Individuals who wish to maintain a lot of flexibility in their lives can engage in an outpatient rehab if they need rehab for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab enables the rehabilitation client to participate in rehabilitation services with the same commitment you might ordinarily have to agree to within an inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. This doesn't often work in the rehab client's favor however, particularly for those clients who need to resolve significant substance abuse problems. So while an outpatient rehab may seem like a convenient option, it isn't for everybody. People who do decide on an outpatient rehab will typically attend meetings and take part in counseling and rehab services part-time each day or a few days per week. This is helpful for individuals who have just completed a more thorough inpatient or residential program as an effective aftercare or maintenance step, or someone with just a brief history of substance abuse which is really a very small percentage of clients. For somebody with more significant addiction and dependency problems, inpatient or residential drug rehab centers which provide treatment over a long-term basis are going to be the more effective rehab alternative.