Your Guide to Rehab

Outpatient vs Inpatient

There are two main types of treatment available to someone seeking rehabilitation for an alcohol addiction:

• Inpatient means the individual agrees to stay at the residential alcohol rehabilitation centre of their choosing day and night, and they are offered 24 hour care as well as many other benefits such as proper nutrition, counseling, guidance, exercise and alternative therapies throughout their stay. Inpatient care is often the best choice for those with a very unhealthy, or even life-threatening case of alcoholism who need a distraction free environment.
• Outpatient offers counselling and guidance, but the client returns home at the end of the day to be with their friends and family. This option is usually preferred amongst heads of households, people dealing with a more manageable case of alcoholism, and individuals who don’t return home but instead spend their evenings and nights at a sober living arrangement of some kind.

Both are viable options, depending on someone’s circumstances, but they operate in a similar order. Chronologically speaking, anyone attending rehab will go through the following stages on their journey towards sobriety:

• Detoxing from alcohol. The detox procedure is used to sever the body’s physical dependency on alcohol.
• Counseling. Whether it be individual or group counseling, this phase allows the client to focus on figuring out the root causes of their addiction to alcohol.
• Aftercare. Most legitimate alcohol rehab centres offer aftercare services designed to give a recovering alcoholic the coping skills, tools and support they need to re-enter the world and avoid relapsing.

It is important that an individual seeking treatment, or the family and friends of an alcoholic looking into their options, do research into which type of treatment would be the best fit. Making the right decision on outpatient or inpatient care can make all the difference in ensuring a successful experience.