How to Throw an Awesome Sober Halloween Party

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The Holiday Season and Living in Sobriety

Halloween often signifies the start of the holiday season. In Orange County and all of Southern California, it is also the start of cooler weather, the beginning of many gatherings with family and friends. As the kick-off for the “party season” Halloween might be your first sober event. Sobriety does not mean that you can no longer have fun. With tips from our team at Fresh Start of California, you can plan a fun, memorable, and sober Halloween party.

If you are battling addiction and are ready to start a new chapter, Fresh Start of California offers detox, inpatient, and outpatient recovery solutions in Orange County. We can work with you to move through the phases of detox and rehabilitation so that you can have confidence in sobriety. Let our team be your support system and jump into this holiday season with a renewed excitement for life.

Contact Fresh Start of California today.

8 Ideas for Sober Halloween Fun

If you are ready to throw an awesome party but are wondering how to make it great without alcohol, have no fear. We compiled tips and ideas to help your party be a hit, without the need for intoxication. Remember the joy of Halloween as a child, the excitement, and the playfulness.

With that spirit in mind, read the tips and ideas below to make your party a blast.

  1. Dress up. Be sure to let your guests know that costumes are key! You can choose a theme for the party or encourage your guests to get creative. Spend the money you would have spent on stocking the bar to create an epic costume. Need some ideas for themes? Try apocalyptic or end of the world, space life, animals, or Vegas themes so that the costumes can be cohesive.
  2. Create designated and different areas of interest. Have food and beverages in one space, with room to sit or stop and chat, designate an area for dancing with access to music choices, maybe supply games or activities in one room, or even a movie room with comfortable cushions and low lighting.
  3. Play a scary movie or humorous Halloween classic. Consider projecting a movie onto the side of your house, a wall inside, or buy a screen to play the movie outside. Horror loving friends will have something to discuss. It can serve as a conversation starter about favorite movies or a way to take a break from dancing.
  4. Have plenty to eat and drink. Build a menu of “mocktails” that are Halloween themed, buy pre-made non-alcoholic drinks, or supply the regular variety of water, juice, and sodas.
  5. Play games and even plan some “tricks.” Halloween allows us to bring out our playful side, so why not plant some tricks for your guests, jump scares with “ghosts” behind doors, or games that get people to mingle and start loosening up.
  6. Make memories and capture them. Place Polaroid cameras around the room and let guests take photos to pin to a photo board or bring home. Set up a photo booth. Start traditions with your sober friends that you can carry on for future events and parties. If you don’t have access to Polaroids, consider having your home photo printer available for you to take a few minutes at the end of the night to print group photos for everyone to take home.
  7. Turn down the lights and turn up the music. Lower lights help people release the fear of everyone watching them, so they can get loose and get down on the dancefloor. Lower lighting, colored lights, or blacklights, will help people feel comfortable dancing, and can help counteract the thought that often accompanies nights of the past that, “I dance better when I’ve had a few drinks.”
  8. Carve pumpkins. Pick up pumpkins for your guests or ask them to bring their own for carving. Provide stencils, tools, and space to carve pumpkins. Focusing on a task and expressing individual ideas while carving will allow guests to talk with people they may not have before. Taking the focus off of the conversation and shifting it onto a task allows guards to lower and nerves to physically release through the physical task.

Halloween Fun That You Remember

One of the biggest advantages of sobriety is that you will remember the memories that you make. No more waking up with foggy ideas of the night before, no more missed connections because you were too intoxicated to pay attention. Whether you are newly sober or have years of sobriety under your belt, fostering friendships and relationships with other sober people is advantageous. You have a common goal, a common thread, that makes it okay to enjoy yourselves without the pressure to include substances. A sober Halloween party is just the start of the holiday season’s activities that you can cherish rather than vaguely remember.

Are you ready to have a fresh view on life? Contact the Orange County detox and rehab team at Fresh Start of California to learn how we can help you fight addiction and get your life back.

 

Red Ribbon Week: October 23-31

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The Origins of Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week is the week of recognition and advocacy for the fight against drugs and addiction. It began in 1985, started after the death of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Special Agent Camarena was brutally tortured and murdered by drug traffickers during an investigation in Mexico. This event and the start of Red Ribbon Week escalated as it got national recognition, and in 1988 the National Family Partnership (NFP) coordinate the official first National Red Ribbon Week. President Reagan and Nancy Reagan became national chairpersons for the campaign and the NFP continues to coordinate the program each year.

As Orange County’s resource and facility for rehabilitation and detox from drugs and alcohol, Fresh Start of California is a supportive and active participant in Red Ribbon Week. We are here to help addicts and their families fight against the drugs and alcohol that control their lives.

Contact the rehabilitation specialists at Fresh Start of California to start your path to recovery today.

The Nation’s Oldest Drug Awareness Program

As the longest-lasting and most wide-spread drug awareness program, Red Ribbon Week unites children and adults in a visible stand against drug use. The mission is to keep children drug-free, first and foremost, as well as profess a commitment to abstain from drug use.

Each year a contest is held to determine the upcoming year’s Red Ribbon Week theme. The 2020 theme for Red Ribbon Week, October 23rd-31st, is “Be happy. Be brave. Be drug-free.” This year’s theme was created by Tricia Nelson, of Locust Corner Elementary School in Cincinnati. Her theme embodies the idea of living a drug-free life that is happy, exciting, and fulfilling. Although this year’s event will be primarily virtual, wearing a red ribbon is still impactful.

Wearing a red ribbon represents the pledge to live drug-free and honors the sacrifice of those who lost their lives fighting against drugs and drug use. The National Family Partnership, as the backbone of Red Ribbon Week, promotes awareness, acts as advocates, and provides resources to those in need.

Join the Fight Against Drug Use

At Fresh Start of California, we instill hope in our patients and strive to help addicts get excited about life in sobriety. Our team of detox and rehabilitation professionals and support staff understand the struggles that coincide with addiction as well as the issues that create the need for drug use. We are here to help you get to the root of where the addiction started and can work with you to build a new foundation of sobriety.

For inbox or outpatient detox and rehabilitation options in Orange County, contact Fresh Start of California today. We are here for you.

The Link Between PTSD and Drug Use

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What is PTSD?

PTSD is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a mental health disorder caused by a traumatic experience in a person’s life. Experiences that can cause PTSD include childhood abuse, sexual abuse, car accidents, military combat, violent assault, natural disasters, or acts of terrorism. Signs and symptoms of PTSD may be one or more of the following:

  • Nightmares and trouble sleeping
  • Flashbacks (physical and mental) or intense memories
  • Reliving the trauma
  • Behavioral changes, easily irritated, angered or triggered into a violent reaction
  • Distancing from friends and family, avoidance of social interaction
  • Social anxiety or avoidance of going out in public

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is often diagnosed with co-occurring disorders or mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. It is important to understand the cause of these disorders to treat them effectively. At Fresh Start of California, we treat our patients on a case-by-case basis, and we understand that we must not only treat for the substance abuse but also the cause of the abuse.

Contact the team of Orange County detox and rehab professionals at Fresh Start of California if you are struggling with drug or alcohol use. Call us today!

Co-Occurring Disorders: PTSD and Substance Abuse

Many believe that PTSD sufferers use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate, in hopes of numbing the pain and stress involved with PTSD. Military veterans and women who suffered sexual abuse or rape are at high risk for this type of self-medicating. With this in mind, it is no surprise that drug or alcohol use and abuse are considered avoidance symptoms of PTSD.

This symptom may be linked to endorphin withdrawal after a traumatic event. The body reacts to an experience of trauma with a release of endorphins to endure the event itself. Unfortunately, after the event(s) our body often produces fewer “feel-good” chemicals, thus making it harder to feel normal as well as harder to numb the pain of the experience. Drug and alcohol come into play when a person desires to escape the pain and stress, or the behavioral changes, using drugs and/or alcohol as their numbing mechanism. The repeated attempt to numb the pain results in the development of dependence builds a tolerance to the substance and creates abuse.

Addiction and PTSD

An addict’s brain becomes dependent on the substance of their choice to feel “normal” and avoid the sickness that comes with withdrawals. The symptoms of addiction, withdrawal, and PTSD tend to overlap, making it hard for sufferers to understand their symptoms and combat them effectively alone. Professional treatment involves finding the root of the addiction, understanding the symptoms of PTSD, and incorporating treatment for all mental health issues while rewiring the brain to rely on itself rather than drug or alcohol.

Inpatient and outpatient facilities like Fresh Start of California can work with you to treat both addiction and PTSD at the same time so that every patient has a chance at returning to a life they want to live. We want you to feel confident in your care plan. Our Orange County doctor, nurses, rehabilitation experts, and onsite teams create individual treatment plans for each patient’s needs. It is our goal to work together with our patients to build the solid foundation of a new life after addiction, one that includes symptom management of PTSD or other mental health disorders.

Trust Fresh Start of California with your detox and rehabilitation needs in Orange County. Our team is here for you. Contact us to start your treatment today.

How to Help a Loved One with Addiction

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Orange County Rehabilitation Specialists Provide Tips for Help

If your family member or loved one is suffering in the depth of addiction, it is critical to know the difference between control and pressure versus influence and support. Pressure, control, and change by force is not possible in addiction. Neither the addict nor the loved one is in control in this situation, the substance is truly the one in charge. We cannot force change or trick a loved one into quitting. A better, more effective approach is to offer support and influence via positive reinforcement, information on programs and support groups, and consistent boundaries.

The team of Orange County rehabilitation professionals at Fresh Start of California understands the mental and emotional toll that addiction takes on loved ones. We know that you need support and help as much as the addict. Our team is here as a resource to you and your loved one, and we can help you find a treatment program that will best fit your family member, spouse, or friend who needs professional help. Let our recovery team be the professional support that your loved one needs, so you can get some peace of mind.

Contact Fresh Start of California today to discuss treatment options in Orange County.

5 Ways to Help a Loved One with Addiction

You may think that helping a loved one with addiction involves offering money, housing, and entering into an “enabling” relationship, but that is not the case. There are very important ways to help your loved one without becoming codependent or enabling.

The top 5 ways to help your loved one suffering from addiction are:

  1. Be consistent. Consistent rules, expectations, promises, consequences, and boundaries will help your loved one feel safe and cared for. Also, consistency and rigid rules will help you not to enable.
  2. Be optimistic. Optimism, while being realistic, is important in maintaining sanity while dealing with the aftermath of binges, psychosis, withdrawals, and other negative aspects of using. Whether faith-based or fact-based, find something to keep thinking positive outside of the addiction relationship.
  3. Be encouraging. Use different types of encouragement from physical (hugs, physical presence) to emotional and mental encouragement. Verbally encouraging an addict when he or she is feeling down can make a difference, even if you don’t seem to get a reaction.
  4. Be educated. Inform yourself so that you know the truth about addiction, what it looks like, and how it affects users and their loved ones. Educate yourself on codependency and the signs of enabling so that you can be prepared and avoid making a situation worse.
  5. Be assertive. When addressing the issue, do not sugarcoat or tiptoe, be assertive and straightforward. Do not mask the effects of addiction from the addict. Ignoring the issue of addiction will not make it go away.

A bonus tip, that is equally important as all of the others, is to take care of yourself. Be sure to eat, drink water, and get adequate sleep while caring for and supporting an addicted loved one. It sounds cliché but practicing self-care is important when you are dealing with the stress, fear, and unknowns of dealing with addiction.

Addicts and Loved Ones Both Need Help

It is not uncommon for loved ones of addicts to need some sort of help themselves. Whether you require counseling, codependency therapy, or any other support, there is help out there. Our addiction and rehabilitation team at Orange County’s Fresh Start of California has access to excellent resources and recovery programs for you and your loved one. Let us help you make a difference in your loved one’s life.

Contact Fresh Start of California today to learn about detox and addiction recovery solutions.

How Journaling Can Help You Maintain Sobriety

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Journaling: A Powerful Tool for Healing and Recovery

The writing process is a natural form of self-reflection with therapeutic benefits, and journaling can help process the emotional challenges that come along with the recovery process. Because journaling requires only yourself and a commitment to the practice, it is a low-pressure communication tool that allows you to dig deep and learn about yourself, your life, and the path you have chosen in recovery.

The practice of journaling is cathartic way to express your emotions and manage mental health issues affected by addiction such as anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as understanding the root of the addiction itself. This healthy form of mental health management should be an accessible tool in your recovery toolbox that you can use to maintain longevity in your sobriety. In fact, even before making that life-changing decision to pursue detox and addiction rehabilitation, keeping a journal can help process and reconcile with the need to seek treatment.

Contact the Orange County detox and rehab specialists at Fresh Start of California for addiction recovery options and where to start. Call our team today.

The Benefits of Keeping a Recovery Journal

Studies have shown that writing in a journal actually trigger positive physiological responses in your mind and body. By simultaneously enacting the rational left side and creative right side of your brain, you are able to freely express yourself without verbal or communicative restraints. Writing in this mindset also improves cognitive function and ability, and strengthens your personal relationship with yourself, empowering your emotions and bolstering your natural coping mechanisms.

Breaking down the many benefits of journaling for recovery can also help boost your confidence and keep you on track. These specific benefits include:

  • Self-reflection and self-actualization: The reflective moments that you allow yourself with your journal allow you to look inward and understand your emotions, encouraging you to reflect and grow. By being in touch with yourself, you will strengthen your emotional intelligence, and learn how to act with integrity while cultivating self-confidence.
  • Naming problems and responsibilities: Self-reflection requires honesty, and honesty is necessary during the recovery process. Journaling compels these honest conversations with yourself so you can recognize your triggers, responsibilities, the root of your addiction, and how to overcome these issues to maintain sobriety long term.
  • Preserve your privacy: It is difficult to be honest with yourself when that information is shared. With journaling, you are having a conversation between you and yourself—no one else needs to read it. You are free to get it all out on the page without judgement.
  • Setting goals and tracking progress: One of the most valuable benefits of journaling is creating a written record of progress and goal-achievements. It is inspiring to look back on previous journal entries and see how much you’ve grown emotionally and how far you’ve journeyed through recovery. This helps maintain progress and keep momentum, especially during periods of self-doubt and when facing external challenges.

Writing in a journal is habitual act that takes commitment and dedication—even a few words a day will help you maintain a helpful, therapeutic practice. By processing and unpacking your emotions through daily journaling, you harvest a growth mindset while stimulating self-accountability that keeps you on track in your recovery process.

How to Start Journaling for Recovery

One of the most beneficial elements of journaling is how accessible it is. You simply need a pen, a notebook, and a sliver of time for yourself. Writing prompts can sometimes help you break the ice and write with certain topics in mind; other writers prefer to record and reflect the day’s events. Journaling while in therapy or rehabilitation programs usually combine approaches to allow both guidance and freedom.

Everyone’s writing and journaling process works differently for them, and you should allow yourself to shed any pressure you may feel about getting started. Remember—it’s just you, and the blank page in front of you.

There are several types of journaling, and each can be accessible and adaptable to your style and preference:

  • A Traditional Diary: You record your day’s events, as well as your emotional responses and overall wellbeing.
  • A Reflection Journal: Usually written in the evenings, you aim for deep self-reflection on specific topics that may have come up throughout your day’s occurrences.
  • A Gratitude Journal: Focusing on the positive, you write about things you are grateful for, whether or not they are connected to the day’s events.
  • Goals and Progress Journal: This can be interwoven in other types of journals and allows you to write down specific goals and track progress towards those goals, while also maintaining accountability.
  • Prompt-based Journal: Prompts can be facilitated by rehabilitation leaders, therapists, or you can purchase a journal with prompts already written. Prompts help you start writing, but it is not a writing assignment. Once you start writing, you freely your mind and pen lead you into self-reflection.

No matter where you are in your journey, maintaining sobriety requires you to confront, process, and overcome the many challenges of addiction recovery. Through the practice of journaling, you can healthily reduce the emotional stress that may be inhibiting your recovery process, while bringing creativity and joy into your life through writing.

Need help getting started? Contact Fresh Start of California in Orange County today.

10 Ideas for a Sober Fourth of July

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Independence Day is a holiday well known for big parties, outrageous behavior, and the use of alcohol to “celebrate”. As you walk the path of sobriety, it may be a day of stress and temptation, but there are ways to prepare and prevail. The Orange County detox and rehabilitation team at Fresh Start of California understands that it is best to be equipped before you celebrate so that you can remain sober and in recovery. You can enjoy the fourth of July and stay sober. Our tips and ideas below can help.

Contact Fresh Start of California for recovery solutions, rehabilitation, and detox in Orange County. Our recovery specialists can help you start a new life in sobriety.

10 Tips for Sobriety on Independence Day

  1. Start the day with a meeting. Attend a morning meeting on the fourth of July so that you start your day off right and with a strong foundation.
  2. Make plans with sober friends by attending a sober party or hosting a sober event.
  3. Practice accountability by asking your sponsor, friends, or family to check in with you throughout the day.
  4. Drive yourself so that you know that you can leave a location if you need to and know that you can choose what you do.
  5. Have an exit strategy. Go into events with a plan, just in case you need to leave. Consider explaining to the host that if you need to leave, you will do so according to the best plan for your recovery.
  6. Focus on the food. Keep your mind and hands busy by putting yourself in charge of the barbeque, the desserts, or the appetizers so that you have something to pay attention to other than the drinks.
  7. Bring a cooler of non-alcoholic drinks. Be sure to have plenty of alcohol-free drinks available for yourself and others who are staying sober. If you have a drink in your hand, others will be less likely to offer you an alcoholic beverage.
  8. Celebrate Independence Day with an activity. Rather than going to a party, go to the beach, a sporting event, a hike, or a parade.
  9. Have a sponsor on-call or enlist a friend to be available no matter the time or place so that you can reach out as needed. Stay in touch with people who support your sobriety.
  10. Have confidence in your sobriety. Share your story if someone asks, be proud of the strength it takes to be sober in a world that is often centered around being inebriated.

Celebrate Freedom and Sobriety

Living a life of sobriety is a kind of freedom that only those who live it understand. Part of your fourth of July celebrations can focus on the freedom you have found in recovery and the strength you have in sobriety. With a plan, an on-call sponsor, and a great support system Independence Day does not have to be something you dread. Let our tips be your guide and if you need help in recovery, our team can help.

Fresh Start of California is here for you with Orange County detox and rehabilitation specialists that can create an individual plan for your recovery. Contact our team today and step into the bath of sobriety.

Parents of Addicted Teens: Acceptance VS Condoning

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Parental Instinct and Using Emotion to Fuel Action

When we find out our child is using or has fallen into the trouble of addiction, our initial reaction may be disgust, resistance, anger, guilt, and stress. Unfortunately, these reactions are not going to help. It is best to channel any emotions into action and refrain from trying to understand cause and effect. Trying to understand the “why” from the get-go can make us miss chances for intervention.

With the knowledge that our child needs help, we must understand the difference between acceptance and condoning the drug or alcohol abuse. Acceptance is recognizing the reality of the situation without attempting to protest it or change it while condoning is allowing behavior that is morally wrong or offensive to continue despite its ramifications.

At Fresh Start of California, we understand the difficult place that a child’s addiction can put a parent in. We know how precarious it is to make the right choices and worry about the wrong ones. Let us help you and your child have a fighting chance against addiction.

Contact the Orange County detox and rehabilitation specialists at Fresh Start of California for addiction recovery options and where to start. Call our team today.

What Does Acceptance Look Like?

Acceptance may look like seeking help, offering ways to avoid use, arranging counseling, or intervention. There are many ways to work with your child to fight against the power of addiction including:

  • Finding motivation for abstaining from the use
  • Finding ways to limit peer pressure in a manner that supports recovery
  • Seeking an understanding of motives for use, such as: is it for fun? For acceptance by peers? Or self-medication for mental or emotional distress?
  • Offer an incentivized challenge for quitting, or for abstaining for a certain period.
  • Set house rules and guidelines with consequences with the knowledge that the user may continue.

Acceptance may look different for every family, but the key is to have an understanding with your teen that you are on their side and that you are going to help them through the path of recovery.

What Does Condoning Look Like?

Condoning the behavior of an addict, even your child, is often the result of a few different factors: a parent ‘s drug or alcohol abuse or addiction, the desire to be friends more than a parent figure, the notion that the home is a safe space for experimentation. Condoning behavior may look like:

  • Using drugs or drinking with your teen
  • Allowing your teen to use or drink at your house
  • Supplying alcohol or drugs to your teen or teen’s friends
  • Raising your child around drug or alcohol use
  • Not being conscious of censoring your drug or alcohol use

It is important to understand the implications of condoning the addictive behavior of a teen user. Our teens deserve a fighting chance at life after recovery.

A Fighting Chance with Fresh Start of California

Our Orange County team of detox and recovery professionals can help you connect with the resources you need to get your child through. Recovery and abstaining from drug or alcohol use may require different commitments of a teen than an adult. Our specialists understand that as a parent, you will need help navigating the rehabilitation process alongside your team. Let the experts at Fresh Start of California help you when the ones you love most are in trouble.

Contact Fresh Start of California in Orange County today.

How Yoga & Exercise Can Help Combat Addiction

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The Mind-Body Connection and Battling Addiction

Much of the struggle with addiction is behavior based on emotional or mental trauma or pain. The connection between the physical behaviors and the workings within the mind is what yoga can help forge. What is yoga? Yoga is a movement and thought connection practice within a philosophy that is 8 limbs based. Each limb, or study, is part of the mind-body connection through breath. This practice, and exercise in general, can be a great tool in recovery. Exercise can be anything from a gym workout to an evening stroll, hiking to surfing. Regular body movement can boost mood, helps regulate the body’s functions, and combats depression.

These practices can deepen focus inward to help uncover thought patterns and negative habits. At Fresh Start of California, we can help you learn a variety of ways to combat addiction. We understand that body movement and emotional work go hand in hand. Let our team be your guide for Orange County rehabilitation and recovery from addiction.

Contact Fresh Start of California today if you are ready to make a change.

How Can Yoga & Exercise Help the Recovery Process?

Joining the body and mind through healthy movement can make keeping tabs on your addiction easier, uncovering, and identifying potential triggers. Mental and emotional health is critical in preventing relapse, recognizing behaviors, and knowing when you need help. Exercise and yoga are beneficial to both.

3 of yoga’s benefits during recovery include:

  1. Reduce stress and anxiety. Yoga uses breathwork and deliberate movement to reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, and calm racing thoughts. It can be used in battling addiction by acting as a self-soothing technique as well as a tool to dig into deeper issues.
  2. Help you sleep. Fall asleep faster and help relax using restorative poses including those that are aimed at increasing blood flow that reduces restless legs.
  3. Better health. Boost your immunity and the functions of your body systems using different yoga poses. From immune health to digestive function, yoga can help keep the body healthy.

3 benefits of exercise in combating addiction:

  1. Provide structure to your day. Exercise can be a reason to get out of the house, to break up the monotony of the day, and to be a commitment that you can keep. Having gym partners or work out buddies can help to give you something to look forward to each day.
  2. Commitment and reward. Regain control of your ability to stick with something that offers positive reinforcement and visible rewards. Keeping commitments to exercise routines can be a huge step in reminding yourself of how much power you have in life and over your actions.
  3. Boost your mood. Exercise increases blood flow and increases feel-good chemicals in the brain. It is proven to help change the mood and mental state in a positive way.

Recover in Mind and Body with Fresh Start of California

Moving forward from addiction can be daunting and overwhelming. It is crucial to find routine in healthy practices like yoga and exercise. These practices, along with guidance from rehabilitation and detox professionals and the support of your peers, can make all the difference. Let the recovery specialists at Fresh Start of California work with you to build a program that works with your specific needs.

Call our Orange County rehabilitation team today.

Why Anger Management and Rehab Go Hand in Hand

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Childhood Experience and Anger Management

Anger management issues are often closely connected to substance abuse, especially when an addict was exposed to anger, violence, and trauma as a child. Children of violent adults frequently become angry adults themselves and may be predisposed to abuse drugs or alcohol. Experiencing or witnessing violence and trauma at a young age can cause developmental delays, issues with emotional maturity, and personality changes. If substance abuse is combined with anger and emotional management issues, it is clear that during recovery, these issues will need to be addressed.

The team at Fresh Start of California understands that your addiction is not the only thing that we can help with. We know that many substance abusers suffered childhood trauma and will need help with anger management, counseling, and other services during rehab. Let our Orange County addiction and recovery experts work with you at Fresh Start of California.

Call Fresh Start of California to start the road to recovery today.

The Start of Addiction: When Did Your Emotional Growth Stop?

It makes sense that many people who are battling addiction and anger began their addiction at a young age when the skills of adult anger management and emotional stability were not yet fully formed. Developmental disruptions are often based upon the age of the start of substance use. If a person were to begin using at age 12, for example, emotional understanding and how they handle anger would be based upon an age 12 understanding. The tools a person uses may only be accessible to the age at which they started using because memory, comprehension, and retention of tools once a substance is involved can be impaired.

Rehabilitation, recovery, and moving forward may involve anger management, life skills, and learning how to function past adolescent behavior in these cases. This is the first example where anger management and rehab go hand in hand. It is crucial for addicts who were exposed to childhood trauma and those who began their addiction at a young age to learn how to handle anger and other adult emotions.

Anger as Reaction: The Effects of Substances on How We Handle Life

Many substances cause reactions that differ from the way react when sober. Drugs and alcohol can trigger anger or alcohol can exaggerate strong emotions including anger. Although some drink or use to smooth their emotional response, thus self-medicating, it often has the opposite effect. In these cases, it creates a cycle of strong emotion-drinking or using-anger or strong emotion-using or drinking more, etc.

Not only do substances change our reactions, but they also diminish impulse control. They make the abuser care less about what their actions will cause, the consequences of their actions or words, and about the damage that their anger does. Unfortunately, people who struggle with anger management are more prone to substance abuse.

Anger Management Provides Tools for Recovery

Anger management in rehab provides the tools that recovering addicts need to move forward and interact in healthy ways. These classes can help recovery patients learn to recognize triggers and cope with them. They also teach people in recovery to take responsibility for their actions and repair relationships destroyed during addiction.

What can you expect in anger management?

  • You may talk about past experiences.
  • You will identify personal triggers.
  • You can learn healthy ways to manage anger.
  • You will share feelings.
  • You will learn to problem solve and learn productive anger management skills.
  • You will learn about passive-aggressive behavior and how to avoid it.
  • You will learn the difference between anger as an emotion and chronic anger as a personality trait.

Most of all, in anger management you will be given the tool to help prevent anger as a trigger for relapse. Preventing addictive behavior and substance abuse is a key component in relearning how to handle emotions.

The Truth of Anger Management and Rehab

People tend to turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their feelings and avoid the discomfort of the unknown. This is especially true of negative emotions like sadness, pain, and anger. Unfortunately, the negative emotions and memories attached to them are only temporarily displaced by the substance. These will continue to build and grow in the shadows of addiction until they are faced with sobriety. Anger management as a supplement to rehabilitation is critical in moving forward and being able to work through the traumas of the past.

Anger management and rehab truly go hand in hand. At Fresh Start of California, we understand the importance of having an all-encompassing rehabilitation program. Let our Orange County addiction specialists help you find a program that works for you.

Contact Fresh Start of California to discuss treatment today.

The Advantages of Out of State Detox and Rehab

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The decision to go to rehab is a big one and one that holds the weight of a new life. It is crucial to find a facility that you can have confidence in and one that you will feel comfortable spending a good amount of time in. At Fresh Start of California, you can count on our Orange County detox and rehab team to provide top-notch care and an environment for growth. The choice to go out of state for rehab is a big decision with numerous benefits. We understand that our patients from out of state needed a big change to make the journey to sobriety, and we are happy to help get new patients settled in.

If you are considering an out of state rehab or have questions about detox and rehab services at Fresh Start of California in Orange County, contact our team. We can help you make sure that you are choosing the best place for your recovery.

Contact Fresh Start of California today.

7 Advantages of Out of State Detox and Rehab

There are many advantages of getting away from the town where your addiction grew and starting your recovery journey somewhere new. If you are unsure about where to go, the advantages of out of state recovery listed below may be helpful in your decision. Remember, the choice is a privilege, and the first step in your recovery journey.

  1. A fresh start. Removing yourself from the environment in which your addiction grew, you have the physical separation and disconnection needed to truly change. Remove yourself from daily influences, triggers, and external factors that feed your addiction by going away from home.
  2. Commitment. The commitment required to leave home, leave the town you are accustomed to, is a big one. Leaving your security net behind to go to a detox and rehab out of state helps to solidify the decision to move forward into a sober life.
  3. Quality of care. Sometimes your town or city does not offer the treatment that you need, or a facility that is out of state will better suit your individual needs.
  4. Journey mindset. The path to recovery is truly a journey. Traveling to a new state, no matter by train, plane, or car, is a journey in itself that signifies the changes you are about to make.
  5. Deter relapse. Being away from your triggers and sources to use makes it harder to relapse. If you are in a new state, the idea of running away from your rehab facility or checking yourself out may be deterred by the distance and the unknown location.
  6. Privacy and gossip. Leaving town for treatment gives you the opportunity for anonymity and privacy. This is especially true of times when you have to inform your boss or family members where you are going, or why you are leaving. If you are in a facility near your home, you may be facing the possibility of being there with someone you know or a person who can spread the “news”. Traveling out of state for treatment offers a lessened chance of gossip, recognition, and small-town talk.
  7. Unique treatment. Many states offer treatment facilities that are unique to their climate. California rehabs boast beautiful weather and may have mountain or beach views, while Utah or Arizona facilities may have desert and canyon views and activities. If you have the privilege of choosing your facility, choose one that offers activities that are going to help make your treatment easier, better, or more enjoyable.

Detox and Rehab at Fresh Start of California

The holistic approach and individualized treatment options at Fresh Start of California provide a unique and special recovery experience. We take pride in offering every patient a treatment plan that is suited to his or her individual needs. Our team of doctors and specialists are here to make your recovery as painless as possible while working to uncover the foundations that created your addiction. Let us help you take the steps to sobriety that will change your life, whether you are a California native or coming from out of state.

Call Fresh Start of California today to learn hour our Orange County Detox and Rehab team can help you.