When people misuse or abuse alcohol, they sometimes develop emotional or physical addictions to the substance that they need help overcoming. There are a variety of Alcohol Treatment Programs in Puyallup WA, but the most common question people ask is whether they should sign up for inpatient or outpatient treatment. Here’s a brief description of both to help a person decide which option is best for him or her.
Outpatient Treatment Program
In an outpatient treatment program, the person lives outside the rehab facility at home or in a sober living environment and travels to the rehab center for treatment. Despite providing this particular bit of freedom, outpatient treatment requires quite a bit of time commitment. Typically, the individual will meet with the counselor or doctor a minimum of 3 days a week for several hours at a time. However, outpatient programs tend to be flexible about the times when these meetings take place.
The benefit of outpatient programs is the person doesn’t have to worry about finding a place to live after he or she is treated. At the same time, these programs are best for people who have support networks that will help them avoid slipping back into drinking behaviors that got them into trouble in the first place.
Inpatient Treatment Program
Inpatient treatment programs require people to live in the facility while they are being treated for alcohol abuse or addiction. These programs typically last anywhere from 30 to 90 days and may be held at single-gender or mixed-gender facilities. Patients meet with their counselors several times a week to learn how to live sober but may also participate in other activities such as exercise and games to pass the time.
The primary benefit of this type of program is it gets the person out of a toxic environment that may have contributed to his or her addiction. It’s also best for people who have physical addictions to alcohol as the alcohol detoxification process can be dangerous and should be monitored by a medical professional.
