Individuals who want to maintain a lot of flexibility within their lives can take advantage of an outpatient rehab should they need treatment for substance abuse. Outpatient rehab enables the rehab client to participate in rehabilitation services with the same commitment you might usually have to consent to within an inpatient or residential drug and alcohol treatment center. This doesn't often work in the rehab client's favor however, particularly for those individuals who need to resolve substantial drug abuse problems. So even though an outpatient rehab may seem like a convenient possibility, it isn't for everybody. Those who do decide on an outpatient rehab will usually attend meetings and take part in therapy and treatment services on a part-time basis on a daily basis or a few days per week. This can be very helpful for those who have recently completed a much more thorough inpatient or residential program as an effective aftercare or upkeep step, or someone with just a short history of drug abuse which is really a really small number of clients. For someone with more severe addiction and dependency problems, inpatient or residential drug treatment facilities which offer rehab on a long-term basis will probably be the more effective rehabilitation alternative.