Individuals who want to maintain a lot of flexibility in their lives can take advantage of an outpatient rehab when they need rehabilitation for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab enables the rehabilitation client to participate in rehabilitation services without the commitment one would usually have to agree to within an inpatient or residential drug treatment center. This doesn't always work in the treatment client's favor however, particularly for those clients who need to resolve significant drug abuse issues. So while an outpatient rehab may seem like an opportune option, it isn't for everybody. People that do choose an outpatient rehab will typically attend meetings and be a part of therapy and rehabilitation services part-time each day or several days per week. This can be very helpful for those who have just completed an even more thorough inpatient or residential program as an effective aftercare or maintenance step, or someone with just a short history of drug use which is usually a really small percentage of clients. For an individual with more significant addiction and dependency issues, inpatient or residential drug treatment programs which offer rehab on a long-term basis will probably be the more effective rehab choice.