Inpatient vs Outpatient Rehab

Making the decision whether to enter an inpatient, residential rehab program or to seek care as an outpatient is a basic step toward sobriety. While both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs are equally focused on sobriety, each type of treatment has unique benefits.

What are the major differences between inpatient and outpatient rehab?

Inpatient rehab is an intensive, live-in treatment program designed to treat serious addictions and to accommodate persons who may be a danger to themselves or to others. Outpatient rehabs are part-time treatment programs that usually allow the recovering user to continue work or school during the day while attending therapy evenings and weekends.

What’s different about inpatient therapy?

Inpatient therapy programs usually require patients to check themselves in for a specific time period. Inpatient programs are supervised 24 hours a day, designed to give patients seeking sobriety constant emotional and medical support.

Because inpatient therapy does not allow patients to come and go, it is important to be properly prepared for admission. Users seeking inpatient therapy should speak with employers, family members, and friends before seeking admission. They need to have a plan for getting to and from the rehab center (keeping personal vehicles on campus is not allowed) and know their planned dates of admission and release.

Inpatients may need to arrange for someone to take care of their obligations to children and family members, including pets, and to give a trustworthy, reliable person power of attorney during their stay.

Support of family and friends during inpatient therapy

Families and friends can provide inpatients with tremendously valuable encouragement and emotional support during their stay. Some rehab centers also provide therapy and counseling to family members, spouses, and significant others affected by the patient’s addiction.

Each rehab center sets its own rules for when and how family members and friends can contact inpatients during their stay.

What is daily life like during inpatient treatment?

Inpatient treatment is highly structured so residents will be able to focus completely on getting well and sober. Inpatient therapy is intended to remove distractions that can keep patients from achieving sobriety.

Every day in residential treatment is carefully scheduled. Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers meet with patients individually and in groups to guide recovery.

The first step in inpatient treatment is getting off the substance or substances that are being abused with a medically supervised detox. During this stage of treatment, doctors and addiction specialists monitor vital signs carefully while drugs are exiting the patient’s system.

Drug cravings can feel almost overwhelming during the detox phase. The rehabilitation center’s medical staff provide help in resisting urges to relapse.

Detox isn’t something patients should attempt on their own. Withdrawal symptoms can be very unpleasant. Withdrawing from some drugs, like heroin, opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines, and alcohol, can be lethal. Medical supervision reduces the risk of relapse and accelerates recovery.

A typical inpatient program runs anywhere from 28 days to 6 months.

What is outpatient therapy like?

Outpatient therapy is less restrictive than inpatient programs. Patients are generally free to go about their normal activities during the day, coming to the rehab center for individual and group therapy and education systems every evening and on weekends. Some outpatient programs offer accommodation overnight, while others do not.

Outpatient therapy is intended for patients who do not need a full-time focus on overcoming their abuse issues. There are even outpatient detoxification programs for people with mild addiction issues.

Outpatient therapy may stand alone or may be a follow up to the inpatient experience. Outpatient programs typically last three to 12 months. They may use innovative medically assisted treatments to accelerate recovery.

Inpatient addiction treatment in Southern California

Creo Spero creates hope.

Creo Spero pursues creative inpatient drug rehabilitation in Southern California. For more information about our innovative inpatient drug rehabs for Southern California residents and our detox, short-term stabilization, medically assisted treatment, and first responder programs, contact Creo Spero at our three facilities or through our toll-free number.

• Outpatient Care in Santa Ana: 2414 S Fairview St, STE 201, Santa Ana CA 92704, (657) 232-0433
• Outpatient Care in Huntington Beach: 7837 Newman Ave, Huntington Beach Ca 92704, (714) 587-4193
• Residential Rehab in Santa Ana: 1231 W. St. Gertrude Place, Santa Ana, CA 92707

For general information, call 1-888-235-8353