How Long is Outpatient Rehab for Alcohol or Other Drugs?

Seeking professional help for alcohol use disorder or drug addiction does not require neglecting your other responsibilities. An outpatient treatment program allows you to get the support you need on a schedule that is custom-made for your lifestyle. The beauty of outpatient rehab is that it can take place in numerous settings and does not carry the stigma associated with residential facilities and hospitals. Familiar environments may help you or your loved ones recover faster from substance abuse and alcohol use disorder.

Understanding the Outpatient Rehab Setting

For numerous reasons, the idea of you or your loved one recovering in a hospital or institutional rehab facility may be unappealing. An inpatient facility disrupts day-to-day activities and may psychologically traumatize the recovering patient instead of offering much-needed assistance.

An outpatient rehab setting allows you or your loved ones to recover from alcohol use disorder or drug and substance abuse in a safe therapeutic environment that is familiar. In such an environment, you can easily attend school, work, and participate in other societal activities.

In such a case, a patient in recovery visits a treatment center of choice or a behavioral coach regularly at a specific time for specified days of the week. Your preferred treatment session may also offer evening or weekend sessions to ensure that there is minimal life disruption.

The intensity of the treatment is tailored to the patient’s individual needs. The treatment may take the form of:

  • Family therapy
  • Medication-directed therapy
  • Psychotherapy
  • Individual counselling
  • Occupational and recreational therapy

The Different Outpatient Rehab Settings

Alcohol use disorder or drug and substance misuse may vary among different people. The drive and motivation behind the addiction may also influence the choice of an outpatient setting that benefits the patient. The different levels of intensity are:

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

You or your loved ones may require high mental health or medical support, but that does not necessarily mean 24-hour supervision. A PHP program provides a minimum of 20 hours of intensive treatment weekly for persons who may need daily support in a structured environment. A client is, after that, allowed to return home or to a different living arrangement every evening.

A partial hospitalization program is also dubbed day treatment because of its structure. When attending such a center, the client is placed in the hands of an interdisciplinary team with clinical support and medical staff equipped to handle unstable psychiatric or medical conditions.

Standard Outpatient Program

A standard program is designed to help the client achieve a behavioral shift and thus move away from behavior associated with substance abuse. The program is associated with minimal medical services, although such programs can quickly link the client with a more intensive program if needed. Such a model typically takes up at least 9 hours weekly.

The Intensive Outpatient Program

An intensive program also takes the interdisciplinary team approach. However, there is less clinical and medical support available to the client. The patient attends sessions of varying duration from 9 to 20 hours weekly. The whole idea behind the intensive program is to provide treatment like an inpatient treatment module but in an outpatient setting.

The Florida Model

The Florida model is peculiar because it offers a hybrid treatment module. The Florida model combines inpatient and outpatient treatment. The client lives in supervised housing, separate from but connected to a rehab facility.

You or your loved ones may be suited to start a more intense treatment program and then de-escalate as the need arises. A vice-versa arrangement may also be necessary in cases where no improvement is witnessed within the level of care.

How Long Does Recovery Take?

Numerous personal and societal factors come to play when determining the duration of stay in an outpatient rehab program.

Whereas some patients recover from day one, some patients may need a lifetime of support. Honesty with the team offering treatment and yourself is vital to recovering fully. Honesty allows your caregiver to optimize your treatment to suit your needs. It would be best if you also strived to let go of the factors that push you to alcohol or drug abuse.

Your journey to sobriety ought to start today. Reach out today at 833-610-1174 to get all the help you need in your recovery.