Individuals who want to maintain some flexibility within their lives can engage in an outpatient rehab should they need rehab for drug or alcohol abuse. Outpatient rehab enables the treatment client to participate in rehab services with the same commitment you might normally have to consent to within an inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. This doesn't often work in the rehabilitation client's favor however, particularly for those clients who need to resolve significant drug abuse issues. So while an outpatient rehab might appear to be an expedient possibility, it isn't for everyone. People who do decide on an outpatient rehab will generally show up at meetings and take part in therapy and rehab services on a part-time basis each day or a few days per week. This can be very helpful for individuals who have recently completed an even more extensive inpatient or residential program as an effective aftercare or maintenance step, and for someone with only a brief history of substance abuse which is really a very small number of clients. For a person with more serious drug abuse and dependency issues, inpatient or residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities which offer treatment on a long-term basis will probably be the more effective rehab alternative.