Individuals who wish to maintain some flexibility in their lives can take advantage of an outpatient rehab if they need rehabilitation for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab enables the treatment client to take part in treatment services without the commitment one would ordinarily have to consent to within an inpatient or residential drug treatment center. This doesn't often work in the rehabilitation client's favor however, specifically those clients who need to solve significant drug abuse issues. So even though an outpatient rehab may seem like a convenient possibility, it isn't for everyone. People that decide on an outpatient rehab will usually show up at meetings and take part in therapy and treatment services on a part-time basis each day or a few days each week. This can be very helpful for those who have recently completed a far more thorough inpatient or residential program as an effective aftercare or maintenance step, and for someone with just a brief history of drug abuse which is really a really small amount of clients. For a person with more significant drug abuse and dependency problems, inpatient or residential drug treatment centers which offer rehab on a long-term basis will be the more effective rehabilitation alternative.