When you are dealing with an addiction to opioid drugs, you can feel quite lost and alone. However, you are not alone. Millions of people are dealing with addictions worldwide, many of them opioid addictions. There are numerous treatment options available for opioid addictions, including outpatient opioid addiction recovery. Outpatient opioid addiction treatment services are different in many ways from their counterparts, offering a completely different treatment experience. Get to know some of what you can expect from outpatient opioid addiction recovery. Then, you can better decide if outpatient opioid addiction recovery is the right path for you and your recovery needs. 

Expect to Spend 3 to 5 Hours a Week in Treatment

Outpatient opioid addiction recovery is the least intensive recovery option for an addiction to opioids. You will spend, on average, about three to five hours a week in various forms of treatment. This can include group treatment (group therapy), individual therapy, and support group meetings. 

Some people spend more time a week in treatment because they attend daily support group meetings. This is understandable and is their choice to make. However, the therapy portions of outpatient opioid addiction recovery generally only take up three to five hours a week. 

Expect a Lot of Autonomy

Outpatient opioid addiction recovery allows you to have a great deal of autonomy in your life and in your treatment. Unlike in inpatient treatment programs, nobody is going to show up on your doorstep and remind you it is time for group or time for therapy. You will be expected to keep track of these things on your own. 

Your autonomy extends to what you do with your time as well. You will be able to go to work, take care of your family, and otherwise live your life as you see fit when you are not in treatment. This can be both a good and bad thing when recovering from an opioid addiction as it can be easy to fall back into old habits and patterns if you do not have a strong support system in your home. 

Expect for Recovery to Take Time

Because you are only spending a few hours a week in actual outpatient opioid addiction treatment, expect your recovery to take time. It can take several weeks or even a few months before you really start to notice that treatment is "working" for you. Skills take time to build and become habits in your life. 

Do not give up on outpatient opioid addiction recovery in the first few weeks because things seem to be going slowly. It is normal for this process to take several months. Be patient and be present and you will succeed in your outpatient opioid addiction recovery process. 

Now that you know a few of the things to expect from outpatient opioid addiction recovery, you can be sure to get set up with an outpatient opioid addiction treatment program as soon as possible.