If you need help for a Substance Use Disorder, outpatient addiction treatment is an excellent choice to help you regain your sobriety, control over your own life, and your peace of mind, all while still living at home. Best of all, recent research has shown that evidence-based outpatient rehab is just as effective as a more-expensive residential program.
Outpatient Addiction Treatment Strategies
In fact, both inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs offer many of the same services:
- Drug screening
- Education about SUD
- Individual counseling
- Group Therapy
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
- Relapse prevention and response
- Stress reduction
- Trauma processing
- Dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring mental disorders — anxiety, depression, etc.
- Nutritional guidance
- Family services
- Holistic therapies — yoga, meditation, exercise, massage, etc.
The Advantages of Outpatient Addiction Treatment
But while the same services offered and the success rates are virtually equal, outpatient recovery programs do have several definite advantages over residential rehabs:
- Outpatient rehab is far less expensive. This eliminates what for most people is the biggest barrier to seeking help.
- You live at home.
- Your family comes to Family Education Group weekly- as you recover, they do to.
- You spend time with your loved ones, keeping your support system intact.
- You can continue to work or go to school with most outpatient programs.
- If you have young children at home, you don’t have to arrange for long-term placement.
- You can apply what you are learning to your daily life.
- Outpatient programs are generally longer than residential ones, giving you a greater chance of successful recovery.
- Outpatient rehab is flexible, with morning, full day and evening sessions available.
- Because it doesn’t require a weeks-or-months-long absence, outpatient addiction treatment allows you to be more discreet.
Outpatient addiction treatment provides solutions to many of the challenges that prevent some people from checking into a residential rehab facility.
Outpatient Addiction Treatment is Appropriate for All Forms of SUD
SUDs is officially recognized as a legitimate medical condition. No matter what your personal drug of choice is, outpatient rehab is an appropriate first-line treatment option.
Alcohol Use Disorder — Not just uncontrollable alcohol consumption, but also other dangerous behaviors, such as heavy or binge drinking.
Cannabis Use Disorder — Marijuana may be legal in California, but it is still addictive and carries many health risks.
Opioid Use Disorder — This includes prescription painkillers like OxyContin, Vicodin, and codeine, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and heroin.
Stimulant Use Disorder — This includes amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine, and even prescription ADHD medications such as Adderall or Ritalin.
Sedative Use Disorder — This involves most medications that are prescribed as treatments for anxiety or insomnia, such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, etc,) and barbiturates (Seconal, Nembutal, Amytal, phenobarbital, etc.).
Hallucinogen Use Disorder — This is associated with such drugs as LSD, MDMA (Ecstasy), psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”), mescaline, DOM, DMT, and morning glory seeds.
Inhalant Use Disorder — Most-commonly occurring in young people, this includes household cleaners and chemicals, gasoline, glues, paint and thinners, and any other substances.
The Importance of Outpatient Addiction Treatment
Because substance abuse is a cyclical problem, there are always new drug threats arriving in America…”designer” drugs, illicit Chinese drugs found on the Dark Web, or powerful synthetic opioid formulations far deadlier than anything that this country has dealt with before.
Outpatient drug rehab can be tailored to the individual patient’s unique situation, and this includes adjusting treatment services to address emerging threats. This flexibility provides the best possible chance for a successful and lasting recovery.
