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There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to addiction treatment. Every individual in our care has a unique story to tell, and our treatment plans are individualized to help them reach their goals. When you come to us for outpatient alcohol treatment, you can find the targeted support you need.
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An evidence-based mental health and addiction treatment program designed to help you reach a place of sustainable recovery
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to addiction treatment. Every individual in our care has a unique story to tell, and our treatment plans are individualized to help them reach their goals. When you come to us for outpatient alcohol treatment, you can find the targeted support you need.
An outpatient alcohol treatment program should do more than just address the addiction or mental health concern. It must also take into account an individual’s medical needs, living situation, and any co-occurring mental health conditions that may be underlying factors in their substance use issues.
Research indicates that those who seek professional addiction treatment are more likely to stay sober longer and less likely to relapse. An aftercare plan is essential for when you return home from treatment and face triggers in your everyday life.
Addiction and mental health concerns can be isolating. Our supportive, welcoming environment provides a space for you to experience support and help when you need it most in the form of individual and group therapy.
Once withdrawal symptoms have faded, it’s time to work through the underlying causes of addiction in therapy and counseling. You can build healthy coping skills and discover a new path forward.
A range of therapies and services can help address the physical and mental effects of addiction.
The cost of treatment for addiction should never be a roadblock to recovery. At Apex Recovery, we design personalized treatment plans that address the needs of every individual in our care, and the cost of treatment can vary. However, we work with most major health plans to reduce out-of-pocket costs and make treatment as accessible as possible. Verify your insurance today to see if your provider will cover your treatment.
Outpatient alcohol treatment is an effective and popular type of rehab. Rather than its counterpart inpatient rehab, outpatient treatment provides more flexibility for the patient. This can mean they will be able to continue working, fulfill their everyday obligations, and live in the comfort of their own home. If you’re someone that’s currently looking into rehab and have settled on an outpatient program for this reason, then this article will detail everything you can expect from the process. Additionally, if you are someone that is currently trying to decide what type of alcohol treatment is right for you, this article will cover the ins and outs of who is suited for outpatient alcohol treatment.
Outpatient alcohol treatment is a type of rehab that typically requires the patient to visit a treatment center multiple times a week. Contrary to inpatient rehab—the type of treatment which often comes to mind when we think of addiction rehabilitation—the patient is allowed to live at home, keep a flexible schedule, and does not need to stay at the facility for long durations of time. Many healthcare experts have come to criticize this type of treatment for that very reason. They argue that the flexibility, exposure to “triggers,” and the lack of focus opens more opportunities for relapse. In some ways, they’re not wrong. But the fact is this: deciding between inpatient and outpatient treatment depends on the severity and type of addiction. This is best determined by an addiction specialist, doctor, or healthcare professional.
Typically, those who use an outpatient model to beat their AUD (alcohol use disorder) do so because their drinking problem is somewhere between moderate and severe. While they cannot quit drinking on their own, they also do not need to be live-ins at a facility for a month or more. They choose outpatient alcohol treatment because they can lean on the resources provided to them, yet still go to work, live with their families, and not sacrifice all facets of their lives outside of recovery.
To give an exact description of how outpatient alcohol treatment works would be a disservice to the healthcare industry. Today, addiction specialists work to tailor each treatment plan to the patient specifically, rather than painting with broad strokes to mass-treat everyone. In which case, outpatient alcohol treatment works in different ways, dependent on the patient and the rehab center.
Outpatient alcohol treatment works to provide a patient with the resources they need to recover while complementing their schedule and everyday responsibilities. Addiction specialists want to provide the perfect amount of care (in other words, their recovery services) to keep the AUD sufferer sober throughout the initial recovery, then the perfect amount of aftercare to keep them sober throughout the rest of their lives. Identifying this balance is the thesis of our next section:
Again, each outpatient alcohol treatment process is going to differ from client to client, clinic to clinic. But there are commonalities between treatments, held together by the ubiquitous end goal; sobriety. Below we outline the typical process of an outpatient alcohol treatment plan.
Once the patient has made the choice to enter rehab, a specialist will evaluate their situation. This assessment covers their current state of being, the severity of their addiction, underlying disorders, and reaches far into their medical history, current, and prior health, and will often involve drug testing. The professional will chart out a treatment plan, which may involve them recommending inpatient care rather than outpatient rehab. This initial evaluation will be referred to throughout the recovery process and used as the foundation for strategies instated along the way. And what is one of the primary concerns of the specialist carrying out the assessment? The patient’s detox.
Every person suffering from addiction will have to go through detox and AUD is no different. The truth is this: alcohol withdrawals, dependent on the severity of the condition, can put the sufferer at risk of serious health complications. With this understanding, specialists take the detox process seriously. There is a possibility that, after the evaluation, they recommend the patient check into a facility for detox. In which case, if they are to continue with outpatient alcohol treatment, then the only time in which they’ll need to remain within the recovery center is during the initial detox period, which can last anywhere from 2-7 days. In which case, you might be asking: what should I expect from in-house detox?
If your condition is not deemed to require an in-facility detox, then the process will be different. What should you expect from outpatient detox?
Once the detox process is complete, the patient will then begin their treatment plan.
For those that have moderate AUD leaning more towards severe, clinicians will often recommend that they enroll in a daily outpatient program. This means that the person on the road to recovery will visit their rehab facility daily to treat their addiction. What is to be expected from this treatment? From group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, coping skill learning, to DBT (dialectical behavior therapy), the patient will have access to support groups and professional counseling. These groups and therapy sessions will help educate the patient on their condition, develop coping skills to ward off triggers and the chance of relapse, and identify the root cause of why they began drinking in excess. The fully inclusive treatment program works to peel away the scar tissue developed throughout the years of drinking, exposing the root issue or underlying disorder. Through the care of these professionals and the influence of a motivated peer group, the patient is able to learn about themselves, their addiction, and ultimately they’re equipped with the weapons they need to stay sober after treatment.
Despite the word intensive, typically this type of treatment requires less than daily outpatient alcohol treatment. The patient will have the same access to resources as one that’s enrolled in the daily program, just with less frequency. This can mean coming into the treatment center 2-3 times a week to sit down with therapists, join support groups, and work with the professionals provided by the program to conquer the challenges along the road to recovery. The extensiveness of these programs is subject to change depending on the patient. While rare, there are cases in which an AUD sufferer utilizes outpatient detox and then does not return for treatment, instead, working through their issues without the support of a clinic. This is not recommended.
Once the treatment is completed, the road to recovery continues. Relapse is rehab’s kryptonite and too many times patients leave their program ready for the world ahead, neglect to keep up with aftercare, and relapse months later. This too can be part of the journey but it’s also avoidable. An outpatient program will integrate an aftercare strategy specific to the patient. This can include everything from remaining in support groups, monthly checkups, to continued monitoring of the process through prolonged counseling. Outpatient programs often hammer down on the importance of aftercare, being that the process is less intensive than inpatient; some argue the tools developed and lessons learned are more likely to fall by the wayside.
If outpatient alcohol treatment is the right solution for a patient’s needs, then compared to inpatient, the benefits are endless. The most pronounced benefits include:
If outpatient alcohol treatment is right for the patient, it comes with many benefits. From affordability to the process itself, it is less intensive, rigorous, and stigmatized as inpatient.
There are a few glaring reasons why a patient should not choose outpatient alcohol treatment, no matter what the situation may be.
While it’s easy to focus on the benefits of an outpatient alcohol treatment program, we also must be realistic. These programs are not recommended for everyone. Ask any alcoholic that has gone through recovery and most would have loved to do it from the comfort of their own home, operating in their own life, with limited visits to the rehab center. Yet, many drinkers will also tell you that if that were the case, they would still be upside down because of their AUD. In which case, it’s paramount that you pick up the phone, head to a clinic, and speak to someone. If it’s you that’s currently suffering and looking for a program that suits your condition, an expert will be able to guide you along the path you’ve chosen and, at the very least, provide valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t. Regardless, you’re already on your way. Now it’s time to keep pushing on.
