Outpatient Addiction Treatment is Crucial for Recovery – Here’s Why

Whether you’re fresh out of residential inpatient addiction treatment or considering starting outpatient treatment as a first step, one thing’s for sure: Treatment for an addiction is always the right choice.

When someone decides to admit themselves into residential inpatient treatment, they’re completely immersed into it. From the clinical staff and therapists to the support and strong sense of community, patients are surrounded by exactly what they need. Then, when they go to leave, they’re given the tools and resources they need to maintain their recovery.  One of those tools is a follow-up Plan-of-Care, which may involve outpatient therapy.

There’s no doubt about it – outpatient has a proven track record of helping people continue abstinence.

“The beautiful thing about outpatient is you don’t have to disrupt your life to get the help you need. With flexible schedules and various levels of care, we can accommodate most schedules,” says Christina Snyder, Regional Director of outpatient Services for Recovery Centers of America.

Targeted treatment

For some, outpatient treatment is more aligned with where they are in their lives, their recovery, or their goals. That means treatment is going to hit right where they need it to, and they’ll get the most out of it. Because treatment runs parallel with their everyday lives, patients take the lessons and resources learned during counseling sessions and immediately begin to apply it to their everyday activities.

In an outpatient setting, it’s not uncommon for a facility to tailor their programs to each individual patient. That means every person will have a different treatment plan – one that will change based on their own individual background and circumstances, as well as their history in recovery. And one that will be a better fit for them as they continue to grow and navigate their recovery.

Outpatient treatment may include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy zeroes in on solving specific problems and is a hands-on approach to changing the way you think.
• Group counseling. There’s strength in numbers, and that applies in addiction treatment, too. Group counseling generally goes hand-in-hand with a 12-step program and helps you build a network of supporters you can always count on.
• Lectures, educational programming, and seminars. The more you know about the disease of addiction, the more likely you are to understand how it works and what you need to do to stay in recovery. You’ll also spend more time diving into possible triggers, and what to do when these stressors arise.

Gradual transition

Depending on the level of care you receive, it will likely be a gradual transition into living a life without any addiction treatment. For many people, whether stepping down from inpatient or just starting off addiction treatment, there are several levels of care appropriate to your needs. For those who are not comfortable being “out there” in early recovery on their own, but have things to take care of at home in the evening, outpatient treatment begins by completing a partial hospitalization program. This is for patients who have a safe, stable living situation, and are not in danger of withdrawal or in need of detoxification.   For the next level, patients can find levels of less-intensive outpatient care, like IOP that meet on average 3 times, or maybe just some individual or group counseling. The goal is to continue to treat the addiction and eventually decrease the number of therapy sessions. As the patient begins to stabilize and gain even more strength, the frequency of therapy is reduced to give the patient greater freedom and responsibility as they feel more comfortable going about their daily life. It’s up to the patient and their clinical team, but eventually treatment could be reduced to bi-weekly sessions, followed by monthly sessions.

Unbeatable flexibility

It’s simple: When something is convenient, we’re more likely to stick with it. For many, the flexibility that comes along with outpatient is what keeps them active and motivated in their recoveryOutpatient treatment works around their schedules, whether they have a job to go to, family to tend to, or classes to attend. While you’re able to return home after your treatment is done for the day, you still have access to addiction medicine-trained experts, clinical staff, and counselors. And for those who wish to keep their addiction treatment confidential, outpatient can be an easy way to seek treatment without going away for 30 or more days.

Recovery Centers of America has added another level of convenience with our outpatient telehealth services. All you need is a smartphone, table, computer, or laptop, and you’ll receive our evidence-based treatment RCA is known for from the comfort and safety of your home.

Have questions about outpatient services? Give our Treatment Advisors a call. We’re here to help 24/7!