“Sober for Life” Program Launched in Newport Beach California: Program Teaches Men and Women How to Truly Enjoy Life While Sober

Sober Living by the Sea

Newport Beach, CA (PRWEB) June 30, 2009

Beachfront barbecues, surfing, sailing, fishing, and soccer… you might think we are talking about a beach resort, but this is Sober Living by the Sea’s new “Sober For Life” program. This drug treatment center has figured out the secret ingredient to successful rehabilitation.

Learning to Enjoy Life Sober is More Than Just a Clinical Process

The clinical treatment program at Sober Living by the Sea has always been state-of-the-art and world renowned. In recent years the benefit of the drug rehab’s proximity to many enjoyable activities has become more and more evident. The numerous outdoor activities have grown into large recurring events that are also participated in by large groups of the treatment facility’s alumni. Numerous individuals who were previously relapse prone have been able to start lives that are permanently free of drugs and alcohol by completely changing their lifestyle to include esteem building activities that they were introduced to at Sober Living by the Sea.

“Sober for Life” Program Teaches People How to Maintain Sobriety by Enjoying Life More than Ever Before

From over twenty years of experience, Sober Living by the Sea has learned that there are only so many hours a day that patients can effectively participate in therapy and group meetings. To maximize the effectiveness of treatment, Sober Living by the Sea provides its’ patients multiple opportunities daily to participate in physically active and spiritually rewarding outdoor activities.

The Sober for Life program is designed to be a “step down” from primary treatment. Men and women who’ve achieved initial sobriety in a detox facility or a 28 day inpatient treatment facility will come to the Sober for Life program to “get their lives back” by continuing treatment in the vibrant community of Newport Beach. All residents of the Sober for Life program live in a treatment residence, are drug tested every 72 hours, and have their time accounted for all day of every day. But there are choices and a little bit of freedom as patients in the Sober for Life program are provided with a beach cruiser to transport themselves between appointments and some choices as to which activities and 12-Step meetings to participate in.

Some Examples of Sober For Life Therapeutic Outdoor Activities

At the crack of dawn, Heather Devore and some of the Sober Living by the Sea staff meet patients on the beach right out in front of this California drug rehab facility to give surf lessons. The surf program has grown into one of the most popular activities at Sober Living by the Sea.

“Surfing has proven to be a powerful experience for many of our patients because it is such a contrary activity to using drugs and alcohol. Not only are the patients up early in the morning, they are sober and learning something new,” says Heather. “Surfing is a physically challenging activity that allows them to start rebuilding their strength while gaining self-esteem from trying something new and learning to be successful.”

If surfing does not sound appealing to a person in early recovery there are numerous other activities to choose from, such as:

sober soccer
sports fishing
amusement park outings (Disneyland, Universal Studios)
golfing
daily gym visits
“Men and women have been very successful in overcoming drug addiction, alcoholism, and eating disorders at our California treatment centers because we teach them how to have fun in sobriety,” says alumni coordinator Michael H.

Sober Living by the Sea staffer Eric Vandernoort oversees the weekly deep sea fishing excursions and has this to say: “Many of the men and women who we are treating have been using drugs and alcohol for so long that they suffer from anhedonia or ‘pleasure deafness.'” When clients participate in fun and rewarding activities during their sober time, their brains adjust to the new source of enjoyment and they begin to experience pleasure again. “The sensation of reeling in a 50 pound fish on the open ocean is so rewarding that even the most ‘pleasure deaf’ person will be monumentally affected by it.”

Building Friendships in Recovery

The vast majority of the Sober Living by the Sea community and staff are people who are in recovery from addiction. People who have embraced a life of sobriety are grateful to be free of addictive behaviors and know that working with others is an effective way to strengthen their own recovery. Friendships are formed during activities like fishing, surfing and soccer, and these friendships provide newly sober individuals the chance to bond with and learn from people they can relate to and trust, as well as discover new lifetime passions.

Sober Living by the Sea has been an industry leader in the field of addiction treatment for twenty three years. They have created the world’s premiere treatment community right on the beach in Orange County, California. Sober Living by the Sea has an informative website to answer questions about their treatment programs for Oxycontin addiction, marijuana addiction, Adderall abuse and much more.

For free information and media inquiries, visit http://www.soberliving.com, or call 866-323-5609.

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