It seems like you can never be too sure as to whether someone can cope with the difficulty of outpatient treatment. Especially if the addiction has progressed to a place where inpatient is even being considered. Having people in your life you refuse to disconnect with even though they are not leading you in the right direction further complicates the situation. Are there cases where outpatient should not be a first option? Can some people only see progression within an inpatient treatment scenario?
Good question. I would imagine the answer to this question is only known by a case by case situation. I am fortunate to have never dealt with the need for treatment, but trying to help or support others in my family or friends can feel overwhelming at times. I will still offer my second hand opinion. Sometime users or drugs or alcohol get a point where they can no longer function. When they are in a state of either hurting themselves or someone else, their is no choice but to go into inpatient treatment. I have had to drive people to the hospital in such a state and I have had to call 911 before. This is why, I have had people, also, be resentful towards me. But for their safety and the safety of others, sometimes it is the best and only option.
Ohhh...I would have to agree with pineywood, that it has to be evaluated on a case by case basis. I tried inpatient several times and it did not work for me. And then I tried outpatient, still to no avail. I finally did it on my own, although I do have to admit that my experiences with both of these scenarios did give me some very valuable and useful tools. And on the flip side I have known people that tried and tried and the only thing that helped them was inpatient. So I think it does have a lot to do with the individual person and what works for them.
I don't think that any one precedent for treatment can be set. It DOES have to be done on a case by case basis. Some people are very severe before they seek any treatment, and might be in bad enough health that they need to be IP immediately.
There certainly isn't a "one size fits all" when it comes to addiction treatment. But I would say there are definitely cases where someone should go directly to an inpatient facility. My son was an example. He was addicted to heroin and came to us saying that he needed help. He was going through severe withdrawal. At that point, an outpatient program wouldn't have done him any good. He needed to be at an inpatient facility so he could be monitored during detox, etc.
I agree with you. The severity of the situation should determine whether one should be inpatient or outpatient. If the situation is so severe that the person can cause harm to himself or friends, then the situation would require inpatient treatment at once. It is very difficult to stay away from friends and family. At times the addict even has a job. It is better to even lose a job, get help and live, rather than have a job and family members and risk loosing your life. The severity of the situation should determine whether one should be admitted inpatient or outpatient.
Right! Sometimes in life we can feel like we are losing everything; such as when a person has to be everything in their life on hold in order to seek help. It is usually only in hindsight that the benefits are understood. It truly can be a life or death situation that should not be taken lightly.