Individuals who want to maintain a lot of flexibility within their lives can engage in an outpatient rehab when they need treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab makes it possible for the treatment client to participate in treatment services without the commitment you might ordinarily have to agree to within an inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehab program. This doesn't always work in the rehabilitation client's favor however, particularly for those clients who need to resolve substantial substance abuse problems. So even though an outpatient rehab may seem like a convenient possibility, it isn't for everyone. People that choose an outpatient rehab will generally show up at meetings and take part in counseling and rehabilitation services part-time each day or a few days each week. This is helpful for individuals who have recently completed a more comprehensive inpatient or residential program as a good aftercare or maintenance step, or someone with only a brief history of drug use which is really a really small number of clients. For an individual with more significant drug abuse and dependency issues, inpatient or residential drug rehabilitation programs which provide rehabilitation over a long-term basis will probably be the more beneficial rehab alternative.