Hospital inpatient substance abuse treatment is carried out in a hospital or similar setting and is supervised by doctors and other medical staff. Hospital inpatient treatment is often necessary in the beginning stages of abstinence when the person may encounter the onset of medically dangerous withdrawal symptoms, which is sometimes the case when quitting alcohol as well as a category of prescription drugs known as benzodiazepines which must be supervised very carefully by medical professionals to minimize ant dangerous health complications. Hospital inpatient treatment is also administered to those who choose to undergo medication assisted withdrawal, as is the case with opiate addicted individuals who wish to use this type of detox technique to manage the harsh withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin or other opiate withdrawal. This type of opiate detox is not treatment in itself however, and these individuals will need further counseling and therapy to fully recover from addiction.

Drug or alcohol treatment services which are provided on an outpatient basis are available to addicted people who have circumstances which prevent them from being able to participate in an inpatient rehabilitation program. An outpatient drug treatment facility delivers many of the same services as an inpatient program, but allows for flexibility as opposed to an inpatient drug treatment program where the individual is expected to remain at the rehabilitation facility until treatment has been fully completed. Outpatient drug rehab is also offered for those who have completed residential or inpatient treatment but also need a comprehensive aftercare program which will offer further support and therapy to help them avoid relapse.

Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders must address both issues if there is any hope for them to recover completely. Some individuals take drugs or alcohol to alleviate symptoms of mental health problems, and some individuals take drugs which then, in turn, creates symptoms which are identical to mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety. Drug treatment professionals know how to distinguish between the two, and can work with clients to appropriately treat real mental health problems 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 issues off of drugs and alcohol and mentally stable and happy.

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 syringes to inject drugs or participating in risky sexual behavior because of lowered sexual inhibitions caused by drug use. Persons with HIV/AIDS should have effective rehabilitation just like any otherwise healthy addicted person. Drug rehabilitation programs that accept and cater to persons with HIV/AIDS offer specialized care to address any health issues that may come up in the course of treatment. This way, any physical barriers to recovery are resolved so that they can conquer their addiction once and for all.

People can become addicted to drugs or alcohol no matter their handicap, disability or personal physical challenge. This sometimes makes individuals particularly more vulnerable to becoming involved in drug or alcohol use, because of the various challenges that this can bring about in the person's life. This is true for those people in the deaf and hearing impaired community as well, and treatment for substance abuse and addiction is sometimes required. Deaf or hearing impaired persons will need ASL or other assistance as part of their treatment needs, and there are drug and alcohol treatment facilities available which cater to these needs. Professional substance abuse counselors who know ASL and can provide other necessary assistance to deaf or hearing impaired substance abusers.