Whether it is you or a loved one seeking the path to true recovery from substances, you have likely come across these terms: inpatient and outpatient treatment. What do they actually mean? What sets them apart? And how does Positive Recovery add a different lens to each?
The road to recovery should be transparent and easy to understand for everyone involved. Here is the difference, in plain language, with input from our clinical team.
Inpatient treatment: a new beginning
Let us start at the beginning, because the beginning is the essence of inpatient treatment, according to Rebecca Buzek, LPC-S, Garden Oaks Executive Director.
While treatment is not recovery and successful completion of inpatient treatment is in no way indicative of whether a person will remain sober, it is the vital first step to treating the acute symptoms of active addiction. Without this step, a person with substance use disorder is often unable to stop using long enough to begin the journey of recovery.
Inpatient is more than a first step. It is a place where clients begin to heal. At Positive Recovery Centers, clients are given a Values In Action (VIA) Assessment, evaluated medically and psychiatrically, and given opportunities to socialize and get to know others at the treatment center. We build treatment plans using each client's signature strengths because, so often in addiction, we forget what our strengths are.
24/7 support during early recovery
Rehabilitation can be a challenging process, and patients may experience emotional and physical ups and downs. Having access to support at all hours of the day helps individuals cope and ensures they do not feel isolated in their recovery journey. With family involvement, that support extends to the people closest to them as well.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
For individuals qualifying for Medication-Assisted Treatment, including Suboxone, inpatient rehab is when and where clients are first introduced to this life-saving medication. Proper medication management is crucial to the effectiveness and safety of the treatment, particularly for those with complex medical conditions.
Path to healing
Inpatient treatment is a catalyst for both recovery and healing. Real success stories back this up. Recent research suggests that the vast majority of people who experience addiction will eventually leave it behind. The key is giving people in recovery essential coping skills, self-esteem, mindfulness, and more to fortify their journey away from addiction. Without those tools, the cycle of relapse persists.
Outpatient treatment: flexibility with structure
If inpatient is the first step, outpatient is often the second phase. Outpatient shares similarities with inpatient. Both offer therapy, counseling, and addiction treatment. The distinction is that clients receive outpatient treatment while still residing at home or in sober living.
That makes outpatient a flexible option. It lets clients hold their everyday commitments and relationships while actively pursuing recovery. IOP and PHP are the two outpatient levels of care most clients move through after inpatient.
Not Sure Which Level of Care Fits?
Our admissions team can walk through your situation and recommend the right starting point. Confidential, available 24/7.
What's right for me?
How do you decide whether inpatient or outpatient is the right fit? Positive Recovery Centers addresses this through a targeted intake process. The questions relevant to inpatient care include the duration of substance use, the potential detoxification risks, and the consequences of usage over time.
For outpatient, different factors come into play: the presence of family and community support, the ability to abstain from substances intermittently, and the client's historical pattern of substance use. Every case and client is unique. What determines whether a person enters inpatient or outpatient varies because placement is a diverse and personalized process.
Positive Recovery Centers takes into consideration what will create the most successful outcome for the client by matching the intensity of services provided to what each client needs.
Positive Recovery: no more negative talk
Positive Recovery is grounded in the principles of Positive Psychology and offers a different perspective on addiction treatment that focuses on the inherent strengths unique to each person. People in active addiction are often hit with all the things that are wrong, whether that is from friends, family, employers, or their own self-talk. We work diligently to stop that negative self-talk loop when clients enter our program.
Positive introduction
From the very beginning of their inpatient journey, clients at Positive Recovery Centers are met with empathy and compassion. They are taught positive coping strategies and directed to reframe their life stories, turning what they might have seen as sad or tragic into sources of inspiration and growth.
One of our client's first assignments is the positive introduction. It allows them to start the retelling of their story with something inspiring. It also puts them back in touch with the person they want to be, the person they can be. At PRC, we remove the identification of the person with the substance. Think the difference between Hi, I am Joe, an alcoholic versus Hi, I am Joe, and me at my best is. We do not negate that our clients have a substance use disorder. We put emphasis on who they are as a person.
Beyond inpatient, beyond outpatient
The Positive Recovery approach extends into outpatient and beyond, covering every step along the way to ensure personal growth and lasting healing. During outpatient, clients continue to lean on their strengths and begin to use them as part of their coping mechanisms. Their coping skills sharpen over time, and they start to see the unique perspective they offer to the world, their community, and themselves.
Addiction treatment services in Texas
If you or a loved one need addiction treatment, Positive Recovery Centers is here. We provide a full continuum of care across Texas, from medical detox to residential treatment, PHP, IOP, and aftercare. Call us at 713-904-4699 to speak with our admissions team.
A new life in recovery may just be a phone call away.