When someone you care about develops an addiction, you can feel powerless. You want to do everything you can to wrestle your loved one from the claws of their addiction, but it seems like no matter how hard you try, you just can’t. You might even look in the mirror and blame yourself for your inability to save them. That sense of despair that you have, even if it is justified, will not help your loved one break free from the drug addiction.
The only thing that will help them is having a serious discussion with them about getting into rehab. But you might wonder what rehab option is the best for your loved one. To help you make the right decision, you need to understand the difference between inpatient and outpatient care.
The Pros and Cons of Inpatient Care
Inpatient care is what most people think about when they envision rehabilitation. It is where your loved one stays at a facility for their treatment. Inpatient care can be as short as 28 days, or it can last six months or more. Here are some of the pros and cons of inpatient care.
Pro: Inpatient Care Is More Intensive Than Outpatient Care
Outpatient care has its place, and it can be very effective. However, it lacks the level of intensity that inpatient care has. With inpatient care, patients voluntarily decide not to leave the facility while receiving treatment. This means that they have access to the full gamut of rehabilitation activities. They can constantly talk to their counselors, attend group meetings, and live in a safe and drug-free environment. Some patients undergo medical detox procedures during their stay. This would be almost impossible in an outpatient setting.
Pro: Structure
When battling addiction, people might not have a regular schedule. They may sleep during the day, be more active at night, or their sleep may be disturbed by their addiction. The professionals in a rehab facility understand this fact, so they schedule meetings and activities at set times during the day. This structure forces a recovering addict to get back into the habit of being on and staying on a schedule.
Pro: Relatively Less Stress throughout the Day
Since patients stay at the facilities during their treatment, they are free from the stresses of going to work, going to school, parenting, or other stressful activities. They are also relieved of the stress of relapsing because they do not have access to drugs.
Con: Expense
There is no denying it; inpatient care costs much more than outpatient care. Depending on the duration of the stay, it can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Thankfully, there are insurance programs that can help.
Con: Interruption of Daily Activities
Jobs, children, and other daily activities cannot be attended to. Finding childcare or putting work on hold can have emotional and financial drawbacks.
The Pros and Cons of Outpatient Care
Outpatient care lets your loved one interact with the outside world. They will need to adjust their daily schedules to fit meeting requirements. Here are some pros and cons of this type of care.
Pro: Expense
Outpatient care is a lot cheaper, but it is not necessarily cheap. It can still cost thousands of dollars. On the plus side, you can work to offset some of these expenses.
Pro: Daily Activities Are Not Interrupted
You can go home to your family at the end of the day, care for your children, and work as usual. Your income stream stays steady.
Pro: More Interaction with Counselors
Outpatient groups are usually small, so you have more face time with counselors. You may also feel more comfortable sharing some of the grittier details of your life in a smaller group.
Con: Minimal Support for Medical Detox
Most people do not have the drugs and equipment needed for medical detox. If your loved one needs medical detox, outpatient treatment is not ideal.
Con: The Daily Stresses of Life
With outpatient treatment, you have to juggle everyday life, including childcare, pressure from former associates, and the stresses from work. However, if you successfully undergo outpatient treatment, it will be easier to adjust to sobriety in the real world. As you can see, outpatient and inpatient treatments have pros and cons. One is not necessarily better than the other. It ultimately depends on your circumstances. Would you like more information and help to decide if outpatient or inpatient treatment is right for you? Then contact us at 833-610-1174.