You've finally decided to seek out rehab to treat your substance abuse and find recovery from your addiction, but you're not sure what approach to take. Which will most suit your needs? Which has what it takes to deal with your addiction? Outpatient vs inpatient: which type of rehab is best?
While it would be far easier, and much shorter, just to slam down a fist and declare the superiority of one type of rehab treatment option over the other, it’s hardly as cut and dry as all that.
Instead, both outpatient and inpatient treatment programs have their own individual strengths and weaknesses that makes them separate but complementary approaches to rehab treatment that provides addicts with distinct options that can suit their treatment needs no matter what they are.
Rather than being set against one another, outpatient treatment and inpatient treatment plans must each be considered as equally valid, equally efficient programs that are simply suited to different approaches depending on what the patient’s requirements might be.
Inpatient treatment is probably more familiar to those who only know addiction rehab through media depictions, via the movies or in tabloid magazines. This is the standard residential program, in which patients spend a set amount of time, from 45 to 90 days potentially, in a facility to detox from an addictive substance and receive treatment to not only remove their dependency on the substance but also build up mechanisms for how to resist it in the future.
This approach is particularly suited for addicts dealing with particularly strong, acute cases of addiction. By isolating them from the outside world, the program separates them from stimuli that might lead to relapse, while also giving them the time and space to focus on the treatment plan to the exclusion of all else, meaning they can make recovery their single goal, rather than one of many things they are dealing with in a busy life of work, school, family and other competing interests.
Outpatient treatment, on the other hand, allows the addict to stay home during treatment, with room in their schedule to attend classes, go to work or take care of family obligations, no matter what their responsibilities might be. Instead, the addict goes to treatment session on a scheduled basis, attending to their recovery on a part-time basis amidst much else in their life.
This approach is better suited to patients who are dealing with a more manageable addiction but still need help to find true recovery. Isolation isn’t necessary to get them to focus on treatment, though they still need to remain on top of their treatment plan to make sure they stay on target and don’t fall behind their goals in achieving full recovery.
So which type of rehab is better? Well, that depends on the patient. Inpatient treatment is clearly the best choice for addicts truly desperate for help who can’t adjust to the demands their substance abuse has placed on them and need help breaking free of that burden. On the other hand, a patient who can juggle work, home and treatment would not be best served by spending up to three months stuck in one place when their addiction is better addressed in a compartmentalized approach.
Luckily, Good Landing Recovery offers both types of treatment and can help you determine which is best for your needs. Inpatient or outpatient? The important thing is getting help in the first place. Call Good Landing and let them aid you in finding the best option for you.