Deciding on the right supports while pursuing sobriety is an important step, and sometimes one that people need help with. Whether you are weighing options for yourself or doing research to help someone you love, the choice between residential and outpatient care is an important one. Residential care is intensive and for some people the only resolution that works. At the same time, it’s disruptive, and patients who don’t have the option of leaving work for an extended period or leaving family will need options. Outpatient care has its own strengths, too. It provides strong therapeutic support while maintaining your existing support network, so for those who have strong family structures and help in the community or workplace often benefit from it. There’s a lot more than that to making the choice, though, and sometimes help is needed.
Detox and Recovery
The biggest reason for going into a residential program instead of an outpatient treatment program is the supervision of the detox process. People with complex addiction issues and a history of high dosage substance abuse form physical dependencies that have to be dealt with carefully if they are going to make it to sobriety in good health. Depending on the substance, patients can experience a range of symptoms that, if left unmonitored and untreated, can escalate into serious health issues. It’s not uncommon for a weakened body going through withdrawal symptoms to experience muscle tremors, flu-like symptoms, or in extreme cases, even occasional seizures.
Medical supervision in a residential facility means having access to a range of supports that can only be provided in a clinical setting.
- Medication support to alleviate symptoms
- Dietary support to rebuild strength and healthy weight when necessary
- Medical support for underlying conditions, including chronic pain
- Advice and guidance during physical rehabilitation
- Monitoring against an emergent medical situation brought on by detox
Patients who do not need to detox because they have handled the process on their own or because their relapse was brief enough that withdrawal symptoms are not a concern often benefit from the less intense outpatient option, but for those who need to clear a substance from their system after long-term use, residential facilities are often the only way.
Location and Campus Features
When choosing a rehab facility, it’s important to understand what will be around in the community when the time comes to move into sober living and then eventually to an independent situation involving a regular work/life balance. Selecting an Austin drug rehab that is located in an urban setting but that has its own private campus means mediating between the need for seclusion and easy access to public transportation and other important services when the time comes to begin moving back into the community. It’s another important choice if you are opting for a residential solution. For outpatient programs, it’s more common to shop for an accessible location based on the patient’s current travel capabilities and work/life balance.
Ask for Advice
If you’re still not sure what option is best for your case, it never hurts to ask a care provider for a consultation. Therapists who specialize in addiction issues might be able to help you sort the choices and make the right decision. A short conversation with your doctor about your health and detox oversight might also be in order. It’s an important decision, and one with lasting impact, so don’t rush yourself. There are many success stories using each model, and the important ingredient in all of them is how well they fit the needs of the patient at the time. The whole point of having a variety of program lengths and formats is to make it possible to find the fit that works for each patient.
