How to Support a Loved One With an Active Substance Use Disorder While in Treatment

How to Support a Loved One With an Active Substance Use Disorder While in Treatment

Many people in treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) have loved ones who actively abuse substances. Remaining in contact with someone who actively abuses substances may endanger your treatment progress. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “[R]esearch shows that family support can play a major role in helping a loved one with mental and substance use disorders.” Newport Beach Recovery Center encourages clients to connect with their families if it does not endanger their recovery and sobriety. Our dedicated mental health professionals can help you determine how to support your loved one without risking your safety. 

Family Members With Substance Use Disorder

Sometimes family can try to interfere with an individual’s recovery. If a family member pressures you in any way, it can affect your mental health. The dedicated mental health professionals at Newport Beach Recovery Center can help you establish and maintain boundaries with family members. We prioritize the health of all our clients and do everything possible to protect them from toxic outside influences. 

SUD is often multigenerational, and you may have multiple family members who struggle with the condition. According to Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, “Familial inheritance of drug abuse is composed of both genetic and environmental factors.” In some cases, a genetic predisposition may be activated by external triggers. Environmental factors that can increase a person’s risk of developing SUD include:

  • Trauma 
  • Chronic stress 
  • Toxic family dynamics 

Your relationship with the person misusing substances will play a role in determining how best to respond. A spouse, parent, child, or sibling struggling with active SUD might leave you feeling overwhelmed. If you rely on them financially or live with them, it can add another layer of complication. Individuals in outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), or partial hospitalization (PHP) programs, should avoid contact with individuals who may endanger their sobriety. Newport Beach Recovery Center offers a wide range of services and levels of care, including sober living housing if you need a safe, sober space to establish new routines. 

Should You Cut off Communication During Substance Use Disorder Treatment? 

Many people in treatment do not feel comfortable communicating with loved ones who still actively abuse substances. In some cases, it is unsafe to maintain those connections until you feel more comfortable in your recovery. However, family therapy might help your loved one come to terms with the realities of addiction and give them the motivation to get help. Our team will collaborate with you to determine if you should maintain communication with your loved one during treatment and early recovery. 

How to Support a Loved One Without Endangering Your Sobriety

The most important thing to consider is how your loved one’s substance abuse might affect your recovery. You can talk with your therapist and care team to figure out how to address the issue if you want to support them without putting yourself in harm’s way. 

A few ways you can help your loved one without directly interacting during treatment include: 

  • Sending one-way messages of support through mail, by phone, or online 
  • Providing information about recovery resources through a third party 
  • Regularly updating them on your status to showcase the benefits of treatment 

What method you use will depend on your relationship and current mental health status. Our mental health professionals have years of experience helping clients and their families navigate recovery. 

You Cannot Force Your Loved One to Change 

No matter how much you want to help them, you cannot force your loved one to get help or change. However, you can encourage them and become a role model, showing the benefits of rehabilitation. If you and your care team believe maintaining contact during treatment will benefit your mental health, you can participate in family therapy or reach out in a removed way. Individuals struggling with substance abuse often need outside motivation to make positive changes. 

Your friend or family member might not feel comfortable with the idea of treatment, and it can take time to reach them. Some signs that your loved one might not be ready to get help yet include: 

  • Denial of addictive behaviors
  • Lack of self-awareness about their health issues 
  • Angry or violent outbursts when confronted with the reality of their condition 

Even if they are ready to make a change, sometimes people do not have easy access to resources. You can work with your case manager to provide your loved one with essential information about recovery support services in their area. The emotional support you provide might inspire them to make positive changes. You do not have to face this challenge alone. The dedicated team at Newport Beach Recovery Center is here to help you, and your loved one find a healthy path forward. 

Watching someone you care about struggle with substance abuse can trigger cravings and leave you feeling helpless. You can take actions to limit the risk to yourself while supporting your loved one. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we can help you determine if interacting with your loved one will affect your health and recovery. If you feel comfortable contacting them, you can encourage your loved one to get professional support. In addition, seeing you improve during treatment may inspire them to reach out on their own. Newport Beach Recovery Center provides family support services and family therapy to help you remain connected with your loved ones during treatment. To learn more, call us today at (888) 850-0363.

Why Is Talk Therapy Essential to Recovery?

Why Is Talk Therapy Essential to Recovery?

Many treatment programs consider psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, a cornerstone of addiction treatment due to its inherent versatility. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Psychotherapy can be an alternative to medication or can be used with other treatment options, such as medications” to help clients manage the symptoms and side effects of substance use disorder (SUD). Newport Beach Recovery Center uses individual and group therapy alongside other evidence-based treatment methodologies.

Understanding Talk Therapy

Talk therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses guided discussions and other therapeutic techniques to provide you with emotional relief. Additionally, the modality helps you develop essential skills for achieving and maintaining positive mental health. Talk therapy can take many forms, including:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical-behavior therapy (DBT)
  • Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
  • Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
  • Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)

Psychotherapy requires a collaborative relationship between the care team and the client — you. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we assess every client to ensure you have a truly personalized treatment plan and periodically monitor your progress to ensure you feel comfortable with the direction of treatment.

Benefits of Talk Therapy

Your mental health will directly affect your treatment outcome. We personalize all individual and group therapy sessions at Newport Beach Recovery Center to ensure you have the best possible outcomes. Peer support is an essential part of our treatment. Group talk therapy provides a stabilizing influence and allows peers to interact with one another in a safe and controlled environment, discover shared goals, and heal together.

Talk therapy benefits you in the following ways:

  • Allows you to better connect with your emotions
  • Provides a safe space for processing trauma
  • Increases self-awareness and self-efficacy
  • Lowers stress and encourages positivity
  • Helps identify and address issues related to your recovery

All of these benefits can help your recovery from SUD. They can also assist you if you have a dual diagnosis. Moreover, therapy offers you neurochemical and neural benefits.

Physical and Mental Health Rewards of Talk Therapy

Psychotherapy can cause noticeable changes in how various regions of the brain function. According to Frontiers in Psychology, CBT and other forms of psychotherapy can lead to “long lasting, reproducible changes in emotion, cognition, behavior, and somatic symptoms across a range of mood and other psychological disorders.” Talk therapy can lower the risk of relapse by decreasing stress and limiting the adverse effect of chemical changes in the brain associated with SUD.

Activities and Exercises Used in Talk Therapy

Everyone responds differently to treatment, and we use comprehensive assessments to determine what therapeutic modality will work best for each client. For the best results, we implement a collaborative, person-focused approach to treatment. We want to ensure all clients feel accepted, validated, safe, and supported during rehabilitation. Additionally, we may combine multiple methodologies during therapy sessions to achieve a specific goal.

Some standard exercises and activities you may encounter during talk therapy include:

  • Identifying, analyzing, and challenging your irrational thoughts or behaviors
  • Practicing mindfulness and meditation to restore and strengthen your mind-body connection
  • Exposing yourself to uncomfortable thoughts or feelings to allow for reprocessing of traumatic events
  • Learning breathing exercises and other relaxation techniques that reduce your stress, anxiety, and depression
  • Avoiding confrontation or re-traumatization through alternative talk therapy methods like EMDR

Therapists and counselors use the tools at their disposal to tailor treatment plans and therapy sessions to the unique needs of each client. Everyone has different motivations and goals for their recovery. We will use whatever talk therapy method aligns best with your desired outcome.

Why Talk Therapy Works

The techniques used in talk therapy are effective because they open up a dialogue and challenge irrational or maladaptive beliefs. Recovering from SUD requires healthy lifestyle changes and the ability to maintain positive mental health. Your emotional and physical well-being depends on your ability to cope with stressors and establish coping skills. Talk therapy can improve those essential skills. Mental health professionals will provide you with an emotional tool kit that helps you overcome challenges. Psychotherapy can also improve objectivity and problem-solving skills, allowing you to work through issues you encounter more quickly during treatment and aftercare.

Continuing Talk Therapy During Aftercare

Many people find talk therapy incredibly helpful and continue to attend individual or group sessions during aftercare. Psychotherapy can reduce the risk of relapse in your early recovery and assist with the transition from structured treatment to independent sobriety. You may want to consider making it a central part of your aftercare. This is especially true if you want to acclimate smoothly and maintain abstinence after completing rehabilitation. Therapists can play a significant role in the support system you build to support your ongoing recovery.

Talk therapy is an important tool for overcoming issues related to substance use disorder. Research has shown that psychotherapy can effectively treat SUD and related mental health disorders when used alongside medication and other supportive treatments. Talk therapy provides a safe and judgment-free space where you can talk about your thoughts, feelings, and goals for treatment and recovery. The wide range of methodologies ensures that there is a form of talk therapy to address trauma and other issues that you may struggle with during treatment and recovery. Our team uses talk therapy alongside a range of other treatments to ensure you have the best outcome possible. We believe that everyone who attends treatment can benefit from attending some form of talk therapy. To learn more about Newport Beach Recovery Center and the various therapies we have to offer, call our office today at (888) 850-0363.

How Do Rehabs Prepare Clients for the Next Level of Care?

How Does Newport Beach Recovery Center Prepare Clients for the Next Level of Care?

Newport Beach Recovery Center has multiple levels of care. We believe it is helpful to have clients work with the same dedicated team throughout the various treatment programs. To ensure high-quality care, we use comprehensive assessments and monitor client progress to determine when someone is ready to transfer to a different level of care. 

Individuals with more severe substance use disorder (SUD) may require the full continuum of care. In contrast, clients with mild symptoms may benefit from participating in a short-term outpatient program. Everyone responds to recovery and treatment differently. We have highly personalized care plans to ensure that every client gets the help they need to make noticeable progress. 

What Is the Continuum of Care at Newport Beach Recovery Center? 

We offer multiple high-quality treatment services and programs at Newport Beach Recovery Center, including: 

  • Detox
  • Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
  • Withdrawal management
  • Residential 
  • Partial hospitalization (PHP)
  • Intensive outpatient (IOP)
  • Outpatient
  • Sober living community

We designed our programs to help clients through specific stages of the recovery process. Clients may attend one or more of the programs. Some individuals may need to go through several different levels of care before they feel confident in their ability to maintain sobriety independently. We believe everyone deserves access to high-quality care to help them develop essential skills for maintaining long-term sobriety. 

With this in mind, we assist clients through transitions between levels of care. Our team educates them on what will change, how it may affect their treatment plan, and their recovery goals. We take steps to ensure that clients feel comfortable relying on their support system before they make the transition between programs or out of treatment. This includes peers, staff, and their loved ones. 

Why Are Multiple Levels of Care Necessary? 

Many people worry that when they return home, they will go right back to repeating unhealthy behaviors. By slowly making the transition, clients feel more confident in their ability to maintain sobriety. The continuum of care we offer at our facility ensures clients grow to trust the team responsible for their care. Individuals who attend our treatment programs build strong bonds with peers and our team.  

We monitor each client during the various stages of treatment to ensure their emotional and physical well-being. The tailored treatment plans we offer also ensure that each program they participate in will positively affect their recovery. Multiple levels of care provide essential tools that clients can incorporate into their daily lives to help them manage their recovery successfully. 

How Do Clients Know When to Transition? 

Clients collaborate closely with the clinical team to determine when to transition to the next level of care or out of treatment. In some cases, clients encounter setbacks that may cause them to repeat specific programs or get referred out to a specialized program before returning to complete rehabilitation at Newport Beach Recovery Center. We support our clients and alumni through the entire continuum of care and consider their personal goals when making treatment decisions. 

Below are some indicators that someone may need a different level of care: 

  • Loss of motivation or ambivalence
  • Decreased effectiveness of therapy 
  • Increased self-awareness and steady progress 
  • A substantial change in the severity and number of symptoms

If an individual notices these traits in themselves, they can discuss this with their care team. Additionally, we train staff members to recognize these signs. Should a staff member recognize these indicators, they will address the need for change with the patient.

Does Support Change at Different Levels of Care? 

Each level of care focuses on a specific stage of recovery to enhance the effectiveness of treatment. As clients move through the different programs we offer, they will have less structure to help them practice utilizing their coping skills in the real world. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Services are based on a continuum [of care], starting with the least restrictive services that require less time and participation, to the most restrictive services that require more time and participation.” Our facility’s most structured programs include: 

  • Residential
  • Detox
  • Withdrawal management
  • Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

Mandatory check-ins, drug tests, and therapy attendance make these programs effective. Lower levels of care include intensive outpatient, outpatient, and our sober living community, where clients must maintain their own ongoing recovery with minimal supervision.  

The amount of support our clients receive during each level of care does not change even if the structure of the treatment becomes less formal. We are always here to provide encouragement, resources, and assistance to clients at every stage of their recovery. Correspondingly, we tailor the services we offer each client to ensure they address any underlying issues or co-occurring conditions that might affect treatment. Newport Beach Recovery Center provides clients with all the tools they need to continue healing and progressing in their recovery goals. 

Newport Beach Recovery Center offers multiple levels of care to help our clients make steady, observable progress in their recovery from substance use disorder. We provide a full continuum of treatment services, including detox and withdrawal management, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient, and a sober living community. We also assist with the transition between programs by offering transportation to and from the facility and support services to ensure the comfort and safety of our clients. Newport Beach Recovery Center provides personalized treatment plans that focus on preparing individuals in recovery to maintain independent sobriety. We use educational classes, therapy, peer support, skill development, and other resources to ensure clients feel prepared when they complete our programs. Clients collaborate with our care team to create achievable goals. To learn more about our programs, call us today at (888) 850-0363.

Group Healing Activities at Newport Beach Recovery Center

Group Healing Activities at Newport Beach Recovery Center

Group healing can be essential for building and maintaining healthy social relationships during and after treatment. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we tailor every group to ensure the participants feel comfortable with each other and the subjects covered relate to their personal life experiences. Healing within a group can be highly rewarding. Many people continue to use the tools they learn in group therapy for the rest of their lives.

Peer support can help clients feel more comfortable disclosing vulnerable details of their substance misuse. Group therapy provides a safe space to improve communication, self-expression, self-awareness, and social skills. Interpersonal interactions can also improve self-confidence and problem-solving skills. According to Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, “Peer support has been shown to be a key component of many existing addiction treatment and recovery approaches such as the community reinforcement approach, therapeutic communities, and 12-step programs.” The Newport Beach Recovery Center care team tailors all group activities to provide clients with the tools they need to heal from substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring conditions. We also encourage clients in outpatient care to join self-help or 12-Step groups to provide additional support.

Outdoor Therapy Groups at Newport Beach Recovery Center

Our treatment facility is near the beach, making it an ideal setting for outdoor groups and healing recreational activities. The change of scenery can provide clients with another perspective and facilitate positive social interactions. We offer walking groups, relaxing outdoor therapy, and even group sessions at a nearby coffee shop.

Groups held outdoors can include aspects of the following:

  • Psychodrama
  • Experiential therapy
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
  • Motivational Interviewing (MI)
  • Guided conversations
  • Recreational therapy
  • Adventure therapy

A small coffee shop across the street from our facility offers a private outdoor area where groups can sit comfortably with a favorite drink and informally discuss their thoughts and feelings. Maintaining client privacy is a top priority, and we never conduct group therapy in areas where the public may overhear.

How We Personalized the Experience

We listen to what each group has to say about ways we can improve sessions and activities they would enjoy. Personal preferences, including hiking, surfing, whale watching, and day outings, can provide clients with positive social experiences during treatment. We believe that it is vital to get out and participate in relaxing activities that strengthen social bonds and improve life skills, including:

  • Problem-solving
  • Communication
  • Interpersonal relationships
  • Social boundaries

Personalizing group activities allow us to make the experience more engaging for each program participant. We construct groups around clients with similar issues or life experiences to ensure the content of each session remains relevant to all participants. Clients often feel more confident and comfortable in personalized groups.

Group Activities Increase Therapy Engagement

Group activities provide an excellent opportunity for clients to process issues related to recovery from a new perspective. Healing from trauma and the effects of SUD takes time and a willingness to engage in therapy. Many people find it easier to express themselves and communicate more effectively during group sessions that center around topics and exercises they find interesting.

Several examples of recreational activities we use to facilitate greater group involvement include:

  • Whale watching
  • Surfing
  • Hiking
  • Walking
  • Meditation
  • Day events
  • Music and art

Groups provide a safe space where clients can improve self-regulation and self-efficacy. In addition to including holistic and community activities in treatment, we also have gender-specific and trauma groups. Our facility uses a trauma-informed approach to care. We believe positive peer interactions are an essential tool in trauma recovery, and people with similar traumas can help one another find acceptance, closure, motivation, and hope for the future.

Taking Advantage of Community Support Groups

Support groups are an excellent tool for healing. Clients in partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), outpatient, and sober living programs often find inspiration within the welcoming community of self-help and 12-Step groups. We encourage clients to use local resources to heal from the damaging effect of addiction. Group therapy and support groups can make it easier to overcome challenges faced during the treatment and recovery process.

Personalized Group Therapy Reduces the Risk of Relapse

Humans are naturally social creatures. Group healing is an important tool that provides people in recovery with access to peers they can rely on to provide accountability, encouragement, and a safe space for self-expression. Personalized group therapy ensures that clients develop life skills relevant to their recovery experience, decreasing the risk of relapse during and after treatment. Group therapy and support groups are also essential to aftercare planning for many clients. Our care team ensures clients have information about local therapists and peer-led groups. We also provide referrals.

Substance misuse affects all areas of a person’s life and can lead to reduced social skills, emotional instability, and social isolation. We use group therapy and community activities to help you work through problem areas and develop essential life skills that can enhance treatment. Group activities can facilitate more beneficial interpersonal relationships. Everyone in recovery can benefit from some form of group therapy. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we offer a wide range of groups where you can learn coping skills and other important tools for recovery. Everyone can benefit from spending time with peers in the recovery community who share common interests and lived experiences. We offer evidence-based and alternate groups, including music and art therapy, talk therapy, and gender-specific groups. To learn more about our facility and the programs we offer, call our office today at (888) 850-0363. You are not alone, and we can help you heal.