If you or someone you love is dealing with a substance use disorder, it’s important to seek care. There are many kinds of addiction treatment options, but one that many people turn to is outpatient treatment. Unlike inpatient or residential care, outpatient treatment allows patients to come to seek care and then to return home so that they can take care of other responsibilities in their daily lives.

What Kinds of Outpatient Treatment Are There?

There are three main kinds of outpatient treatment: partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient. Partial hospitalization normally takes place for around five hours a day for five days each week.

Intensive outpatient treatment differs because patients generally come to the facility three days a week for three hours or more.

A traditional outpatient program may meet regularly, such as five days a week for an hour at a time, or it may be less structured, requiring an hour or two of a patient’s time once or twice a week.

What Are the Benefits of Outpatient Addiction Treatment?

Some of the benefits of outpatient addiction treatment include flexibility, support in and outside of treatment, and the ability to maintain a job or your schooling. People who have responsibilities outside an addiction treatment program may benefit from being able to schedule their treatment around other responsibilities.

Flexibility Is Key for Some People in Recovery

The reality is that not everyone can throw down what they’re doing and commit to 30, 60, or 90 days of treatment in an inpatient facility. If you or your loved one are particularly busy or have responsibilities that you can’t set aside, then outpatient treatment could be the right choice.

With outpatient treatment, most patients go to the addiction treatment facility for just a few hours a day. Depending on the specific treatment plan, it may be beneficial to enter into a partial hospitalization program for heavier monitoring, or it could work best to go through basic outpatient treatment where your schedule is the most flexible it can be.

What Happens In an Outpatient Program?

In an outpatient program of any kind, patients will receive support as they taper or stop taking drugs or using alcohol. Most patients who are admitted into these programs will also participate in 12-step programs and build up a community of support.

There is a focus on building a strong community around the patient, which means offering services such as:

The main focus of an outpatient program is therapy. Some outpatient programs may also offer medication-assisted treatment, so patients have options to help them mitigate the risk of relapsing outside the facility.

How Can You Get Started With Outpatient Treatment?

To get started with an outpatient treatment program, the first step is to talk to an admissions counselor and to have a formal evaluation. This evaluation is performed to determine the level of care that would be appropriate for your needs or the needs of someone you love.

After this evaluation is complete, the program’s counselor will talk to you about the outcome and what they think is right for you. If outpatient treatment isn’t going to be enough, they may suggest a partial hospitalization program or inpatient treatment, even if it’s for a shorter duration of time at the beginning of your treatment plan.

Contact Georgia Addiction Treatment Center for Support with Outpatient Treatment

At Georgia Addiction Treatment Center, our goal is to help you or someone you love to get the treatment that’s needed. We offer addiction treatment in inpatient and outpatient settings, so you can choose what’s right for you. Call us today at [Direct] to see how we can help.

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