Individuals who wish to maintain a lot of flexibility in their lives can take advantage of an outpatient rehab whenever they need rehab for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab will allow for the rehabilitation client to take part in treatment services with the same commitment you might usually have to agree to within an inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehab program. This doesn't often work in the rehab client's favor however, particularly for those individuals who need to solve substantial substance abuse problems. So while an outpatient rehab might appear to be an expedient possibility, it isn't for everyone. Those that do choose an outpatient rehab will typically show up at meetings and be a part of therapy and treatment services part-time on a daily basis or a few days each week. This can be very helpful for many who have recently completed a more extensive inpatient or residential program as an effective aftercare or maintenance step, and for someone with only a brief history of substance abuse which is usually a really small amount of clients. For a person with more serious addiction and dependency issues, inpatient or residential alcohol and drug treatment programs which provide rehabilitation over a long-term basis are going to be the more advantageous rehabilitation alternative.