The Effects of Long COVID and Recovery

The Effects of Long-Covid and Recovery

Life Recovery

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “[P]ost-COVID conditions can last weeks, months, or longer after COVID-19 illness and can sometimes result in disability.” Chronic co-occurring medical conditions like long COVID can significantly affect treatment for substance use disorder (SUD). Newport Beach Recovery Center accommodates clients with co-occurring conditions like long COVID. We believe everyone should have access to high-quality treatment for substance abuse regardless of comorbidities or complications.

What Is Long COVID?

Long COVID is an umbrella term that describes various health side effects experienced by people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. According to COVID.gov, “Long COVID is broadly defined as signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after initial COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 infection.” The side effects can last for weeks or months, with some people reporting symptoms more than a year after their initial COVID diagnosis.

Research is still ongoing to determine the specific cause and possible symptoms of long COVID, making diagnosis difficult in some cases. If you believe you may have some form of long COVID, you should reach out to a medical professional for an assessment. Once you have a known diagnosis, our team can help you determine the best treatment program to help you recover from co-occurring SUD.

Symptoms and Side Effects of Long COVID

The side effects and symptoms of long COVID vary significantly. In addition, they can disappear and repeatedly reappear over the course of weeks or months, making them difficult to treat. Most people with long COVID report some or all of the following:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • “Brain fog” or difficulty thinking clearly
  • Headaches or migraines
  • Lightheadedness or vertigo
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Pins-and-needles in extremities
  • Changes to smell or taste or, in rare cases, complete loss of smell and taste
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle aches or weakness

The severity of symptoms can change abruptly, and some people report only one or two while others experience a wide range of side effects.

3 Ways to Cope With the Effects of Long COVID During Recovery

Recovering from SUD takes time and energy. If you have a chronic condition that impacts your ability to focus and remain motivated, it takes more effort to maintain your motivation. Below are three ways you can cope with long COVID during recovery.

#1 Take Care of Your Physical Health

Prioritize your physical health and make sure you give your body everything it needs to feel healthy, including:

  • Quality sleep
  • Nutritional meals
  • Low-stress exercise
  • Proper hydration

Physical self-care will give you the energy and motivation to continue your sobriety.

#2 Practice Emotional Self-Care

Your emotional health impacts your ability to cope with physical stressors like chronic pain or discomfort. You can practice emotional self-care by ensuring you take time each day to relax and find moments of peace.

Examples of emotional self-care include:

  • Talking to members of your support system
  • Accepting help from others when you feel stressed
  • Establishing and maintaining clear boundaries
  • Allowing yourself to focus on improving your mental health
  • Spending a quiet moment alone in meditation

These interpersonal and mindfulness skills will help you feel empowered in managing your co-occurring conditions.

#3 Expand Your Support System

Your support system should expand to include individuals who can help you cope with any physical symptoms. A primary care doctor, physical therapist, and other trained professionals can give you additional support during recovery from SUD. Your case manager at Newport Beach Recovery Center can also provide information on local resources.

How Does Long-Term COVID Affect Ongoing Recovery?

Ongoing recovery usually involves individual therapy, self-help groups, and other forms of support. You can also use those resources to combat the lingering effects of long COVID. Your safety is our top priority, and our care team will help you create a comprehensive aftercare plan that will include the following:

  • Relapse-prevention strategies
  • Crisis management
  • Referrals to local resources

In addition, as an alumnus, you can always come to us for ongoing support or a brief return to treatment if you face challenges during early recovery. We understand that long COVID puts increased stress on your mind and body. You can rely on us to help you maintain sobriety during challenging moments. We also have a sober living community for individuals who need a more structured environment during early recovery.

Sober Living Communities and Long COVID

Some people struggle to cope with long COVID and may feel tempted to self-medicate. According to Psychiatry Research, “[M]ental health components of the long-COVID syndrome may increase the risk of substance abuse as a way of coping with mental distress.” Our sober living community gives you a safe and structured space where peers and staff will hold you accountable for maintaining sobriety. Though you may feel intense cravings, intrusive thoughts, and increased symptoms, we’re here to support you.

The passionate care team at Newport Beach Recovery Center takes into account all active and underlying conditions that may affect recovery. We can help you establish healthy coping skills that you can use to decrease the risk of relapse and improve symptoms of long COVID.

Some people in treatment for substance abuse have co-occurring long COVID that affects their energy levels, mood, and motivation. Co-occurring disorders often require simultaneous treatment to ensure the best outcome. However, in the case of long COVID, not enough is known about the condition for there to be standard treatment options. Symptoms often vary widely from person to person and may disappear and then reappear. Newport Beach Recovery Center works with clients to ensure they have the best rehabilitation experience possible. We can help you heal from substance abuse and cope with co-occurring issues like long COVID. To learn more about our services and the programs we offer, call us today at (888) 850-0363.

Self-Harm and How to Prevent It

How to Decrease the Risk of Self-Harm

Substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions increase the risk of self-harming thoughts or behaviors. Self-injury does not necessarily indicate suicidal ideations. On the contrary, in most cases, self-harm is a maladaptive coping technique that works like an emotional release valve to let off pressure. According to the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, “about 6% of adults report a history of [nonsuicidal self-injury].” In due time, this can develop into a behavioral addiction or mental illness of its own. Newport Beach Recovery Center provides mental health support for clients that struggle with primary SUD and co-occurring nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI).

What Is Self-Harm?

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “Self-harm refers to a person’s harming their own body on purpose.” Approximately “5% of people hurt themselves in this way.” Self-harming involves any action that causes physical damage to your body. A few of the most common forms of NSSI include:

  • Cutting
  • Burning
  • Biting
  • Scratching
  • Self-hitting
  • Banging body parts against objects to inflict damage or pain
  • Breaking bones
  • Inserting objects under the skin or into the body

People can be creative with how they inflict pain and harm themselves, especially if they are worried about family members or friends seeing indications of self-harm. The secrecy makes it especially challenging to identify and treat.

Why Do People Self-Harm?

Most people self-injure to find some relief when they feel emotionally distressed. In most cases, they begin self-harming during adolescence, and later in life, they may resume these behaviors to cope with acute or chronic stress.

The most common stressors that lead to self-harming behaviors include:

  • Substance abuse
  • Witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event
  • Financial strain
  • Relationship issues
  • Pressure at work or school
  • Social stigmas

Families and friends might have difficulty understanding the connection between emotional distress and self-harm. If a person’s worried that someone they love has injured themselves by self-harming, they can provide the individual with resources and engage in active listening. It’s important to realize that having a friend or family member listen without judgment can lower their stress levels and decrease their risk of accidentally severely injuring themselves.

How Can Self-Harm Affect Recovery?

Adults with SUD have a higher risk of self-injury. However, using maladaptive coping mechanisms to function during recovery is not sustainable and often leads to relapse. Although self-injury may help a person temporarily feel more emotionally stable, it only compounds their mental health problems in the long run, making it harder to adopt a healthier lifestyle that supports long-term recovery.

People harming themselves can also alienate friends and family members who may not know how to react. Social stigmas surrounding self-harm make it a complex topic to discuss with loved ones.

3 Ways to Decrease the Risk of Self-Harm

If you engage in NSSI, you can decrease the risk of self-harm by practicing self-care and prioritizing your mental health. Firstly, you can seek help from a qualified mental health professional or a treatment facility. Additionally, mindfulness and relaxation techniques are essential for avoiding intrusive thoughts during treatment and ongoing recovery. You can use these tools and other skills to avoid slipping back into old behaviors. Lowering overall stress in your environment can also help you maintain emotional stability and reduce your risk of triggering a compulsion to self-injure.

#1 Communicate Your Needs and Feelings

Honest communication with your care team and support system can reduce the amount of stress you feel. Asking for help is essential when you feel like self-harming, and you might find it easier to tell peers, loved ones, or your therapist what you need if you regularly practice communicating your thoughts and feelings.

#2 Follow a Safety Plan

A safety plan involves a set of individualized steps you can follow during moments of emotional distress. The document can keep you from acting on impulses if you feel compelled to self-harm. When you have a history of substance abuse, intrusive thoughts like these can cause potential setbacks unless you follow your safety plan. If you don’t know how to build a safety plan, a therapist can help you create one.

#3 Identify Triggers and Practice Coping Skills

During treatment and ongoing recovery, many people encounter moments of emotional distress that can cause intrusive thoughts or compulsions. Identifying your triggers can help you create preventative strategies. Common triggers for self-harm include:

  • Intrusive thoughts
  • Cravings
  • Acute or chronic stress
  • Reminders of trauma

Many self-harm triggers are also relapse triggers. As such, they must be taken seriously. Many people find it helpful to write down a list of potential triggers they can avoid and address during individual therapy. The personalized care plans at Newport Beach Recovery Center ensure that clients receive the support and therapy they need to heal from past traumas or stress. You can use the coping skills you learn in treatment to find healthier ways to manage your stress.

Substance abuse increases the likelihood that an individual will develop self-harming tendencies and experience intrusive thoughts about injuring themselves. In the moment, people who self-harm may have difficulty judging their actions. Combined with low impulse control, this can cause accidental severe injuries or death. Rehabilitation provides you with the tools you need to cope with stress without reverting to self-harm. However, before you can fully heal and move forward, you should acknowledge the problem and openly talk with your support system about your self-harming thoughts. You are not alone, and you have the resources to stop harming yourself. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we can show you better ways to overcome stress. We’ll help you find a healthier path to sobriety. To learn more about our treatment programs and how we can help, contact Newport Beach Recovery Center today by calling us at (888) 850-0363. 

What Happens to Clients Who Repeatedly Relapse?

What Happens to Clients Who Repeatedly Relapse?

Some individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) have a more difficult time achieving and maintaining sobriety, and they may worry about attending treatment at Newport Beach Recovery Center if they have a history of relapse. We believe that people should not stop receiving treatment because they display symptoms of the disorder. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “More than anything, relapse may be a sign that more treatment or a different method is needed.” We work with clients to ensure they have access to personalized treatments. In cases of chronic relapse, we may refer clients to another program or facility that better addresses their needs. 

What Are Our Policies About Relapse? 

A relapse consists of physically abusing a substance after a period of abstinence. Most people who relapse use the substance more than once before anyone finds out about their actions. The choice to physically relapse indicates something missing from the therapeutic process. In some cases, it may also indicate that the person is not ready to actively engage in treatment and they may require a different approach. 

We can alter the client’s treatment plan to address whatever underlying issue led them to fall back into maladaptive behaviors. Therapy, medication, and other treatment methods can help clients overcome ambivalence, cope with stressors, and establish healthy relapse prevention strategies. We believe in holding individuals accountable for their actions. However, we will never withhold help from people recovering from SUD. 

Relapse and the Community

Our policies and procedures involving relapse are designed to support the entire community of individuals in recovery at Newport Beach Recovery Center. We provide clients who relapse or feel in danger of relapse the following:

  • Additional emotional support 
  • A behavioral agreement that involves abstaining during treatment 
  • Education and skill development
  • Increased monitoring including drug testing 

Relapse is not a moral failing and it is not inevitable. Clients can take steps to prevent emotional or physical relapse. Our policies include client discharge in cases where they are disruptive, repeatedly relapse, or make no effort to change. We understand that ambivalence is a normal part of recovery. However, clients who actively work on their recovery can avoid relapse by openly communicating their needs and asking for help when they need it.

If you feel a desire to misuse substances during treatment, talk to your care team. They can help you cope with cravings or intrusive thoughts. We can provide you with additional support and resources to ensure you have all the tools you need to maintain your recovery. 

Rejecting a No-Tolerance Policy

We do not have a no-tolerance policy regarding relapse. However, we prioritize the health and safety of each client and our care team. We consider how our decisions will affect everyone at Newport Beach Recovery Center, including the staff and management team. Ultimately, we have a solution-focused response when someone relapses or begins to feel ambivalent about treatment. In order to decrease the risk of relapse, we believe in identifying and addressing the root cause of those feelings.

What Can You Do to Avoid Relapse During Treatment? 

You can lower your risk of relapse by taking care of your mind and body. Regular meals, quality sleep every night, staying hydrated, remaining active, and participating in therapy all contribute to your overall wellness. A clear mind and healthy body will increase your stress threshold and lower your risk of relapse. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), some of the most common factors that contribute to relapse include: 

  • Decreased self-efficacy
  • Lack of coping skills or adaptability 
  • Ambivalence
  • Loss of motivation 
  • Not enough emotional support 
  • Intense cravings 
  • A belief that substance misuse will provide emotional relief

The rehabilitation programs at Newport Beach Recovery Center address all of these issues. Clients have access to a dedicated care team, personalized support, and therapeutic services designed to stop these factors from impacting their treatment and sobriety. 

When Do We Refer Clients to Another Level of Care? 

We refer clients to a higher level of care if they relapse multiple times, and it becomes apparent that our program does not meet their needs. Clients may be referred to another facility for a short period and then transition back into one of our programs when they feel more confident in their ability to maintain sobriety during treatment. Our care team will collaborate with the client to ensure a smooth transition and decrease any stress related to transferring between levels of care. A physical relapse does not always mean instant referral, and we respond to these slip-ups on a case-by-case basis.

Everyone faces unique stressors and challenges during their recovery. Cravings and other symptoms may intensify during moments of acute stress causing a compulsion to relapse. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we believe that relapse or slipping back into old behaviors does not indicate any kind of moral failing. Our program can help you reprocess past traumas, establish healthy routines, develop essential life skills, and practice relapse prevention strategies. You are not your diagnosis. However, it will continue to affect you until you work through the underlying issues that have stopped you from healing. We can give you the tools you need to recover from substance use disorder. You are not destined to relapse, and we can help you find healthier coping techniques to manage your symptoms. To learn more about our treatment programs and the services we offer, call our office at (888) 850-0363. 

What Role Does Personal Resolve Play in Recovery?

What Role Does Personal Resolve Play in Recovery?

Self-growth is easier when you have a personal resolve to achieve and maintain sobriety. Recovery is more than medical interventions, skill development, therapy, or joining the sober community. Your determination to follow through with the recovery process will affect every aspect of your life, including mental and physical health. You will get more out of therapy and have a lower risk of relapse if you commit yourself to sobriety. Newport Beach Recovery Center uses evidence-based therapeutic methods, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), motivational interviewing (MI), and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), to help clients make positive changes.

Why Are Motivations and Personal Resolve Essential to Recovery?

Personal resolve is a lifelong commitment to a specific idea, behavior, or belief. By choosing to remain sober, you give yourself a long-term goal that will guide your future decisions. Your resolve can help you create sustainable motivation and achievable recovery goals by doing the following:

  • Providing you with the desire to maintain sobriety
  • Reminding you of what you will achieve if you resist cravings and intrusive thoughts
  • Giving you a roadmap forward during long-term recovery
  • Empowering you to continue making healthier choices

Misusing certain substances can affect various areas of the brain and make it more challenging to examine past substance misuse objectively, which can lead to a lack of motivation. Difficulty focusing on your resolve during treatment is not a moral failing, and most people need additional support in early recovery to maintain their commitment to change. A large part of rehabilitation involves being held accountable and learning to take on self-accountability healthily.

What Are the Benefits of Personal Resolve?

Resolving to make better choices and improve your general well-being comes with many benefits, including:

  • Increased conflict resolution and problem-solving skills
  • Reduced ambivalence or hesitancy about treatment and recovery
  • Healthier relationships
  • More social engagement and better communication

If you feel confident in your ability to overcome challenges, the early stages of treatment will feel less overwhelming and stressful. A deep commitment to change can also empower you to make positive changes in other areas of your life. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we believe that everyone has the potential to heal from SUD and related mental health disorders.

Personal resolve ensures that you actively engage in treatments, including various forms of therapy. According to The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, “Cognitive therapy is one of the main tools for changing people’s negative thinking and developing healthy coping skills.” Your commitment to learning these coping techniques will make recognizing and replacing maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors easier during recovery.

How Can You Identify Healthy Motivations?

Healthy motivations can help you maintain your resolve and work through underlying issues that contributed to the development of your SUD. Below are a few markers to look for if you want to determine whether your motivations are healthy or unhealthy:

  • Healthy motivations result in positive changes to your thoughts, behaviors, or environments
  • Unhealthy motivations can lead to maladaptive behaviors and thought patterns
  • Healthy motivations empower you to take back control of your life
  • Unhealthy motivations entrench you further in thoughts or behaviors that increase the risk of falling back into maladaptive routines.
  • Healthy motivations enhance the effectiveness of treatment and therapy
  • Unhealthy motivations can interfere with treatment and therapy
  • Both types of motivation can feel impactful at the moment

Sometimes you need an outside observer to point out when you have unhealthy coping mechanisms. You can use individual or group therapy and your support system to hold yourself accountable and ensure that your choices will improve your life and help you follow through with your resolve to recover from SUD.

Why Is Personal Resolve Important?

Personal resolve ensures that you keep the goal of sobriety at the forefront of your mind during treatment. By maintaining that focus and drive, you can achieve amazing success within a short period. Taking that mindset with you into aftercare will encourage active participation in therapy and conscious self-improvement. In addition, most people notice an increase in self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. According to Addictive Behaviors, individuals in treatment with “high confidence in their ability to resist drinking were more likely to maintain abstinence” for a significant period.

Your resolve can improve your treatment outcome and reduce the risk of relapse during continuing care. By choosing sobriety, you take back control of your life. The effectiveness of treatment relies on your ability and willingness to make positive changes to the way you think and act. A commitment to recovery ensures you get the most out of each treatment and therapy session during rehabilitation.

Your determination to make healthy changes will have a positive ripple effect on the lives of everyone around you. By taking responsibility for your well-being and recovery, you can increase the effectiveness of treatment and reduce the risk of relapse during continuing care. Your resolve to see things through and make essential changes to your lifestyle will propel you forward and keep you motivated during difficult moments in recovery. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we believe everyone has the potential to recover from substance use disorder. We offer you the essential tools you need to heal and cope with the daily stressors that cause cravings and intrusive thoughts. You can significantly improve your outcome by committing yourself to a sober future and healthier choices. To learn more about our treatment facility and the services we offer, call our office today at (888) 850-0363.

5 Common Avoidance Coping Tactics to Be Aware of During Therapy

5 Common Avoidance Tactics to Be Aware of During Therapy

Treatment for substance misuse involves addressing underlying traumas and painful realities about the effects and consequences of addiction. Many people use conscious and unconscious avoidance tactics, including maladaptive ones, to minimize feelings of emotional distress. Unfortunately, maladaptive thought patterns, behaviors, and coping techniques can interfere with rehabilitation and continuing recovery.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “In early treatment, clients can be emotionally fragile, ambivalent about relinquishing chemicals, and resistant to treatment.” At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we encourage clients to face their fears, overcome ambivalence, and work together with our care team to heal from the effects of substance use disorder (SUD).

Stress Management During Treatment

We use multiple therapeutic tools and stress management techniques to help clients manage their symptoms during treatment and aftercare. We help our clients successfully manage stress by doing the following:

  • We use a trauma-informed approach to care that reduces the risk of re-traumatization and decreases the severity of anxiety symptoms.
  • Our team uses gender-specific care to ensure clients feel safe and understood during treatment and therapy.
  • Clients can have weekly contact with their family over the phone or use video conferencing to encourage healthy relationships.

Many people miss their familiar routines and experience significant mood swings due to changes the body undergoes during detox and withdrawal. We help clients cope with symptoms and establish healthy habits. In addition, our team has decades of combined experience treating SUD, and we can assist clients in recognizing avoiding tactics and combatting ambivalence.

Common Forms of Avoidance

Substance use disorder can develop as an unhealthy coping mechanism to reduce emotional distress. Treatment will address underlying causes of avoidance related to substance misuse, including:

  • Ambivalence or uncertainty about treatment
  • Social stigmas and self-stigmatization
  • An unwillingness to change
  • Fear of facing the consequences of past actions
  • Anxiety or fear of the unknown
  • Lack of motivation

Understanding the cause of maladaptive behavior can make it easier to change. The most common forms of avoidance include:

  • Choosing not to reflect on personal thoughts, behaviors, or past actions.
  • Blaming others for personal failings and behaving passive-aggressively toward people who want to help.
  • Making constant excuses to procrastinate and put off treatment, therapy, and change.
  • Spending too much time thinking deeply about issues and possible solutions without taking action.
  • Not giving new routines a chance to become established before dismissing them as unhelpful and returning to old habits.

Fear of change or anxiety about the unknown might stop some people from ever seeking help for their substance misuse. Unfortunately, sometimes people do not realize their actions have delayed necessary treatments and lowered their quality of life.

Achieving and Maintaining Emotional Stability

Avoidance tactics are often a way to maintain emotional equilibrium by not engaging with people or activities that might trigger emotional distress. In many cases, individuals with SUD have historically used substances during moments of high stress. Encountering stressful subjects or situations in treatment might trigger cravings, flashbacks, or intrusive thoughts – typical symptoms of SUD. Learning how to cope with them in a controlled environment will decrease the risk of relapse and help you learn how to manage everyday stressors healthily.

5 Ways to Overcome Avoidance

Overcoming ambivalence toward treatment or fears related to triggers takes hard work and determination. First, you must actively choose to find new ways to cope with stressful situations instead of avoiding them. Below are five ways you can counter consciousness or unconscious avoidance tactics.

#1. Learn to Recognize Avoidance Behaviors

Learning to recognize avoidance behaviors is the most crucial step in retraining yourself to cope with challenges instead of avoiding them. Some common tactics include:

  • Rationalizing unhealthy behaviors instead of addressing them and actively working to fix them,
  • Putting off changes to another time when you “feel better,”
  • Not disclosing issues to your therapist or support team, and ignoring them

#2. Challenge Irrational Beliefs and Thoughts

Everyone has irrational beliefs and thoughts that affect their life to some degree. When those thoughts interfere with your ability to cope with specific issues in your life, then it might be time to analyze those beliefs and find ways to replace them with ones that will improve your mental health. When you come to a moment where you can avoid addressing an issue or face it head-on and deal with it, irrational beliefs might start popping up with inherent reasons to continue avoiding progress. You need to challenge those thoughts and find the motivation to continue making progress.

#3. Decrease Stress Using Mindfulness

Mindfulness-based techniques like deep breathing, grounding exercises, and meditation can decrease overall stress and help you think more rationally and clearly about situations in your life. In addition, you will be more mentally focused if you regularly practice mindfulness, making it easier to implement healthy strategies and recognize avoidance behaviors.

#4. Talk About Your Avoidance Behaviors in Therapy

Your therapist is there to help you work through problems and find healthy solutions that will improve your mental health and quality of life. If you identify an area of avoidance, bring it up to your therapist, and use their objective perspective to find new ways of thinking about the issue.

#5. Practice Self-Care and Maintain Self-Accountability

Self-care involves making choices that prioritize your health and well-being. By practicing regular self-care and maintaining self-accountability, you can avoid falling back into old thought patterns or behaviors. Some popular forms of self-care include:

  • Meditation or low-stress exercises like yoga
  • Doing something you love
  • Visiting with loved ones and friends
  • Taking time for yourself

Many people in early recovery struggle with ambivalence, fear of change, and an unwillingness to face challenging aspects of recovery. Therapy can help you recognize the value of addressing problem areas and positively changing your thoughts and behaviors. Accepting the need for change and learning to identify maladaptive behaviors can make it easier to start living a healthier lifestyle. For example, sustained avoidance causes severe issues with your personal life, relationships, and long-term recovery. You can stop consciously or unconsciously using avoidance tactics by using mindfulness techniques, increasing self-awareness, and practicing regular self-care. Newport Beach Recovery Center uses evidence-based methods to teach essential coping skills that will allow you to face and overcome challenges related to recovery from SUD. To learn more about our facility and the programs we offer, call us today at (888) 850-0363. Our team can help you find the motivation to stop avoiding progress.

What to Expect If You Are New to Treatment

What to Expect If You Are New to Treatment

Many individuals in recovery have never left their families for an extended period. For some, it might be the first time they’ve ever attended therapy. Leaving loved ones behind for weeks or months and going to a strange place can feel overwhelming. In addition, stress and emotional distress increase the risk of relapse and can worsen symptoms of substance use disorder (SUD). Decrease stress and anxiety by learning more about what to expect from treatment. Rehabilitation programs can be a truly life-changing experience and provide you with essential tools for long-term sobriety.

Treatment for SUD can vary depending on multiple factors. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “The type, length, and intensity of treatment are determined by the severity of the SUD, types of substances used, support systems available, prior life experiences, and behavioral, physical, gender, cultural, cognitive, and social factors.” Newport Beach Recovery Center treats substance misuse and co-occurring mental health disorders using personalized, evidence-based methods.

How to Prepare for Treatment

Being fully prepared to attend a treatment program is one way to reduce stress and anxiety. Our facility offers a full continuum of care for individuals with SUD. However, getting ready for weeks or months of treatment requires you to do the following:

  • Check your insurance plan to make sure it covers all rehabilitation services.
  • Gather all relevant medical data, including contact information for your doctor or therapist, a list of current medications, and details on your family medical history.
  • Inform your workplace that you must take a leave of absence and ensure all work tasks are reassigned.
  • Arrange for someone to look after your home and pets if you live alone.
  • Help your family prepare for your absence and make sure they have access to support resources.
  • Pack enough personal items to last through the treatment program, including weather-appropriate clothing.
  • Inform friends and family that you will be away for an extended period.
  • Prepay monthly bills and rent.

Contact our office today if you have questions about what you should bring and what to avoid packing when participating in one of our programs.

What Day-to-Day Treatment Looks Like at Newport Beach Recovery Center

We are a smaller facility that provides clients with personalized care that ensures you receive all the support you need to achieve and maintain positive mental health. Day-to-day treatment will depend on the severity of symptoms and can include:

  • Individual psychotherapy
  • Group therapy
  • Peer support groups
  • Medication and symptom management
  • Alternative holistic therapies
  • Development of essential skills
  • Relapse prevention
  • Psychoeducation

Newport Beach Recovery Center offers an individualized rehabilitation experience that can help you heal from the damaging effects of substance misuse. We believe everyone should access high-quality services and a supportive community during and after treatment. You will join in group discussions, activities, and community events.

The Benefits of Joining a Supportive Community

People new to treatment might be surprised by the many mental and physical benefits of joining a supportive community. Actively engaging in recovery alongside peers can provide you with the following:

  • Nonjudgmental understanding and support
  • A safe space to express yourself and explore self-growth
  • An opportunity to practice social and communication skills
  • Additional accountability and motivation for maintaining sobriety
  • Access to new ideas and fresh perspectives
  • A chance to help and encourage others

Facilities like Newport Beach Recovery Center prioritize creating a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone feels supported and respected.

Family Involvement in the Treatment Process

Individuals who are new to treatment may have never spent significant time away from their families. Unfortunately, most people leave behind loved ones when they attend rehabilitation. Family involvement is integral to continuing recovery at Newport Beach Recovery Center. According to Substance Abuse, “research has shown family support to be related to positive treatment outcomes, and that such support can influence recovery through motivation to change.”

Parents in recovery might have a more difficult time adjusting due to the following:

  • Regret, fear, or anger about having to leave their children for weeks or months
  • Shame for not being able to care for their child during the treatment period
  • Concern about their child’s welfare and emotional well-being

Families may also have attachment issues, codependency, or enabling behaviors that make it essential to avoid involving them in treatment during the early stages of recovery. However, after you achieve a certain degree of emotional stability, your family can become a more significant part of your recovery by providing support or attending therapy to address any maladaptive family dynamics that might increase the risk of relapse.

What to Expect From Aftercare

The Newport Beach Recovery Center care team will collaborate with you to create a comprehensive aftercare plan that might include family therapy, referrals to local family resources, a safety plan, and relapse prevention strategies. After completing the program, you will transition from treatment at the facility to local recovery services. The care team will ensure you have all the tools you need to overcome any challenges you might face during continuing care and long-term recovery.

The process might initially feel overwhelming or confusing if you are new to treatment. The care team at Newport Beach Recovery Center has created a family-like environment where peers can engage in positive interactions while undergoing treatment for substance use disorder. We believe that connections and healthy relationships improve the effectiveness of therapy. Your safety and well-being are our top priorities, and we use evidence-based methods to help you learn essential skills that lower your risk of relapse and improve mental health. We understand that being away from your family and allowing yourself to be vulnerable around strangers can be challenging. This is why we have created a place where you can become part of a supportive community of peers with similar life experiences. To learn more about Newport Beach Recovery Center and the programs we have to offer, call us today at (888) 850-0363.