How Does Outpatient Detox Work?

When a person chooses to attend outpatient detox, there are many factors that inform that decision. Outpatient detox is similar to inpatient but has some major differences. If you choose outpatient detox, it is important to understand how it works.

What is Outpatient Detox?

Detox is a specific kind of treatment that is used on patients who are still dependent on a drug. The patient will be given medications to soothe the inevitable withdrawal symptoms that come when a person stops taking a drug he or she was dependent on. There is often also the use of therapy which helps patients who are addicted to a specific drug. According to SAMHSA, “detoxification may take several days to a week or more.” While the person is detoxing, he or she “will receive medical care and may begin to receive education about his or her disease.”

Outpatient detox takes place in a clinic or facility where the patient does not stay overnight. The patient usually visits the facility once a day, especially at first, to receive treatment in the form of medication and therapy. This is the major difference between outpatient and inpatient detox.

How Does Outpatient Detox Work?

In outpatient detox you will go to treatment at pre-appointed times, rather than live in the facility.

At first, the patient will go through a series of questions and medical tests in order to evaluate the detox treatment plan. Usually, the patient will start by meeting a counselor who “will begin by gathering information about the person, asking many questions.” This first visit is the longest and usually takes a few hours. After the treatment plan is set in place, the individual will begin detox. Then, the patient will visit the facility once a day and receive medication. There are often also mandatory therapy sessions, whether they are one-on-one with a counselor, group, or mutual-help group based.

Patients often have to submit to mandatory drug tests in order to receive their medications. The important thing to remember is that “no single approach to detoxification is guaranteed to be best for all addicts” (Harvard Medical School).

If you are a single parent or if you cannot leave your job for a week or more in order to go through inpatient detox, outpatient detox could be very beneficial to you. You will receive all of the same treatment and care that you would have received in an inpatient facility, but you will also be able to live your life without disruption.

What Makes Outpatient Detox Work?

Understanding what outpatient detox is, what its limitations are, and how it could help you are the ways to make outpatient detox work for you. If you have a strong support system of friends and family at home, then they could be a wonderful supplement to your outpatient detox regimen. Outpatient detox works best when it fits to the needs of the patient. It is run by medical professionals who expect patients to follow the rules of detox, take their medications in the correct dosages, and continue into addiction treatment if necessary. All in all, outpatient detox works best if you really want to get sober and you have a strong support system to fall back on.