In addiction recovery, getting help is always best. In fact, it’s widely believed that the more structured addiction treatment people receive, the easier it will be for these individuals to avoid relapse. However, although length of addiction treatment is important, it’s also vital for people to find the right rehab types. Some programs offer far more freedom and flexibility than others, and some are streamlined to suit a very specific range of needs.
This is why prospective patients and their families are always encouraged to spend time learning about the different treatment options that exist. There are two basic program types available. These are on-campus treatment and off-campus treatment. They are also referred to as inpatient addiction treatment and outpatient addiction treatment respectively.
Inpatient programs are held on closed campuses. People spend the duration of their time in rehab in secure facilities where they’re completely removed from outside temptations, and able to focus solely on recovering. Outpatient programs require a nominal commitment of on-campus time depending upon their level of intensity. Basic outpatient programs require weekly commitments of just seven to 12 hours, and intensive outpatient programs require weekly commitments of 35 hours or more.
Assessing Your Risk Factors and Needs
For many people, the decision of which rehab type to attend initially appears to be all about preference. You might be interested in finding a program with few rules and minimal restrictions on your comings and goings. However, the best way to look for a rehab program that will set the stage for success is by considering your needs and your risk factors.
Relapse rates among newly recovering addicts are surprisingly high. This remains true even when structured addiction treatment is received. The best way to lower your likelihood of relapsing is by understanding what your risk factors for relapse are and then taking steps to proactively mitigate them. Among some of the most common risk factors for relapse are:
- Heavy drug or alcohol use
- Untreated co-occurring disorders
- Multiple relapses in the past
- Toxic or unhealthy living environments
With outpatient addiction treatment, you’ll have enough freedom and free time to continuing going to work, attending school, and taking care of other outside needs. However, this freedom and free time can work against if you’ve been heavily abusing drugs or alcohol for quite a while. This is also true if you have a co-occurring disorder like general anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, or bipolar disorder that has yet to be professionally diagnosed and treated. Until co-occurring disorders are both known and successfully managed, many people will continue returning to drug or alcohol use in an effort to self-treat.
Inpatient rehab programs give people with co-occurring disorders ample time to achieve mood balance, and all of the support and tools that they’ll need for maintaining it. The Affordable Care Act of 2017 made it unlawful for private health insurance companies to penalize applicants for having either substance use disorder or alcohol use disorder as known, pre-existing conditions.
The Affordable Care Act also made it mandatory for private health insurers to pay for some or all of the related treatment costs. Thus, whether you have insurance already or intend to buy it as a means for covering your rehab expenses, the price of attending the program you want shouldn’t be a huge deterrent. However, you may be required to work with in-network facilities and providers. Thus, it’s also a good idea to spend time researching your health insurance plan, learning more about what it will and will not cover, and finding out which limitations exist on where you can receive treatment. Your health insurance policy might cover a number of in-state rehabs, but it may provide less coverage if you choose an out-of-network, out-of-state treatment center instead.
When considering your options in addiction treatment, keep in mind that there are both inpatient and outpatient programs that cater to various demographics, age groups, belief systems, and lifestyles. There are men or women-only programs, programs for senior adults, and programs for members of the LGBTQ community. There are also programs for teenagers, faith-based rehabs, and holistic rehabs among many others. If you need help learning more about your treatment options, give us a call at 833-497-3812 today!