There are many different phases of addiction treatment and recovery. Of those, outpatient treatment is critical to helping you learn to stay sober in your regular, daily life. After all, you can’t stay at a residential treatment center forever. You eventually need to re-enter the real world and establish a new, healthier lifestyle via outpatient care. But what can you expect in outpatient therapy, and is it right for you in this season?
What is Outpatient Treatment?
In a full continuum of addiction treatment, you may begin with detox and withdrawal management and transition into residential (or inpatient) treatment shortly after. During residential treatment, you live onsite at a treatment facility and receive 24/7 care from professional clinicians. Because you’re overcoming a severe addiction in inpatient treatment, you may stay at the treatment facility for about 30 days to several months. You’re away from distractions and addiction triggers and wholly focused on your recovery.
During inpatient treatment, you get round-the-clock emotional and medical support. While this form of treatment is more costly, many programs are in-network with insurance carriers to help reduce expenses. Eventually however, you finish your residential phase of treatment and step down to a different level of care.
This is where outpatient treatment comes in. Unlike residential treatment, outpatient treatment allows you to participate and still live at home, go to work, and resume your life. You don’t stay at the treatment facility overnight, shares Kaiser Permanente. Instead, you spend about ten to 12 hours per week at the treatment facility in both group and individual therapy, occurring during the day, in the evenings, and on weekends. Your outpatient therapy journey may last for a few months to over a year. During this time, you continue to receive support from professional therapists. But you also learn to build up your own peer support network outside the facility.
Types of Outpatient Therapy
There are different levels of care within outpatient therapy, and your participation in them will depend on your recovery growth. You may start in the most intensive level at first and step down through the remaining ones as you make progress. Your outpatient addiction treatment progression may include:
Partial Hospitalization Programming (PHP)
The most involved level of outpatient therapy, PHP is often the next step in care after inpatient treatment ends. In PHP, you no longer need 24/7 support. But you’re still participating in therapy multiple hours a day, and multiple days a week (more than traditional outpatient therapy). Because of the need for more support in this stage of recovery, some PHP participants will live at a temporary sober living home. PHP programming may also feature helpful life skills training, such as nutrition and personal finance classes, to help you transition well back home.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Less restrictive than PHP, an intensive outpatient program (IOP) is the next phase of outpatient therapy. With IOP, you’re participating in therapy for a more limited number of hours per day and just a few days a week. You have more flexibility to live your life outside of treatment, whether that’s resuming your full-time job or returning to school. Your treatment team will also encourage you to volunteer in the community and participate in regular support group meetings outside of therapy. IOP equips you to navigate potential lapse vs. relapse issues in recovery, as well as learn self-soothing techniques to apply when triggered.
Outpatient Treatment Program (OP)
After IOP, you may continue with traditional outpatient treatment (OP) for a short or extended period of time. During OP, you may attend a small number of group or individual therapy sessions each week. Often, this stage of treatment is based more around your unique recovery needs (especially individual therapy). The focus is to help you maintain your recovery goals, keep relapse at bay, and work toward a healthy overall well-being.
When Should You Go to Outpatient Addiction Treatment?
In considering residential vs. outpatient treatment, when is the right time to join an outpatient addiction treatment program? Outpatient therapy works best after you’ve already completed residential treatment, or if you only have very mild substance abuse issues. If addiction is controlling your life and you still need to detox from your substance, then outpatient treatment isn’t the next step for you. You likely need to start with inpatient care.
If you’re at a point in your recovery where you no longer need round-the-clock professional help, outpatient treatment is a good choice. Because this phase allows for greater flexibility, it works well for those who must continue working or maintain family responsibilities at home. It’s also more ideal if you need addiction treatment but are on a limited budget (especially if your insurance doesn’t cover treatment).
The Next Step to Long-Term Sobriety
It’s best to consult a treatment professional to help you determine the right starting point for your addiction treatment and recovery. At Sana at Stowe in Stowe, Vermont, our addiction recovery programs support you at every stage of your treatment, from detox and residential care to outpatient therapy and beyond. With our help, you can achieve the long-term sobriety you deserve. If you’re ready to take that next step, call us today.
