Outpatient Drug Treatment
- The Right Option?

It’s an important decision to make, but it’s one that can prove to be the most difficult. After coming to terms with the fact that they are addicted to drugs, an addict then has to decide on their course of action.

It would be nice if results were guaranteed but recovering from any addiction is a lengthy (even life-long) battle, so where is the right place to go and which treatment is the best to choose? Amongst the many options open for consideration is outpatient drug treatment, one of the most popular choices because of some very obvious reasons.

There are pros and cons to every treatment but for those who choose the outpatient drug treatment route, there are definite reasons why they feel it is right for them. Life is more than just one plan, with family, career and financial considerations often complicating the matter of getting treatment. For many, getting treatment for drug addiction while continuing with life as normal seems like the best plan. Then there is the cost, with some long-term and short-term inpatient treatments being simply to much for the everyday worker. Long-term treatment at a rehab center can start at as much as US$400 per day.

There is no doubt that a patient fighting an addiction needs a close supportive network around to help them. That is why outpatient drug treatment is usually the most attractive to first-time patients. They need the support of their family and good friends, and see work as something to focus on and distract them from the need for drugs. Being isolated from the world, as would happen in inpatient treatments, would seem more difficult to handle.

Despite the relative freedom afforded to patients, an outpatient drug treatment program still has its set structure to follow. A patient will usually be required to attend the rehabilitation center so that progress can be assessed. At the first meeting, a plan is made out, taking into account the patient’s work and family schedule. However, the patient is given the responsibility to follow the plan, which can add to the pressure on their shoulders.

At other centers, the patient is required to attend a set number of hours of group therapy (usually 8 hours) each week and they would also be expected to attend Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings. This helps the patient to maintain a busy drug-free routine away from their old, destructive one.

However, the chief drawback with outpatient drug treatments is that the patient never completely escapes the temptations that got them involved in drugs in the first place. They are free to go to the same places and meet the same people as before, and despite their best intentions, often a patient will relapse for this reason.

It is up to the individual to decide on drug treatment they wish to take and an outpatient drug treatment could be the right one. There are certainly plenty of success stories. Regardless of which is chosen though, recovering from an addiction of any sort requires a lot of hard work and soul-searching – but a good treatment program will help you achieve results.