Two Primary Benefits of Intensive Outpatient Treatment Programs
While substance abuse recovery can seem daunting in the early stages, choosing the right treatment plan will ensure that you have the best tools at your disposal to help you along the road to sobriety. After spending time in an inpatient treatment center, many patients elect to participate in an intensive outpatient program (IOP) due to the flexibility this option provides, as these programs allow patients to maintain much of their normal routine during the later stages of their recovery while providing them with the continued support they need. Here are just a few of the benefits intensive outpatient programs can provide to patients.
Maintain Your Routine
For many patients, the primary benefit of intensive outpatient treatment is that it gives them the flexibility to maintain much of their normal routine. For those who have young children, and/or who are the sole provider for their household, an extensive program may be unrealistic due to the length of time this would take them away from their job/family. Transitioning to an IOP when they are ready to do so then provides these individuals with the freedom they need by allowing them to work and take care of their family while maintaining sobriety as a priority.
Get Help From Family and Friends
Isolation is one of the biggest threats to recovery from addiction, which is why inpatient programs work to create a sense of community amongst patients. However, individuals with a wide support network of family and friends may find transitioning to an intensive outpatient treatment to be even more beneficial for them due to the fact that an outpatient program will allow them to have access to their support network in addition to their outpatient community. IOPs then provide patients who have a support network at home with the best of both worlds by allowing them to continue to connect with a community of patients similar to them during the day, while allowing them to return to their families at night.
When deciding how to continue your addiction recovery treatment after spending time in an inpatient treatment center, you may want to consider the benefits an intensive inpatient program could provide you with. You will ultimately want to work with your primary care physician, or the doctor you have been working with at your treatment center, to help you determine what plan will be best for you are you continue your treatment program.