When you’re ready to enter treatment, once you’ve undergone detox you may not be able to participate in an inpatient program. Schedules, workload and your own personal crisis needs may force in you into an Intensive Outpatient Program. However, with careful management, you can enjoy tremendous success in such a program.

Your participation in an Intensive Outpatient Program will be limited to a set number of weeks. During this time, you’ll have the opportunity to work with therapists in multiple settings. In addition to participating in group treatment, you’ll meet privately with therapists to review challenges caused by co-occurring disorders and illnesses. By participating in both of these forms of therapy, you can come to understand your current illnesses and the factors contributing to your addiction.

Coping skills are a big goal of Intensive Outpatient Therapy. You may have family history challenges, a limited work history and legal challenges facing you as you build community and a relapse prevention program. Understanding addiction as a disease is extremely challenging for both addicts and those who love them. The ability to reconnect with your family and old friends is key to building a healthy future. Your participation in an Intensive Outpatient Program can provide an educational boost to yourself and your loved ones.

Addiction can cause your life to spin out of control. In addition to legal challenges facing you, you may need to move through the court system to regain connection with children or to address an issue on your record. Your ability to keep a roof over your head may have been a challenge, so your work history and credit history may need to be rebuilt. No matter the hurdles you have to overcome, a dedicated focus during Intensive Outpatient Program can make rebuilding your life a real possibility.

Part of the healing process will likely include rebuilding your physical health. Addiction is destructive to your body and brain. While the disease of addiction was ravaging your life, you may have been unable to take good care of your body or to work on educating your mind. As you learn to best manage cravings for the drug of choice, you can learn to feed your body with simple, healthy foods and to focus your mind on the life you want to live.

The destruction of addiction doesn’t stop at your skin. There are relationships that may have been difficult before that are now irreparably damaged. Part of the work of Intensive Outpatient Therapy is learning when to step back. As you work to rebuild your healthy future, you may need to set boundaries with some of the people from your past. The time you spend in group therapy during outpatient treatment can help you determine the safest way to leave toxic relationships behind.

Part of the work of detox is shedding relationships and connections that were not healthy during your addictive phase of behavior. As you come to know yourself as a recovering addict, the hard work of outpatient treatment will pay off in a positive community and support network. The work of and Intensive Outpatient Program will not be easy, but the skills you build will help you move forward into the life you want to live.