Inpatient VS Outpatient Rehab

Watching somebody spiral into an addiction is an intense and helpless thing for anybody to have to go through. The greatest thing you could hope for? Honesty and acceptance.


Having that person admit that they have a problem is one of the best things that could happen for him/her, and for you and every close friend and relative. Because that means they’re ready to deal and fix the problem.


This is the first step to their road to recovery. The next big step to take is towards the rehabilitation. And they’re going to need your help. You can encourage them to get inpatient treatment, or outpatient rehabilitation. There are pros and cons for both; and it’s your job to find out what they are and which one would make the best fit for your loved one.

Inpatient Rehab Centers

This means you stay at either a hospital or residential setting for a certain period of time. A patient typically needs to stay for about 28 days. But of course, this depends on the needs of the patient, diagnosis, circumstance, and more.



Pros:

• Supervision 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You will never feel alone throughout your battle for sobriety as you will be constantly surrounded by therapists and other professionally trained staff.
• Community. You will be part of a community consisting of residents who are also fighting to rehabilitate themselves.
• No distractions. All you have to do is focus on yourself and getting better. There will be no other responsibilities or worries for you to deal with.
• More time to focus. Since there are no distractions, and you’re in a residential setting, you get more time each day to be able to deal with recovery. You go to group sessions, individual counsel, and many other activities dedicated to helping you get better.
• More intense care. Being in a program that provides a residential setting proves more effective for people who have already tried to battle their addiction before.

Cons:

• You can’t come and go as you please.
• A lot of insurance companies don’t cover inpatient treatment.
• This seems like a con for many, but a pro for others: You live in an environment where everything you do has been scheduled for you; meals, sessions, free- time.
• If you have children, you’ll need to find somebody else to take care of them in the meantime. If not, you’re going to need to get accustomed to living away from your family.
• You’ll need to leave your job, school, the real world, for a certain amount of time.

Outpatient Rehab Centers

This means you travel to the facility and receive treatment for a short period of time every day for a specific number of months.

Pros:

• It doesn’t need to interfere with work as many sessions are offered at night or during weekends.
• You can still continue living your life, taking care of kids, and being with family as you receive treatment.
• Speaking of family, a lot of outpatient treatment centers include family sessions, which help the people in your support group understand what you’re going through better.
• It’s definitely cheaper compared to inpatient treatment and is covered by insurance more often than not.
• You can make changes in your life, assisted by your newfound session insights, automatically.

Cons:

• You have less access to your counselor. Unlike inpatient treatment where counselors, therapists, and more are nearby and available 24/7.
• You could be constantly exposed to triggers and influences that pushed you towards alcoholism in the first place.
• Your daily routine and obligations could distract you from continuing your treatment.
• You could still have access to alcohol and other substances you’re addicted to.
• Your support network, consisting of recovering patients, could be very small or nonexistent since you don’t spend a lot of time in counseling and other sessions.

Each type of free drug rehab center has their fair share of pros and cons that are each heavy enough to sway you from one type to another. But it’s important for you to identify the patient’s needs first. Take into consideration how this all happened, the type of person they are, and your financial status. You also need to make sure that the center has been accredited, allows for the engagement and active participation of their family, and different programs that could cater to your loved one’s needs.



Aside from making sure they get the best treatment for them, you need to be able to make sure you’ll be able to handle this as well. Having a family member or significant other go through free rehab center will not be easy on them, and it will be just as hard for you. You need to be able to make sure you’re prepared to be understanding, patient, and open to the changes that will be happen in their life, your life, and the lives of the people that care most about both of you.