Treating Alcoholism: Comparing
Inpatient and Outpatient Approaches

There are two categories of addiction programs for treating alcoholism: inpatient and outpatient. Understanding the differences and similarities of these two approaches will help make it easier for alcoholics and their loved ones to identify which program type best serves their needs.

Inpatient and outpatient alcoholism treatment programs have many common characteristics. For example, both methods of treating alcoholism utilize individual and group therapy techniques.

Most also provide couples and family therapy since alcoholism has a pervasive effect on the family unit.

Inpatient and outpatient programs also educate the alcoholic and the family about the nature of addiction while guiding the patientt through goal setting and monitoring of those goals.

Differences

The most obvious difference between an inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment program is the location of the patient during treatment.

As the name implies, those who receive help through an inpatient treatment program remain at a treatment facility 24 hours per day.

The exact number of days the alcoholic remains at the inpatient treatment facility depends on the policies of the rehab center and the individual needs of the patient.

In general, these programs last three to six weeks. After the intensive inpatient treatment is complete, extensive outpatient therapy typically follows.

Conversely, an outpatient program allows the patient to remain at home while undergoing treatment. This makes it possible for the alcoholic to continue working and to be with family while undergoing care.

In an outpatient program, the patient attends treatment during the day. As with inpatient programs, the number of days per week treating alcoholism and the length of the program depends on the rehab center policies and the individual needs of the addict.

Eighty-five percent of people participating in an addiction recovery program opt for outpatient treatment.

Another option for treating alcoholism includes partial hospitalization. With this type of treatment, the patient remains home at night, but attends treatment more frequently than a person undergoing standard outpatient treatment.

Usually, a person in a partial hospitalization program attends the program three to seven days per week for three to twelve hours per day.

Advantages of Outpatient Treatment

When it comes to choosing the right addiction recovery program, there are many factors to consider. For example, an outpatient treatment program may be best for a person that:

• Needs to continue working every day while undergoing treatment

• Cannot afford to pay for inpatient treatment, which tends to be quite costly

• Needs to remain near family

• Has a supportive household that will ensure he or she attends treatment programs and carries through with program goals while at home

It is important to note that an alcoholic utilizing outpatient treatment needs to be able to deal with the real world while recovering from alcohol dependence. For some, this is too much to bear, while for others the daily tests they encounter can help to strengthen their commitment and their methods of coping with addiction.

A partial hospitalization program has many of the same advantages of an outpatient addiction treatment program. It does, however, provide more structure and more intensive programming than outpatient treatment. Partial hospitalization for treating alcoholism is usually more costly than outpatient treatment, but less costly than inpatient.

Advantages of Inpatient Treatment

There are many reasons to consider inpatient addiction treatment rather than outpatient. These include:

• The alcoholic has already undergone outpatient or partial hospitalization treatment and it was unsuccessful

• The patient has other medical problems, such as digestive problems, liver problems, infections, heart problems, anxiety, or intense depression that requires a greater amount of attention

• The alcoholic lives too far away from the drug rehab center to make outpatient treatment feasible

• The home situation is chaotic and unable to provide the necessary support to advance recovery

Despite its advantages, treating alcoholism with an inpatient program can have its difficulties. The hardest aspect is the struggley patients have reconnecting with their community, family, and friends after being away for a period of time. It can also be difficult to provide after care services to a patient that lives far away from the treatment facility.

Source: The California Rehab Guide, which lists and reviews alcohol rehab facilities, lawyers and interventionists, as well as provides information on addiction treatment options.

Related Information

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