Individuals who want to maintain a certain amount of flexibility within their lives can take advantage of an outpatient rehab if they need rehabilitation for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab will allow for the rehabilitation client to participate in rehabilitation services with the same commitment you might usually have to consent to within an inpatient or residential alcohol and drug treatment facility. This doesn't often work in the treatment client's favor however, particularly for those clients who need to solve significant substance abuse problems. So even though an outpatient rehab may seem like an opportune option, it isn't for everybody. People that do choose an outpatient rehab will usually show up at meetings and take part in therapy and rehab services part-time daily or several days each week. This is helpful for individuals who have recently completed a much more extensive inpatient or residential program as a good aftercare or maintenance step, and for someone with only a short history of substance abuse which is usually a very small amount of clients. For someone with more serious addiction and dependency issues, inpatient or residential alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs that provide treatment on a long-term basis will be the more effective rehab choice.