I was in a day program and also in an IOP program (Intensive Outpatient Program)

They are different levels of treatment, the most intensive, of course, being an inpatient in the hospital. There they provide and monitor all of your meds and sleep habits, and provide scheduled therapy and meals throughout the day.

When the time comes that you no longer need to be an inpatient (that decision seems to be as likely to be made by the insurance company as by the treatment staff) they have the option of setting you up in a day program. You will be discharged from the hospital but continue to attend daily structured therapy sessions equivalent to what you had in the hospital. Usually at least one meal is included. This is a good option as long as they know you are stable on your meds and being compliant. As long as they know that you are taking your meds at home and are not in danger, the day program gives you similar intensive therapy but also allows you to begin "reclaiming" your life. The comfort and responsibility of living at your own home, the ability to socialize in the evenings and on weekends and to attend other events, shopping, etc.

A step down from a day program is an IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) which works similarly to the day program but it typically scheduled for 3 hours each day as opposed to the 6 hours that the day program may involve. This gives more "free time" and you might even be able to go to work in the afternoons, etc.

An IOP may be attended daily or only several or even 1 day a week. Often you will start with more days a week and then cut back as the need lessens.

In addition to the therapy, both the IOP and day programs provide daily structure at a time when it may be difficult to motivate oneself.

The next step down would be periodic appointments with a private therapist and psychiatrist, which could be scheduled around the necessities of keeping up with life, and could go on for as long as "maintenance" is required.

Not all "steps" are necessary. When I was released from the hospital I was put into their IOP program on a 5 day-a-week basis. They didn't feel that the full day program was necessary for me, and they also assured me that the 5-day-a-week thing was only temporary, that I would be reduced to 3 days a week and then less, so that I could work on my plan to return to work.

That didn't pan out for me of course, as I tried to return to work on a very easy basis, just for a few hours each afternoon right after the IOP sessions, but was hit with so much anxiety after trying that that I had to step back and apply for disability. That's where I am now, still unable to work after 3 months. And my insurance will no longer pay for IOP sessions, so I am left here in still quite considerable trouble with only sparsly scheduled private sessions to look forward to. That's why I have been trying to attend local support groups a few times a week to fill in the gaps while I try to work through this.

-- The world is what we make of it --
-- Dave
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