Individuals who want to maintain a lot of flexibility in their lives can take advantage of an outpatient rehab whenever they need rehab for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab enables the treatment client to participate in treatment services with the same commitment one would normally have to consent to within an inpatient or residential drug rehab facility. This doesn't always work in the rehab client's favor however, specifically those clients who need to resolve substantial drug abuse problems. So even though an outpatient rehab might appear to be an expedient possibility, it isn't for everybody. People that do decide on an outpatient rehab will generally show up at meetings and be a part of therapy and treatment services part-time on a daily basis or several days each week. This is often helpful for those who have just completed a much more complete inpatient or residential program as an effective aftercare or maintenance step, and for someone with only a brief history of substance abuse which is usually a really small percentage of clients. For a person with more significant drug abuse and dependency problems, inpatient or residential drug treatment programs which offer rehabilitation on a long-term basis will probably be the more advantageous rehab option.