Individuals who would like to maintain a lot of flexibility within their lives can take advantage of an outpatient rehab whenever they need treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab makes it possible for the treatment client to take part in treatment services without the commitment one would usually have to agree to within an inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. This doesn't always work in the rehabilitation client's favor however, particularly for those clients who need to solve substantial drug abuse problems. So even though an outpatient rehab might appear to be a convenient option, it isn't for everybody. People that decide on an outpatient rehab will generally show up at meetings and be a part of counseling and rehabilitation services part-time daily or several days per week. This is often helpful for many who have recently completed an even more thorough inpatient or residential program as a good aftercare or maintenance step, and for someone with just a short history of drug use which is usually a very small amount of clients. For an individual with more serious drug abuse and dependency issues, inpatient or residential drug rehabilitation programs which provide rehabilitation on a long-term basis are going to be the more effective treatment option.