choice of outpatient rehab programs and facilities. These programs provide the flexibility for recovering addicts to continue going to school, working, and taking care of their family at the same time rather than putting their entire lives on hold.
Americans who are addicted to more serious drugs like oxycodone and heroine will need to go for full-scale treatment at a quality and result-getting residential inpatient program. This will allow doctors and caregivers to provide crucially needed detoxification help and the serious aid to treat the severe withdrawal symptoms. Yet those drug abuse scenarios where the addiction is more mild (especially if they are addressed in the early days of the addiction) may be treated quite successfully using an outpatient program.
Details of the Outpatient Programs
It is a great benefit to such outpatient programs for drugs and alcohol that these sessions may be arranged at times which are convenient for the addict during the regular work week. Such a schedule allows for these patients to maintain their regular lifestyle of responsibilities. They can live with their family at home and go to work, but they will still have to attend the various agreed upon sessions at the scheduled times for their medication administration and counselling sessions.
In truth, these outpatient programs are offered in a wide range of intensity levels, formats, and service levels. The overarching concentration remains on education, counseling, and delivering an effective and meaningful support network of peers and caregivers. Those addicts who possess a potent wish to succeed with their recovery and who remain committed to a disciplined, guided approach can reap the advantages of such an outpatient treatment plan.
Kinds of Outpatient Rehab Programs
It makes sense that a variety of outpatient rehab programs exist. These can vary according to the type of substances which the person is addicted to, the addiction severity, and the recovery stage in which the individual is at personally.
In general though, Outpatient Rehab for Substance Abuse can be classified according to one of three categories we look at in greater detail below.
Day Programs
The first of these outpatient rehab centers are day programs. They provide the most structured and intense care level and support offered to those addicts who are only involved in the outpatient treatment programs.
In these types of facilities, the patients pledge to meet at the facility for several hours per day for from five to seven days each week. In such a setting, the recovering addicts avail themselves of continuing therapy, biofeedback, group sessions of counselling, and similar types of therapies like music or art therapy.
At the conclusion of every session, the patients go back to their homes and families or to the sober living home where they stay (like a Halfway House). Such day programs involve a serious amount of time which addicts must commit. These are so significant that the recovering addict will often find his or her schedule squeezed to the point that school and work schedules can not be successfully maintained until the program is concluded.
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
An intensive outpatient program puts together an effective plan of treatment that includes quantifiable and well-defined milestones that delineate recovery progress. Once such milestones are attained, the amount of time the recovering addict must commit every week becomes reduced gradually.
For people who are truly serious about avoiding drugs (and alcohol), this IOP proves to be a viable and practical choice. It allows them to keep up their day to day responsibilities while still going to work as well. These programs could demand a number of sessions per week (at a few hours per session) in order to engage in counselling sessions, relapse prevention programs, group therapy, and attendance of a 12 step support recovery group.
Continuing Care
The third program for outpatient recovery is the Continuing Care Groups. Among these are Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. Such continuing support resource groups assist addicts in maintaining their ongoing commitment to being drug free or sober.
A licensed therapist will be the one who facilitates such groups that meet every week. There are continuous care support groups that offer age-particular or gender-particular participation to these members only, as well as other ones that concentrate their endeavors on a certain stage of recovery.
