Time is a critical factor for addiction treatment. It took time to develop your addiction, and you can also expect to spend many hours working on your recovery. Although you might be hoping to rush through your treatment, the truth is that you’ll have a better chance of avoiding a relapse if you focus on working through each step in the process of developing your strength in sobriety. Fortunately, you do have options for making sure that the time you spend on your treatment doesn’t interfere with your ability to take care of other responsibilities. Addiction treatment is often tailored to fit someone’s current lifestyle factors such as the need to show up in the workplace or take care of their kids at night. If you are wondering does intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment need to involve more than nine hours a week of therapy, then you likely consider time to be an important factor when choosing a recovery program. Learning more about how long your treatment should last helps you pick the right option for helping you to get sober.
Intensive outpatient treatment programs typically involve spending nine hours or more a week working on your sobriety. Programs that require fewer hours will usually be classified as outpatient care. Intensive outpatient therapy requires more hours because it is designed to replicate as much of an inpatient program as possible while allowing people to go home at night. Keep in mind that your program might not require you to be at the facility every day. Some IOPs allow you to attend longer sessions three to five days a week. This gives you the ability to work on the weekends or in the middle of the week. Programs can also vary according to how many hours you spend in therapy. For instance, some IOPs stop at the designated nine hours a week, while other programs may encourage people to attend as many as 30 hours of therapy a week. The average IOP also tends to last about 90 days. This is typically longer than an inpatient stay, which can be an option for you if you prefer to have an extended form of treatment.
How Do You Know If Intensive Outpatient Treatment is Right for You?
Picking the right program to fit your needs is important for ensuring that you’ll complete your treatment. With any type of outpatient care, you’ll need to be committed to showing up for every session since each one builds upon the other. Going to all of your therapy sessions also helps you to avoid the pitfall of losing your motivation to stay sober. After going to intensive outpatient care, your mind will be filled with fresh ideas for how to avoid temptation and cravings. You’re likely a good candidate for intensive outpatient care if you recognize yourself in the following statements.
- You don’t have time or a desire to spend the night in an inpatient treatment program.
- You are leaving an inpatient treatment program and feel the need for extended care.
- You face temptation during the day that could cause you to relapse.
- You are relapsing after a shorter form of addiction treatment.
- You have additional mental health issues that you want to address.
IOPs do require a larger time commitment compared to a general outpatient program. However, you’ll quickly discover that you get into a routine that feels good. Your addiction treatment program will usually have defined hours that make it easier to plan your schedule around your treatment. This makes it possible to arrange for child, elderly parent or pet care. You can also work out an arrangement with your employer or school to make sure that you can attend your treatment sessions. While most of your time in an IOP will be spent in group therapy, you may also work with a counselor individually or attend other forms of therapeutic programs such as art and music therapy. Once you start, you’ll find that the time in your program flies. You’ll be so busy interacting with other people who understand how to help you with your addiction that you won’t catch yourself watching the clock. Instead, you’ll be learning tools that you’ll use for the rest of your life to stay off of drugs or alcohol.
Are you still weighing your options for addiction treatment? We can help you find out if intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment is right for you. Give us a call at 833-610-1174 to make a plan today!