Hospital inpatient drug rehabilitation is performed in a hospital or similar setting and is supervised by doctors and other medical staff. Hospital inpatient treatment is sometimes necessary in the beginning stages of abstinence when the person may experience the onset of life threatening withdrawal symptoms, which is sometimes true when quitting alcohol as well as a category of prescription drugs known as benzodiazepines which must be supervised very carefully by medical professionals in case of any complications. Hospital inpatient treatment is also administered to those who choose to undergo medication assisted withdrawal, as is the case with individuals who are addicted to opiates and wish to use this type of detoxification technique to manage the harsh withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin or other opiate withdrawal. This type of opiate detoxification is not considered full rehabilitation and these individuals will need additional counseling and therapy to entirely recover from addiction.

Drug or alcohol treatment services which are provided on an outpatient basis are readily available to addicted people who have circumstances which prevent them from being able to take part in an inpatient rehab program. An outpatient drug treatment center provides many of the same services as an inpatient program, but allows for flexibility as opposed to an inpatient drug or alcohol rehab center where the person is expected to remain at the treatment program until treatment has been fully completed. Outpatient drug rehab is also offered for those who have completed residential or inpatient treatment but require a comprehensive aftercare and relapse prevention program which will provide additional support and therapy to help them remain clean and sober.

Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders must address both issues in order to become fully rehabilitated. Some people take drugs to relieve symptoms of mental health problems, and some individuals take drugs which then, in turn, causes symptoms which are identical to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Addiction treatment professionals know how to differentiate between the two, and can work with clients to correctly treat real mental health disorders in tandem with any other substance abuse treatment that is done with the person. This has proven to be effective in keeping individuals with mental health disorders off of drugs and mentally stable and healthy.

It is not unusual for someone with HIV/AIDS to end up in a substance abuse treatment facility in search of help for serious addiction problems. Sometimes individuals who abuse drugs and alcohol are predisposed to such diseases due to certain circumstances which afflict the drug culture such as sharing dirty needles to inject drugs or participating in risky sexual behavior because of lowered sexual inhibitions caused by drug use. Persons with HIV/AIDS deserve effective rehabilitation just like any otherwise healthy addicted person. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities that accept and cater to persons with HIV/AIDS provide specialized care to address any health issues that may come up in the course of treatment. This way, any physical barriers to recovery are alleviated so that they can overcome their addiction once and for all.

Gays and Lesbians can sometimes have unique treatment needs when receiving substance abuse rehabilitation. A specialized curriculum and treatment setting which is conducive to the needs of gays and lesbians is offered at certain drug rehab programs across the nation which understand the unique needs and challenges which gays and lesbians will experience during treatment. Gay and lesbians can achieve full rehabilitation and recovery just like any other person in treatment, although it can be helpful for gays and lesbians to be in a supportive setting which doesn't judge them or alienate them due to their sexual preference.