Many people struggle with serious substance use disorders involving alcohol or drugs. If you have realized that you are one of them and need help, there are different options available to you. You have no doubt heard of inpatient and outpatient rehab treatment.
One of the options you can choose to get help for your substance use disorder is intensive outpatient treatment. It’s important to get all the facts so that you can make an educated decision.
What Is an Intensive Outpatient Program?
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is a type of outpatient rehab treatment program that aims to provide a more intensive level of care tailored toward individuals who have unique situations that may have led to their substance use disorder involving drugs or alcohol. It’s a good option for anyone who suffers from co-occurring disorders. For example, if you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol as well as a mental health disorder, intensive outpatient treatment might be better for you than other types of rehab programs.
Like standard outpatient treatment, you come to the rehab facility several hours per week. However, intensive outpatient programs include more supervision so that you get a higher chance of success. On average, you might be required to come in to do your treatment between nine and 19 hours each week. Meanwhile, you can continue living at home while tending to your regular household and family responsibilities. While at the facility, you will have detox, therapy and other services to help you recover.
How Does Intensive Outpatient Treatment Differ from Inpatient Treatment?
Intensive outpatient treatment is different from inpatient treatment because it allows you to continue living at home. With inpatient rehab, you remain at the facility on a 24/7 basis. IOP is just about as intensive as inpatient treatment, but it allows you to schedule your time spent at treatment around your daily schedule. On the other hand, inpatient treatment programs can last 30, 60 or 90 days or even longer depending on the level of care you need.
Inpatient rehab treatment is often difficult for certain people due to the length of time spent away from their homes, families and friends. Intensive outpatient programs are more flexible and allow you to better maintain your relationships and your responsibilities at home.
Intensive outpatient programs and inpatient treatment both offer similar services. They include detox, therapy counseling sessions and support groups.
What Happens During Intensive Outpatient Treatment?
When you first enter an intensive outpatient program, you will go through intake. This involves meeting with a team of professionals who can assess the level of care you need for your treatment. The team could consist of doctors, nurses, therapists and mental health professionals. Your treatment plan is tailored to your needs based on your unique issues.
You may get the following services as part of your IOP treatment:
• Detoxification: The first step often involves detox, the process where the drugs or alcohol are removed from your body. In many cases, medication management is used to ease the symptoms of withdrawal, which can often be dangerous.
• Group counseling: Counseling sessions with a group of your peers can help as you share your own experiences and find ways to help one another. Group therapy allows you to learn from others so you don’t have to make the same mistakes over again.
• Individual therapy: Often, individual therapy involves cognitive behavioral therapy, which gives you a better perspective and teaches you ways to avoid certain triggering situations so you can avoid a relapse.
• Family therapy: Family therapy may be used to help your loved ones understand what you’re going through and help you reach your goals.
When Should You Choose Intensive Outpatient Treatment?
Intensive outpatient programs can help you recover from substance use disorder and keep you on the right track. Although inpatient treatment is often considered the standard of care for addiction recovery, IOP can help you when you lead a busy life and have many responsibilities. With it, you can continue tending to your work and home needs and obligations and get your treatment several hours per week at the facility.
Individuals with lifestyles involving these types of obligations can benefit from intensive outpatient treatment. Often, it’s advised that you have family members and friends get involved so that they can serve as a strong support system while you go through your rehab. They should understand that there are certain situations that can lead to triggers and should take steps to provide the right support to ensure that doesn’t happen.
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