Individuals who wish to maintain a lot of flexibility in their lives can engage in an outpatient rehab whenever they need treatment for substance abuse. Outpatient rehab will allow for the rehabilitation client to participate in treatment services without the commitment you might normally have to agree to in an inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. This doesn't often work in the rehab client's favor however, specifically those clients who need to solve substantial drug abuse problems. So even though an outpatient rehab may seem like a convenient possibility, it isn't for everybody. People that decide on an outpatient rehab will typically show up at meetings and take part in therapy and rehab services part-time each day or a few days per week. This can be very helpful for those who have recently completed a far more complete inpatient or residential program as a good aftercare or maintenance step, or for someone with only a brief history of drug use which is really a very small percentage of clients. For somebody with more severe drug abuse and dependency issues, inpatient or residential drug treatment facilities that provide rehab over a long-term basis will probably be the more effective treatment option.