There’s a lot to love about Southern California.
The year-round pleasant temps. Proximity to the sea. Epic hiking. A city packed with culture, activities and energy.
It’s no wonder that SoCal is a vacation destination for many.
More importantly though, given the sheer amount of specialized rehab facilities, Southern California is also a beacon of hope for many struggling with addiction and looking for solutions. It could be that where you’re from is something of a “rehab desert” in that you don’t have all that many options for treatment or ones that align with your needs. Or it could be that just getting away from wherever you are is something that could make a big difference in its own right.
Long story short, there are plenty of reasons to consider alcohol rehab in Southern California.
We’ll elaborate further below but first, let’s discuss alcoholism.
What Are the Signs of an Alcohol Addiction?
As defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol use disorder (AUD) is “a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences…Considered a brain disorder, AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe. Lasting changes in the brain caused by alcohol misuse perpetuate AUD and make individuals vulnerable to relapse”.
The signs of alcoholism become clearer as the addiction progresses, what may start as “manageable” can quickly spiral out of control. Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
- Drinking more than intended
- Can’t stop or cut back despite best efforts
- Spending a lot of time getting, drinking and recovering from alcohol
- Mood swings and irritability
- Onset of withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking
- Lack of attention to general hygiene
- Weight loss
- Strong and persistent cravings
- Avoiding activities once enjoyed because they don’t include alcohol
- Finding yourself in increasingly dangerous/reckless situations, i.e., drunk driving
- Work, home and school life suffer
- Drinking despite clear problems it’s causing
- Financial hardship due to spending on alcohol
- Legal issues from what you do while drinking or in the pursuit of more drinks
- Blacking out
- Having to drink large quantities to get the same effect due to building up a tolerance
Alcohol addiction will manifest differently in each person but chances are you’ll start to see some of these the longer the addiction carries on.
Why You Should Go to Alcohol Rehab in Southern California
So why Cali then?
Specialized care
Because Southern California has so many alternatives for rehab, you’re much more likely to find the treatment option that works best for you here. With rehabs running the gamut from purely evidence-based to holistic and alternative therapy-centric, both inpatient and outpatient, you can really get the care that matches your requirements and sensibilities.
New perspective
A new setting allows you to see the world through a different lens and that can be hugely beneficial in the pursuit of sobriety.
Remove yourself from triggers
It’s often tough to get clean in the place that you got addicted. Why? Because you’re surrounded by all the triggers that may have led you to drink in the first place. Getting away from it all – the people, places, access, etc. – can lift a tremendous weight and free you to succeed.
Weather
With over 200 days of sun a year and year-round comfortable temperatures, it’s tough to find a more pleasant atmosphere for recovery – and that matters. Fresh air, sea breezes and endless sunlight truly do make a difference in how you feel and they all aid in your recovery. Just think of how down you feel when you see cloudy skies for a month straight or are snowed in. Now consider going through treatment under those grey skies. Is it doable? Of course. But it’s just that little bit more difficult.
Nature & City
Love hiking? Swimming? Climbing? Running? The natural beauty of SoCal isn’t just your new playground with mountains and sea right next to each other, it can also be incorporated right into your rehab. On the flip side, you’ll have access to one of America’s largest cities where you can find museums, food from all corners of the world, theme parks and more.
Southern California clearly has a lot to offer, to learn more about our backyard, reach out to us at Inneractions.