Individuals who wish to maintain a certain amount of flexibility in their lives can take advantage of an outpatient rehab should they need rehabilitation for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab will allow for the rehabilitation client to take part in rehab services with the same commitment you might ordinarily have to consent to in an inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehab center. This doesn't often work in the treatment client's favor however, particularly for those individuals who need to resolve substantial substance abuse issues. So while an outpatient rehab may seem like a convenient option, it isn't for everyone. Those who decide on an outpatient rehab will ordinarily take part in meetings and be a part of counseling and rehab services part-time each day or a few days each week. This is often helpful for individuals who have just completed an even more extensive inpatient or residential program as an effective aftercare or maintenance step, or for someone with only a brief history of drug abuse which is really a very small number of clients. For an individual with more severe drug abuse and dependency problems, inpatient or residential drug treatment programs which provide treatment on a long-term basis will probably be the more beneficial rehab choice.