Outpatient vs Inpatient Rehab: Understanding the Differences

 

Addiction can be a powerful pressure against you. It controls your life and damages your relationships. There are roads to recovery, but not all of them are equal.

Rehabilitation takes many forms, the biggest ones are inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment. Outpatient vs inpatient comes down to your needs, preferences, and the kind of support you desire.

How do you choose? What support do you need? We’ll help you or your loved ones down the path of recovery, starting with your first major choice.

Outpatient vs Inpatient

Seeking help is your first major choice in treating addiction. It can be a monumental task to even attempt to ask for aid, so finding the perfect kind of treatment for you is your next major choice.

While there are many types of rehabilitation, the main choice will be between outpatient rehab and inpatient rehab.

Choosing between outpatient care and inpatient care has a focus on the spectrum of less freedom, but more support or more freedom but less support. That is a very basic breakdown, so let’s dive deeper.

The Pros of Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment allows you to live at home during your rehab. This gives you a massive amount of freedom and control over how your treatment goes. You can schedule whatever time and effort needed for the process.

Outpatient care also costs less, due to not taking up space and resources at a specific facility. Outside of therapy and treatment visits, you live on your usual dime.

The Cons of Outpatient Treatment

The biggest drawback of outpatient treatment is your exposure to potential relapse. With outpatient treatment, you are not in the controlled space of the rehab center, leaving you to resist using again on your own.

Not all outpatient treatment programs have everything you may need. As well, you are responsible for going to your treatments.

The Pros of Inpatient Treatment

Inpatient treatments provide 24/7 support, allowing you to always be in a safe and protective environment during treatment. You are never without care and treatment.

Inpatient treatment plans will often fit your schedule and are build by the doctors to suit your needs. They can be long term or short term.

The Cons of Inpatient Treatment

The issues of inpatient treatment are often isolation and cost. You are staying in a medical facility for days or even weeks. This can lead to strain on your old social contacts as well as the medical bills from the inpatient service.

Inpatient treatment is also intense as it requires your attention at all times and may be challenging for some. Some may also find the structure of it all to be distracting or even detrimental, despite its importance to the treatment.

Weighing Your Options

Weighing your options between outpatient vs inpatient care comes down to what your needs are. Not everyone goes through their addiction the same and not everyone needs the same kind of help.

Personalizing the services you seek with your needs is what we do best. We analyze and bring you the business services that can help you. Check out our other articles for other items you need guidance in.