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 rehab client to take part in treatment services with the same commitment you might normally have to agree to in an inpatient or residential drug treatment center. This doesn't always work in the rehab client's favor however, particularly for those clients who need to resolve substantial drug abuse issues. So although an outpatient rehab may seem like an expedient option, it isn't for everybody. Those that choose an outpatient rehab will generally show up at meetings and take part in counseling and rehabilitation services part-time each day or a few days per week. This is often helpful for many who have just completed a more extensive inpatient or residential program as a good aftercare or maintenance step, and for someone with only a brief history of drug use which is really a really small number of clients. For somebody with more serious drug abuse and dependency problems, inpatient or residential drug treatment facilities that provide rehab over a long-term basis are going to be the more beneficial rehab alternative.