What Therapy is Available in Outpatient Drug and Alcohol Rehab?

When you are getting substance abuse treatment at a drug and alcohol rehab in Malibu, recovery does not end when you leave. Rather, while inpatient treatment helps get you off drugs and alcohol and teaches you the skills you need to know, outpatient treatment is what helps you implement it in your day-to-day life.

You may have expected treatment to be over and done with after your weeks in residential rehab, but most recovering addicts consider outpatient treatment to have been crucial in their success. Rehab necessarily takes you out of the real world, giving you the space to recover. It takes time and support to get back to life as normal.

Here’s what to expect from outpatient treatment after drug and alcohol rehab.

Continued therapy

In outpatient treatment, you will continue therapy with the same therapist. This is so that your therapy journey is uninterrupted. You will have worked extensively in therapy in rehab towards living a clean or sober life, and your therapist is best placed to help you implement what you have discussed.

Continuing to see the same therapist ensures that you don’t have to reintroduce yourself to a new therapist and catch them up on your process.

Outpatient support groups

Community is an important recovery, and group therapy is therefore a big part of treatment in rehab. In outpatient substance abuse treatment, you will attend support groups where you share your experience with others going through the same process.

Whereas much of your time in groups during inpatient rehab will have been spent discussing your pasts, now you will be sharing your current experiences. You will get encouragement from others and learn from how they are managing their addiction recovery.

Psychiatry

During rehab, your doctor might put you on non-addictive medication to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. Managing this medication is one of the most important aspects of your outpatient recovery. In outpatient treatment, you will meet with your psychiatrist to discuss your medication and manage any difficulties or changes.

Family therapy

Family therapy is an important part of rehab. However, it becomes even more relevant when you are once again living with your family. If you are staying with family, family therapy may be a necessary treatment module on an outpatient basis. Family therapy will help you develop healthy boundaries that can be implemented to keep you on track and rebuild trust.

Outpatient therapy is really a fundamental component of the rehab process. It gives recovering addicts the support they need when transitioning from residential rehab to normal life.