It’s a shame some people allow barriers to get in the way of getting treatment for an addiction. If you have been struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, you must know things won’t end well if you don’t get help. Of course, the only help that’s going to save your future is addiction treatment from a reputable rehab facility.
No matter what, your top priority has to be taking care of your addiction issue. With that said, it is possible you might have some personal circumstances that would make it very difficult for you to submit yourself for treatment. If missing work would put an undue burden on you, your employer and your family, you’ll appreciate knowing there are treatment alternatives that will allow you to attend to your work responsibilities and rehab at the same time.
Will I Have to Take Time Off Work to Get Treatment for Addiction?
A lot of people live with the presumption residential or inpatient treatment is the only way back from addiction. While inpatient care is usually the preferred method of treatment, there is less restrictive treatment alternatives available.
Most of the nation’s top rehabs, we included, will offer outpatient treatment programs as an alternative to inpatient care. In such programs, the client is required to report for treatment at scheduled times for intensive therapy while being allowed to return home after completing their therapy sessions for the day. For the most part, outpatient programs work best for clients who have the capacity to follow rules and meet time obligations.
As you can see, it is possible for you to attend to your addiction without having to miss time from work. Before you decide to go this route, caution is warranted. As long as you abide by the outpatient treatment standards set forth by the rehab facility, you will be a welcomed part of the program. Should you fail to meet the required standards, the rehab facility might request you choose between residential treatment and expulsion from the program.
To help you better understand your outpatient options, we thought a review of the following three outpatient options would be in order. These options include:
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
- Standard outpatient care
You’ll want to note that all three options are listed from most restrictions to the least restrictive option. Starting with PHP, you would be required to participate in intensive individual and group therapy programs for 5-7 days a week, 6-8 hours a day. While that would make taking care of you work responsibilities a difficult proposition, you should be able to arrange to fulfill your requirements at night and during the weekends.
At the next level, IOP, you would be required to report for therapy 3-5 days a week for 4-6 hours a week. Again, you should have no problem scheduling your therapy programs in the evenings and on weekend.
Standard outpatient care is by far the least restrictive option. You would be required to report 2-3 days a week for 2-3 hours a day. If you were to play your cards right, this option could actually afford you the opportunity to fulfill all your therapy obligations over the weekend. That would allow you to have a normal workweek without having to worry about treatment.
There is one more thing worth noting. Should you choose to go the outpatient path, the hierarchy of outpatient treatment options could work in your favor. Let’s say you start your addiction treatment process at the PHP level. If you were to meet all of your obligations and show good progress along the way, it’s quite possible your therapist would allow you to drop one level on the treatment. You might consider it a reward for a job well done. The whole point of the treatment process is to get you past your addiction. Nothing is intended to be punitive as long as you make an honest attempt to do your best.
We hope the information listed above answers your question about working and getting treatment at the same time. We also hope this information motivates you to finally reach out for help. If that’s the case, you can speak with one of our representatives by calling 800-411-8019. We’ll be glad to provide you with more information about our facility and treatment programs.