Maintaining Sobriety During Tough Times

Family issues, financial problems, and personal battles are just some of the challenges we humans face every day. This doesn’t change regardless of whether or not you’re in early addiction recovery. Life can get tough, which can leave you wondering whether you made the right choice of getting sober. No matter how hard things get, being sober is better than using drugs or alcohol. Remember, you have worked so hard to start your journey of recovery, don’t let that go to waste! You have a whole new life ahead of you to explore. But how do you maintain sobriety during tough times?

Recovery Is Lifelong 

It is important to understand that addiction recovery is a lifelong process. At the beginning of recovery, you may have been able to remove yourself from society to focus 100% on getting sober. Unfortunately, inpatient addiction treatment does not last forever. The everyday stressors will eventually start to creep back up on you post-treatment but not to worry, with the right knowledge and awareness, you can easily manage these stressors without turning to drugs or alcohol.  

Below are a few ways to maintain sobriety during tough times: 

Check-in With Yourself

A crucial component to staying sober despite hard times is checking in with yourself. It’s important to be aware of how you feel at all times. It’s helpful to check in with yourself a few times a day to ask yourself “how am I feeling?” “am I stressed or overwhelmed?”. Taking a few minutes to reflect will help you identify any drug cravings or triggers and stop them from getting worse. 

Embrace a Hobby

Hobbies can be a great productive outlet and a healthy distraction from the everyday stressors of life. Although it may contradict what we discussed above, it’s totally healthy to do something that takes your mind off of things that are stressing you out, within reason of course. 

Reading, writing, drawing, or even something as simple as coloring are all constructive hobbies. If you don’t want to lean into your creative side, cooking and gardening are also nice hobbies to pick up. Cooking is an extremely useful skill due to the fact that we have to eat to live, and if you pick up gardening, you can plant fruits & vegetables! 

Stick to a Routine 

If you have never had a daily routine, this may be the best time to develop one . Keep a structured weekly schedule, even if you don’t have a job. Doing things the old way will only invite triggers that can cause relapse. If you used to wake up at 10 in the morning and only drink a cup of coffee, you could change that to waking a bit early, taking a small morning jog, making something healthy for breakfast, and starting your day. A chaotic lifestyle may hinder proper recovery, especially when you have to deal with life issues and unforeseen circumstances.

Eat a Balanced Diet and Exercise 

Eating well and exercising will boost your overall mood, which ultimately leads to you coping with stress in a healthy way. Eating foods that restore energy will help you feel motivated to work out. Exercise such as karate and yoga can help achieve internal self-balance and control. Sticking to a regular exercise schedule and eating routine is an excellent way to stay sober and cope with stress. 

Sleep

Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep can cause mood changes and the inability to think straight. If you anticipate a stressful week at work coming up, or are experiencing some personal issues like a break up, make sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Feeling well rested will help you feel relaxed and able to focus on your recovery. 

We Want to Help

Are you struggling to remain sober during tough times? Laguna View Detox can help you achieve and maintain sobriety. We are a luxury drug and alcohol treatment center based in the beautiful Laguna Beach, CA. We offer a safe home-like and secure addiction treatment environment to help you develop a positive attitude towards addiction treatment and recovery. 

We use cognitive behavioral therapy as a treatment process. We also focus on holistic treatment modalities during our inpatient and detox programs. We boast some of the best clinical team members around. Our caring support team will offer you excellent aftercare planning and an alumni program to follow up on how you are managing sobriety. Feel free to visit us today!

Are you Sober-Curious?

We’ve all seen it — Hollywood’s idea of what drug addiction looks like. Movie addicts are either dimensionless dregs of society, or they’re renowned artists who eventually transform into sobriety and never relapse. Even realistic attempts often show the addict spiraling down until they hit rock bottom and have a sudden awakening that they need help. In movie land, there is usually no ongoing struggle.

Alas, real life is not so simple.

The truth is that drug abuse and addiction affect people from virtually all demographics. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General reports that over 20 million Americans engage in substance abuse each year. And if you’re like many people who are struggling with drug abuse, you probably won’t have a definitive “awakening” moment. Instead, it’s very likely that you are already “sober-curious”, that is, curious about becoming sober and pondering how your present life could be different. Many people in this category have attempted staying sober for short periods of time.

The good news is that if you’re reading this, your interest in overcoming addiction is becoming more than just a curiosity. Here are some of the things you should consider:

Substance Abuse Takes a Toll on Your Health

It’s very possible that you already know how substance abuse can negatively impact your personal and professional life, even in small ways. Perhaps you’ve already missed some important events or appointments, or you no longer feel as on top of work as you once did. But if that’s not reason enough to start thinking about getting sober, then you should at least be thinking about how it is affecting your health.

Each substance (drugs and alcohol) come with their own detrimental health effects, some more so than others. But the truth is that you can overdose on most things. Furthermore, even lighter drug and alcohol use can cause disrupted sleep patterns and insomnia, along with increased risk of cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses.

Substance abuse also correlates strongly with mental health disorders like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder (all of which can lead to serious physical health problems when left untreated). In fact, the National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that 1 in 4 individuals suffering from a mental illness also suffer from a substance use disorder. Making matters even worse, substance abuse often only worsens the symptoms of mental illness, leading to a vicious cycle of more abuse in an attempt to cope.

Benefits of Sobriety

The path to addiction recovery can be challenging, but it comes with great rewards. Not only will kicking the habit drastically improve your health, but getting sober will also leave more money in your pocket and enable you to spend more quality time with family and friends.

In fact, here are some of the key benefits that give many people that final push to get the help they need:

  • Get a second chance – Many people leave addiction treatment feeling refreshed and better than they have in years, not to mention with a whole new perspective on life and what they want out of it.
  • Adopt a healthy lifestyle – After you go through detox, your body will automatically begin repairing itself from the ravages of drug and/or alcohol abuse. Life in recovery is the perfect time to start focusing on your overall health, from eating a well-balanced diet to getting regular exercise.
  • Stop wasting money – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that people struggling with addiction often spend between $100 and $1000 a month on their substance of choice, with many spending even more.
  • Rebuild relationships – Chances are, some of your relationships with friends and family have suffered at least a little as a result of drug abuse. Addiction recovery is the perfect time to rebuild what you once had and even make entirely new connections.
  • Discover new activities – Not only will you have more time to be active, but sobriety also opens up multiple new doors. Learn the joys of making art with a clear mind, take classes to learn new skills, volunteer, go explore local parks and nature, travel, pick up a sport, etc.

Misconceptions About Life in Recovery

There’s a common misconception that people who are sober are “boring” or don’t go out much. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, an increasing amount of restaurants are offering more non-alcoholic cocktail options while numerous social groups are launching outings that don’t revolve around drinking or drug abuse.

This is thanks to the increasing amount of people all over the country entering life in recovery or even dipping their sober-curious toes into short periods of sobriety. When you reach addiction recovery, you’ll have more options than ever!

Another big misconception is that people have to hit rock bottom or meet other kinds of severe requirements in order to be a candidate for addiction recovery. This isn’t true at all. Many people enter treatment and work towards long-term sobriety because they realize they are missing out on little things in life thanks to frequent drug abuse. Others go because they want to be healthier and more productive.

We’re Here to Help

Feeling sober-curious? We invite you to reach out to our team at Laguna View Detox. Our luxury program merges traditional time-tested methods with advanced modern therapies in order to help you reach sobriety and enter the life in recovery you deserve.

5 Habits You Should Develop in Sobriety

Recovery is a way of life. Treatment programs and rehabs aren’t the ends of sobriety, they’re a jumping-off point. During these programs, you get to the root of your addiction and learn the coping skills needed to be sober. After you leave treatment, the work doesn’t stop. Maintaining sobriety requires your attention daily. 

At Laguna View Detox, we know the above mentioned can sound daunting. We want to let you know that although working at your sobriety daily may sound like a chore, it’s not at all. There are simple habits you can incorporate into your daily routine that help make staying sober feel effortless. During treatment, we’re here to set you up for success. Our facility puts a huge emphasis on aftercare which helps you achieve healthy habits to bring home with you.

Being Structured in Sobriety

Eliminating the toxic environment that helped fuel your addiction is super important when building structure in your life. Generally speaking, addicts live a life of complete chaos. The anxiety behind potentially running out of money, not knowing if you’ll be able to score drugs or alcohol, and hiding your behavior from loved ones, makes it nearly impossible to live a balanced, structured life. 

Once you achieve sobriety, you’ll want to remove the chaos from your life. By adding structure to your day, perhaps implementing a morning and evening routine, you’ll feel in control of your life. 

Healthy Habits to Adopt

Although the word habit can have a negative connotation, it’s actually a positive thing in the context of this discussion. Below are some of our recommendations of healthy habits you can pick up in sobriety:

  1. Exercise: Your mental and physical health are directly related. Not only does exercising benefit you physically, it has a positive effect on your mental health as well. Exercise can prevent serious health conditions such as obesity and diabetes while relieving stress. Working out can also be fun. You can do it alone or with a friend, you can exercise in a gym or outside, and it’s something you can do every day.  
  2. Meditation: Meditation is a great tool to use to clear your head and remain calm. Addicts often struggle with anxiety and feel the need to get out of their own heads. Using meditation, instead of drugs, will rid your mind of any worry or negative thoughts. You can meditate on your own or download an app on your phone, such as Headspace.
  3. Honesty: This may sound like a weird one but lying can be habitual, as well as being honest. Being honest with yourself and anyone around you is very freeing. For example, if a friend does something that bothers you, you should let them know. If you aren’t honest you can start to resent them and feel angry. Having resentments is like being on the fast track to relapse. 
  4. Fun: Learning how to have fun in sobriety will help you feel confident in your choice to get sober. Everyone deserves to have fun and drugs and alcohol are definitely not needed to do so. Whether you realize it or not, having fun is a choice. Putting an emphasis on doing at least one fun thing a week can make a huge difference in your happiness, which ultimately helps keep you sober. 
  5. Generosity: Give back in sobriety! This doesn’t have to be done in a monetary way, you can give someone your time, which is very generous. There is probably at least one person who was generous to you during your sobriety, so why not pay it forward? Some ways to be generous are volunteering at a local organization, coaching a little league team, and tutoring someone for free. 

Laguna View Detox is Here for You

At Laguna View Detox, we provide a luxury drug & alcohol treatment program that is set in the gorgeous area of Laguna Beach, CA. Our trained professionals offer detox & inpatient treatment program for both addiction and drug abuse. We strive to help all of our participants find ways to not just get sober but stay clean as well. We do this using a unique luxury program that marries traditional treatment with innovative therapies. We have discovered that this is helpful in assisting our participants in beating substance abuse permanently. To find out more about our addiction recovery services, please contact us today!

How to Have Fun in Sobriety

Generally speaking, people don’t associate sobriety with being fun, but we’re here to tell you otherwise. Being sober is fun! Waking up refreshed every morning, with a clear head, while being able to show up for the ones we love, is fun. Just because you now don’t have the aid of drugs or alcohol, doesn’t mean your life is going to suck. Newfound sobriety will be one of the most exciting times in your life. If you’ve been sober for a while and feel stuck in a rut, we have some tips on how to have fun again. 

Why Is Having Fun in Sobriety Important?

When you first get sober, you probably aren’t sure what makes you happy and how to have fun. You became used to associating socialization with drugs or alcohol. It’s ok, it’s totally normal, and you’re not the only person who did this. A big part of getting sober and staying sober is being happy. Happy people are less likely to fall off the wagon. Having fun and connecting with others is a great way to feel happy. It’s also a great stress reliever when you’re having fun you probably aren’t thinking about work or that fight you had with your partner. While it’s important to face your problems head-on, you don’t need to be thinking about them all of the time. Everyone deserves a break in life and let loose a little. 

Let’s Have Some Fun

There are plenty of ways to have fun that don’t include drugs or alcohol:

  1. Travel: Now that you aren’t spending money to sustain your drug addiction, you probably have some spare cash to use to travel. Traveling is fun for a few reasons. Traveling usually includes creating a plan. Researching places you want to travel to is a great thing to do in your spare time. Based on where you choose to travel to, you’ll probably learn some new stuff about yourself. If you choose to travel to the woods, you may realize that you enjoy connecting with nature. If you want to travel somewhere with a beach, maybe you realize you want to learn how to surf. If you don’t like to plan and want to ‘wing it’, you totally can thanks to technology. If you pick a new city to travel to, you can easily google things to do there after you arrive. The best part about traveling is there are so many ways to do it, you can fly, take a bus, drive, or even ride your bike a short distance. No one ever said you have to fly across the world in order to travel. 
  2. Go to an amusement park: If you’re a thrill-seeker, amusement parks are the best. It’s a drug-free way to get an adrenaline rush. Most cities have a local amusement park, but you can also look for places that have bungee jumping, or even skydiving. Water parks can also provide a thrill and are fun to do with friends and family. 
  3. Learn to cook: Cooking is one of the few hobbies that will be useful for your entire life. You’ll always need to eat to live. Cooking is nearly impossible to perfect and become bored of because there are endless possibilities of what to cook. There are also numerous advanced techniques, such as making your own emulsions or properly deglazing a pan, to learn. You can cook for yourself or others. If you’re confident enough, you can host dinner parties for your friends and families. 
  4. Play a sport: A Lot of companies will sponsor afterwork sports teams for their employees to participate in. Playing a sport is fun because it’s exercise for the body, mind, and a great way to bond with others. Sports require strategizing and team work. If you don’t have a job that will sponsor a team, you can start your own with friends or neighbors! Most towns have rec centers that let groups of people reserve a field or court on a certain night of the week. You can also gather a group of people in a public park weekly. All you need are a few people, and a ball, and you’re good to go!  

Let Us Help You!

At Laguna View Detox, we are a luxury drug & alcohol treatment program located in the gorgeous area of Laguna Beach, CA. We are proud to offer detox and inpatient treatment for addiction and drug abuse. We will help all of our patients find ways to enjoy life without the bonds of addiction. Furthermore, we also provide a unique luxury program that combines traditional treatment with modern therapies. We have found that this is effective in assisting our clients in overcoming substance abuse permanently. To learn more about our addiction recovery program, please contact us today!

Emotions You’ll Experience While Getting Sober

Technology and online resources are becoming game changers in educating people about addiction. Millions suffer from substance abuse but they don’t have too. Treatment is widely available for those who want to get better. If you’re struggling with addiction and want to get your life back, congratulations. We’re here to tell you that although it may seem scary reaching out for help, it’s actually quite easy. We’re also here to let you know some common emotions you’ll experience on the journey to sobriety.

Courage

If you’re looking for help with addiction treatment, please know that you’re extremely courageous. It’s not easy for people to ask for help especially if you aren’t 100% sure you need help. It’s common to question whether or not you have a substance abuse problem but it’s important to start the inner dialogue. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It takes a strong, mature person, to be able to look in the mirror and admit they aren’t perfect.  

Addiction is a disease that can completely take over your life. Without the correct treatment, this disease can even be fatal. Therefore, you need to ask for help when it comes to the treatment of this disease. You’re showing courage by asking for this help. Then, with the help of medical professionals, you’ll no longer be subject to the possibly fatal effects of this disease.

Humility

If you are looking for help with addiction treatment, you’re also swallowing your pride. It’s all too common for people to try to find answers on their own. They don’t want to be dependent on others for help. They are too proud to ask for help; however, pride can also be someone’s greatest weakness. Sure, people are afraid of feeling like a burden. They’re afraid of how others will look at them. They might even think they would be annoying by asking for help. On the other hand, that is exactly why this country has addiction treatment resources.

Addiction treatment centers are here to help you overcome the bonds that are tied to addiction. These facilities are staffed by trained professionals who can show the support, guidance, and counseling that you need to get better. These treatment centers come in all shapes and sizes. Some are outpatient centers that will help you in a one on one setting. There are also detox centers and inpatient facilities that will help you clear the toxins out of their systems and get on the road to recovery.

You can tailor your addiction treatment to meet your own needs. That’s the beauty of asking for help. The goal isn’t to just get you sober, it’s also to have you stay sober. In treatment, you’ll leave coping skills and techniques to help prevent relapse. 

… And Other Emotions

Finally, if you are trying to get help for your addiction, you’ll probably experience a wave of other emotions you haven’t felt before. This is expected. Now that you’re not numb from drug and alcohol abuse, emotions can feel strange. You may feel anxious. You may feel depressed. Remember that there is nothing wrong with these emotions and you’re only human. Trust the professionals to help you overcome the bonds of addiction and resume your life.

Let’s Do This Together

At Laguna View Detox, we’re a luxury drug & alcohol treatment program located in beautiful Laguna View, CA. We’re here to help answer all of your questions from the first time you call us. We offer detoxification and residential inpatient services. Our amazing staff will support you through every step of the way. If you want to learn more about how we can help you, contact us today.

Why You Should Meditate During Addiction Recovery

Addiction is a serious problem that impacts countless people all over the world. Those with an addiction to drugs or alcohol often end up taking their friends and families down a dark path. Even though the grip of addiction can be strong, there are ways to break its bond. Regardless of how someone decides to address the addiction recovery process, the treatment plans must have long-term goals in mind.

Addiction is very similar to a disease. It can sap someone’s physical, mental, and spiritual strength. While most treatment plans are going to focus on the physical and mental aspects of treatment, it is critical for everyone to remember the spiritual side as well. This is where meditation can come into play. It is important for everyone to know about the benefits of meditation during the recovery process from addiction.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a spiritual practice that encourages people to sit back and reflect on where their life has been so far and where their life is headed in the future. Meditation is a mental exercise that typically helps people reach a new area of spiritual awareness. In essence, meditation is done to help people learn more about themselves. There are countless ways that someone can meditate. In some cases, people end up meditating by themselves. In other cases, people may join a group and meditate in this way. This is a calm and serene activity that helps people escape the rat race that tends to dominate everyday life. While there are many ways to meditate, it is more important that people simply do the activity. There are several benefits of meditation that should be shared.

The Physical Benefits of Meditation

While meditation is typically done to help people enjoy the spiritual benefits of this activity, it can also help the physical and mental sides as well. Meditation has been shown to help people reduce their blood pressure. This makes sense, as meditation helps people find a new, calming center. In addition, meditation can also help people reduce their pain. As meditation helps people relax and relieve tension, this will lead to the relief of discomfort. Finally, the end result of all of this is that people will end up with an increased amount of energy. This will give everyone the strength and focus they need to face the problems of addiction with renewed vigor.

The Mental Benefits of Meditation

Next, meditation has a number of mental benefits as well. There is evidence that meditation can help someone reduce their anxiety and improve their emotional stability. Anxiety is a major issue during the addiction recovery process. Often, this stems from a fear of the unknown and what life will look like on the other side of treatment. It is important for everyone to get a handle on this anxiety so they can focus on the recovery process. This is one of the most important benefits of meditation. As people meditate, they will reduce their stress as well. This will lead to a relaxed mind and body, helping someone recover from addiction. Do not overlook the mental benefits of meditation. This can help with sobriety.

The Spiritual Benefits of Meditation can Lead to Sobriety

Finally, the biggest benefits of meditation during addiction recovery come in the spiritual sense. Meditation will allow someone to open their mind to the possibilities of creativity and happiness with an improved form of oneself. When someone meditates, they will get in touch with their inner center. The result is an improved sense of intuition and consciousness that will help someone complete their personal transformation during addiction recovery.

Meditation has been a major focus on countless religious and spiritual organizations for thousands of years. When someone uses meditation to quite one’s mind, the end result is an increased sense of awareness. This is a practice that people need to hone in order to improve. Therefore, it is important for everyone to practice regularly during addiction recovery. This is going to be an important part of not just achieving sobriety but maintaining it as well. Fortunately, there are trained professionals who are willing to help everyone with meditation methods, techniques, and practices during addiction recovery.

Rely on the Experienced Professionals at Laguna View Detox

At Laguna View Detox, we believe in a well-rounded approach to addiction treatment. We think that addiction should be treated as a disease; however, the treatment process needs to focus on the entire person. With the beautiful backdrop of Laguna Beach, CA, the professionals at Laguna View Detox will help you find success on the road to recovery. Trust us to help you with addiction treatment. Please contact us today if you would like to learn more about how we can help with an addiction to alcohol or drugs.