The Benefits of Outpatient Therapy

Sober living is challenging outside the walls of a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center. Once treatment ends, recovery truly begins and can feel daunting. Outpatient therapy may be a good alternative to individuals considering treatment options, with beneficial results.

Addiction Treatment

Most inpatient drug and alcohol treatment programs range anywhere from 30 to 90 days. The reason many people relapse is due to a limited amount of treatment. Continued therapeutic support is crucial to long term recovery for individuals with addiction. No true amount of time is recorded for each individual in treatment, in fact, addiction is a lifelong issue affecting the brain and body. Compulsive drug and alcohol urges, in spite of potentially harmful consequences, continue to challenge a person’s sobriety long after treatment ends. Outpatient therapy is a critical step on the path to recovery.

Outpatient Addiction Services

Science-based therapeutic services can provide individuals in treatment with resources to manage addiction and lead a successful, fulfilling life. Some of the following treatments may be used to support an individual’s recovery in an outpatient program:

Cognitive remediation therapy: helps repair and improve weakened brain functions, such as memory loss and task sequencing caused by alcohol or drug use.

Neurobiofeedback: helps treat chronic brain disease of addiction by retraining person’s brain to be calm, focused and relaxed in stressful situations. Stress-inducing incidences can be a major cause of relapse. Neurobiofeedback provides a solid foundation on which to build recovery.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): addiction therapy technique used to desensitize patients when it comes to negative emotions associated with a traumatic event. Treatment is used as a tool to reprocess traumatic memories into something more positive.

Stress Management

One of the most important goals of outpatient therapy is to teach healthy coping skills for dealing with stress. When an individual uses drugs or alcohol, the person with addiction relies on the substance as a coping mechanism. Medical professionals in the outpatient treatment program can support individuals in treatment to:

• Develop a handful of coping strategies for dealing with and managing stress effectively
• Find a new, sober peer group
• Support better stress management around previous trauma in a healthy way
• Equip individuals with a variety of tools before going into intense therapy issues (past traumatic experiences and events)

Continuity of Care

Outpatient therapy can be a necessary component for long-term success. Individuals who are struggling with addiction now or in the past may choose to continue the recovery journey by joining a continued care support program. Triggers exist all around people in recovery which is why a continuing care program is recommended, to support an individual’s engagement with the recovery process. An aftercare plan is important to staying connected with a community of like minded individuals who understand addiction, sobriety and recovery while also providing the necessary support to make it through the ups and downs, which will inevitably come as part of the process.

If you are searching for the right treatment program, whether it is inpatient or outpatient, Hired Power can help. We provide tools and resources to help you on the journey to recovery. Contact us to find out how we can help you get started.