Individuals who want to maintain a certain amount of flexibility in their lives can engage in an outpatient rehab whenever they need treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab makes it possible for the rehabilitation client to take part in treatment services with the same commitment you might ordinarily have to consent to in an inpatient or residential drug rehab center. This doesn't often work in the rehabilitation client's favor however, particularly for those clients who need to solve significant drug abuse problems. So although an outpatient rehab might appear to be a convenient option, it isn't for everybody. People that do choose an outpatient rehab will ordinarily take part in meetings and be a part of counseling and treatment services on a part-time basis daily or several days a week. This can be very helpful for those who have just completed a much more thorough inpatient or residential program as a good aftercare or maintenance step, or for someone with only a brief history of drug use which is really a very small percentage of clients. For a person with more significant drug abuse and dependency issues, inpatient or residential drug and alcohol treatment centers that provide rehab on a long-term basis are going to be the more effective rehab option.