What are the Advantages of Outpatient Rehab for Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol use disorder
can range in severity from mild to severe, and the form of treatment that is
right for you depends on where you fall on that spectrum. If your
symptoms of alcohol addiction
are not severe, you may be able to obtain treatment for your alcoholism on an
outpatient basis.

Outpatient rehab in Los Angeles
is a treatment option that may be the best choice for someone who wants to get
sober but is unable to step away from daily responsibilities, such as work,
school or child care. It may be an option for you if you have a fairly stable
life, good health physically and mentally, strong family support and you don’t
have a long history of problem drinking. For More Information About
Our Outpatient Treatment Programs
Call Us At:
(310) 455-5258

Advantages of Outpatient Rehab

There are some
advantages to outpatient rehab</a >, as long as your addiction is mild. These advantages include:

• More affordable than inpatient treatment
• Ability to continue some of your daily routine
• Ability to remain connected to your support system of family and friends
• More freedom and flexibility than inpatient treatment
• More privacy, since you may be able to avoid telling your employer or
  acquaintances that you are in treatment
• Can be effective if you are in the early stages of alcoholism

Types of Outpatient Rehab Programs

Outpatient programs usually meet for a set number of hours per day and number of
days per week. These programs include one-on-one counseling, group counseling,
medications that may relieve cravings or mild withdrawal symptoms and other
services to support recovery.  The American Society of Addiction Medicine</a >
defines outpatient services as those including less than nine hours of service
per week. Outpatient rehab programs sometimes include education programs to help
you understand the
disease of alcoholism. They may
also include classes to help you rebuild a healthy lifestyle such as nutrition,
meditation or yoga.

Intensive outpatient programs
are structured programs that consist of nine hours of treatment or more each
week. In this type of program, you would obtain treatment three to five days a
week for three or more hours each day. If you require a high level of care
without attending a residential facility, partial hospitalization may be right
for you. This type of program consists of 20 or more hours of addiction recovery
services each week. This can work for you if you have psychological challenges
or medical issues, as long as you don’t need 24-hour supervision.

Recognizing When You Need Help

If you are in the early
stages of alcoholism, you may
question whether or not you actually need help. Some signs that your use of
alcohol has progressed to alcohol use disorder include:

• Feeling uncomfortable when alcohol isn’t available
• Feeling compelled to drink
• Having the inability to control how much you drink
• Regularly drinking more than you intend to
• Feeling guilty or ashamed about your drinking
• Forgetting things you have done while drinking

What’s important isn’t so much the amount of alcohol you are drinking but how it
is affecting you. If you are having problems in your life because of your
drinking, it’s time to get help.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Method of Treatment

Alcohol is a powerful drug that can be physically and mentally addicting. If you
have become physically dependent on alcohol, attempting to stop can cause
withdrawal symptoms that can range in severity from uncomfortable to
life-threatening. If you have
coexisting disorders such as mental illness
or addiction to other substances, outpatient rehab may not be the right choice
for you. A good place to start finding out your treatment options is by talking
to your doctor, who will evaluate your overall health and determine if you have
any medical problems that could complicate treatment. Talking with your doctor
or an addiction professional can help you determine whether treatment should be
done on an inpatient or outpatient basis. If you or a loved one are struggling
with alcoholism, please call us at
(310) 455-5258 or submit the form
below to learn more about our alcohol addiction treatment programs in Los
Angeles.