Addiction, dependence, and substance abuse are problems faced by tens of millions of Americans.

Like many other medical conditions, these problems affect people in every racial, gender, and economic group. It's probably fair to say that addiction doesn't discriminate.

When you or a loved one faces addiction, you must make a choice about what kind of treatment to seek. The two main options are inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab.

When confronting the inpatient vs outpatient rehab choice, it's not always clear which is right for you.

It's crucial that you understand what each option entails, as well as the pros and cons for both. So, keep reading and we'll give you the essentials.
Inpatient Rehab

Inpatient treatment or residential treatment …show more content…
A typical stay lasts for approximately a month, but some programs last for several months.
Inpatient Rehab Pros

Inpatient programs offer a lot of benefits.

You stay in a structured, tightly monitored environment. This limits distractions.

For example, kids demand a lot of sustained attention from their parents. While that's normal, it's not conducive for self-reflection.

Recover demands you spend some serious time thinking about yourself and how you live.

Perhaps even more importantly, it limits temptations.

Say you're an alcoholic, but you do all of your drinking in bars. There are no bars available at the rehab center. There's less temptation when the right context isn't there.

The closed campus prevents stressors from your daily life from interfering with your treatment. Whether it's an overbearing boss, relentless debt collectors, or a cajoling drug dealer, they stay on the outside.

You get access to care and support around-the-clock. If you need a sympathetic ear at 3:00 am, you'll find one. If you have a medical crisis, the medical staff is right down the hall.
Inpatient Rehab …show more content…
It's much easier to find childcare a few nights a week than 24/7.

Some outpatient groups are smaller than inpatient groups. That means clients get more individual attention from the counselors.

Outpatient rehab costs less than inpatient treatment. That doesn't translate into cheap, but cheaper can prove a make or break issue.
Outpatient Rehab Cons

Outpatient rehab comes with a lot of potentially serious pitfalls.

One of the main enemies of recovery is relapse. That's when someone who gets through detox and a period of sobriety slips back into regular substance abuse. Opportunity and temptation are at the heart of relapse.

In outpatient rehab, you never escape opportunity or temptation.

Let's say you abused drugs and your dealer is a coworker. Every time you see that coworker it's an opportunity. Since your dealer sees you as a source of income, he or she will offer you drugs.

Say that you usually drink at a bar you drive past on the way home from work. You'll see that bar on a regular basis unless you put a lot of work into avoiding it. Every time you see that bar, it'll feel like an invitation.

It's very hard to resist that kind of