What is outpatient recovery?
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Look up options in your area by googling the words. I'd suggest scrolling past the ones with ads at the top of the page and taking a look at the facilities you will find.
There are various outpatient programs. Some involve things like a 3x a week meeting (individual and/or group) for a certain time frame like an 8 week program. Others are more intensive, like an all day/almost all day program every day or so, again usually for a set length of time. There are also sober living programs where you can live in some version of a "house" (maybe a group of apartments) with rules about going and coming, meetings (usually AA/12 step based); a lot of these are the after part of being in that facility's inpatient program for a certain amount of time. Cost for all this will vary.
There are various outpatient programs. Some involve things like a 3x a week meeting (individual and/or group) for a certain time frame like an 8 week program. Others are more intensive, like an all day/almost all day program every day or so, again usually for a set length of time. There are also sober living programs where you can live in some version of a "house" (maybe a group of apartments) with rules about going and coming, meetings (usually AA/12 step based); a lot of these are the after part of being in that facility's inpatient program for a certain amount of time. Cost for all this will vary.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
Outpatient programs vary. You'll have to see what's available in your area, and then decide what's best for you and your schedule. Mine was 4 hours, 3 days a week for 8 weeks, then once a week for 2 hours for another 4 months. So 6 months total. It was all group work. It worked for me. You may need/want a more intensive outpatient program.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
Insurance usually does cover it. Mine did. I still had to pay my co-pay for each session ($20) but it was so worth it. Some places will have a sliding fee scale if your insurance doesn't cover, or if it doesn't cover enough.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 64
I went to a program that was 2-hour group sessions 2-3 times a week. I was referred through my employer's Employee Assistance Program, who had a partnership with a regional hospital system (although it was a community-based non profit program, I think). It was a great program, even though I relapsed later, because it was MY unwillingness to fully commit that was the problem.
The only issue I didn't anticipate was that I was denied for life insurance soon afterwards because I had to disclose that I had been in a substance abuse treatment program since it was "formal" rather than something like AA.
The only issue I didn't anticipate was that I was denied for life insurance soon afterwards because I had to disclose that I had been in a substance abuse treatment program since it was "formal" rather than something like AA.
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
Insurance covered mine. I did a 20-day IOP (intensive outpatient program). We went for four hours per day in the morning, five days per week. I got a lot out of it. I highly recommend going if you are ready to go. Many were there who didn't want to be. I wanted to be there.
It was group therapy. It helped me tremendously to open up and talk to others. It was healing.
It was group therapy. It helped me tremendously to open up and talk to others. It was healing.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 64
Originally Posted by LifeChanges 
What were your experiences like? A lot of therapy about past?
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
It was exactly what I wanted it to be ... I talked only about what I was willing to talk about. Unlike individual counseling, it was more specific to current problems and issues related to the substance abuse problem. I actually did bring up family and the past, because, for me, I felt it all tied into my substance abuse. But for others, that might not have been the case. We are all different.
It truly was what I made it to be... in a sense, highly individualized, yet in a group setting. And we all shared commonalities, so it felt 'ok' to be there. It allowed me to talk about things I felt shameful about it, and talked about grief over my mom's suicide, and many other things.
Then after it was over, I continued with individual therapy for a little while. That was not quite as helpful, but it depends on the therapist.
It truly was what I made it to be... in a sense, highly individualized, yet in a group setting. And we all shared commonalities, so it felt 'ok' to be there. It allowed me to talk about things I felt shameful about it, and talked about grief over my mom's suicide, and many other things.
Then after it was over, I continued with individual therapy for a little while. That was not quite as helpful, but it depends on the therapist.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
We talked about the past some, but more about what addiction is and what it does to us. And how to set up plans for continued sobriety. For me, the past was an important part of my recovery, but I worked on that part more on my own, and in AA, which I was doing at the same time as treatment (still do).
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