Outpatient

When you are looking for a treatment program to help with your recovery from addiction or a loved one’s recovery, it is important to understand your options. An intensive out-patient program, or IOP, can provide the treatment that you need without giving up your personal responsibilities. Before you assume that an in-patient or residential treatment is appropriate, evaluate your needs and consider all of your options. For some individuals, IOP plans can help with recovery and provide the tools that are necessary to maintain a drug or alcohol-free lifestyle.

What is IOP?

Before you can evaluate a program, it is important to understand how it works and how it differs from the basic program. According to Help Guide, an intensive out-patient program is a type of therapy that allows you to stay with your family and maintain your normal lifestyle. It can help if you have specific obligations to maintain, such as a place of employment or taking care of children.

In the program, you or a loved one will have the opportunity to obtain treatment in a schedule that works around your personal obligations and requirements. As a result, it can be a useful way to focus on recovery without giving up an excellent job or requiring a loved one to take on your responsibilities.

Treatment Options

Although the program is designed for out-patient goals, there are several treatment programs that are available in the plan. According to the National Institutes on Health, there are core services that most programs will offer to individuals who are trying to recover.

The services that you can expect may include:

  • Individual counseling
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Dual-diagnosis treatments if they are necessary
  • Health evaluations if they are necessary
  • Appropriate nutritional therapy
  • Exercise advice or recommendations
  • Any other treatments that are necessary for personal needs and goals

Out-patient treatments are similar to other options, but they have a few key differences that make them stand out. Recognizing your options can help you determine if a plan is appropriate, but keep in mind that every program has different treatment options and solutions. Some programs may be more appropriate for your personal needs or the needs of a loved one based on the current situation, so you should always compare the options and look at the treatments that are offered.

Getting the Best Treatment

An out-patient program is usually an appropriate solution if you or a loved one has only used a substance for a short period of time and may not be emotionally addicted to the substance. Help Guide suggests that it can also help if you have already completed an in-patient program and want additional treatment without giving up your responsibilities.

Since the program does not require that you leave your home, it can be a good choice for individuals who are looking for recovery solutions that are not focused on residential needs. The group therapy and cognitive treatments that may be available can be a good choice for individuals who have not yet tried any treatment programs and who want to recover.

Along with the solutions that can help with recovery, the best treatment programs should focus on personal concerns and goals. Generally, an out-patient program will have limitations when it relates to the amount of time that is spent on treatment; however, it can provide the tools that an individual needs to recover without the high cost or time requirements. Depending on the situation, it can be a good choice for certain individuals.

An intensive out-patient program is an option that allows you or a loved one to seek treatment for an addiction without giving up responsibilities for a set duration of time. You or a loved one can attend therapy and treatment after work or when it is convenient for a personal schedule, which makes it a good choice if you are responsible for children or have other reasons to avoid an in-patient program.

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64094/
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/choosing-alcohol-treatment.htm

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