Individuals who would like to maintain a certain amount of flexibility within their lives can engage in an outpatient rehab whenever they need treatment for substance abuse. Outpatient rehab enables the rehabilitation client to participate in rehabilitation services with the same commitment one would normally have to consent to in an inpatient or residential drug rehabilitation center. This doesn't always work in the treatment client's favor however, particularly for those individuals who need to resolve substantial substance abuse issues. So even though an outpatient rehab might appear to be an opportune possibility, it isn't for everyone. People that choose an outpatient rehab will typically attend meetings and take part in therapy and treatment services part-time daily or several days per week. This can be very helpful for many who have recently completed a much more extensive inpatient or residential program as a good aftercare or upkeep step, and for someone with only a brief history of drug use which is really a really small number of clients. For an individual with more serious addiction and dependency problems, inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehab centers which provide treatment on a long-term basis will probably be the more effective rehabilitation choice.