After you leave inpatient rehab and start outpatient rehab, you may think you’re in the scariest place of all. You are once again in charge of making decisions for yourself. That includes whether you want to use drugs and alcohol or stay clean. Do you trade your sobriety in for just one more session of getting high? Do you believe yourself when you say it will be just one more time? If you do, then you might not be ready for outpatient rehab. These are the questions you need to ask yourself before starting outpatient rehab.

Undergo Treatment While Living at Home

Outpatient treatment for substance abuse takes place in residential rehabilitation centers much of the time. But you’re free to go home after you go through your treatment services. Some of the therapies you receive in California outpatient programs are continuations of the treatment you received as an inpatient resident. The treatments include, but aren’t limited to:

• 12-step program meetings
• Individual counseling
• Group counseling
• Holistic Therapy
• Family counseling
• Recreational outings
• Support group therapy

You’ll also have counseling services that are scheduled or open and always available to you.

Benefits of Outpatient Treatment

There are many benefits of outpatient treatment programs. Outpatient treatment centers offer flexibility in session time. That allows you to spend time with your loved ones and at work. That being said, while there are many benefits available in outpatient treatment programs, the onus is on you to manage and trust your own decisions.

Between 40-60% of addicts can relapse during outpatient treatment if they’re not honest about their cravings or when they feel a relapse coming on. The failure to tell someone the truth about a strong substance craving begins with missed appointments and scheduled therapies.

Outpatient Treatment Intensity Schedule

Some people think that outpatient treatment is less intense than inpatient treatment. Although, that’s not the case for every session. While some outpatient treatment sessions are intensive, others have minimal intensity.

Long term sobriety requires ongoing treatment with a strong support network. Treatment can provide much of what you need. Most of the time, outpatient programs range from one session a week to several sessions a day depending on what your specific need is.

However, outpatient treatment programs in San Bernardino frequently revisit key components of addiction treatment. Some of these components consist of learning how substance abuse affects you and loved ones, relapse prevention training, and more. Learning new coping mechanisms and going to self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) plays a big part in successfully navigating outpatient treatment.

The First Step in Outpatient Rehab is the Hardest

After you leave inpatient residential treatment, you may feel the hardest parts are over. You might be right. But with the conclusion of addiction treatment, your freedom in the “outside” world is expanded.

You’re free to come and go. You can leave and never come back. But if you do that, you have to ask yourself, “What did I gain from going through the pain of deep self-discovery if I relapse?” What was it all for if you don’t stay the course and find out what your future holds free from alcohol and drug addiction?

Contact us today to take the first step toward recovery and find out.