Too often treatment and rehab programs do not address the underlying issues and deficiencies in life skills that alcoholics and addicts suffer from that lead them to substance abuse in the first place.
Career Counseling
Each resident is encouraged to meet with our career counselor, Dr. Alexandria Drecun. Dr. Drecun is a clinical psychologist that specializes in career counseling for addicts and alcoholics.
A key aspect to the clients recovery involves fostering a passion. While actively drinking and using drugs, many describe their lives as purposeless. Dr. Drecun administers a Strong Interest survey to help our residents identify their interests and implement a clear strategy for reaching their new career and personal goals overcoming their fears and self defeating thoughts in the process.
Financial Sobriety
Most people come to recovery with financial problems form years of irresponsibility and neglect. Many people over-spend and exceed their budgets, even in sobriety. When not in control of their finances, addicts and alcoholics create unnecessary financial worries that they are often dishonest and ashamed about. These problems are a leading cause of relapse.
La Jolla Recovery has partnered with a team of financial planners that manage over a half a billion dollars. They hold a group for residents with a focus on the basics of financial sobriety, budgeting money and credit clean-up. They can also offer personal advice regarding any financial wreckage clean-up.
Nutrition
"Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food."
- Hippocrates
Nutrition plays a key role in mental health–mood, energy level, anxiety, sleep, and ability to focus are all deeply influenced by nutrition.
Most people entering recovery have bodies that have been terrible neglected and abused. Toxic drugs and alcohol often replace water and food for many years. Coming into recovery, often the addict's diet doesn't change much except that the drugs and alcohol are replaced by junk food, cigarettes and coffee or energy drinks. Newly recovering addicts and alcoholics often wonder why they feel anxious, depressed and lethargic.
Our nutritionist teaches residents how to practically change their eating habits. Offering a practical means to understanding and practicing good nutrition coupled with regular exercise our residents a much stronger ability to build a foundation in permanent recovery.
Exercise and the Gym
"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world."
- Paul Dudley White
"Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness."
- Earl of Derby
Exercise releases natural endorphins, and alleviates anxiety and depression. As a result, each La Jolla Recovery resident is provided with a gym membership. We go as a group three times a week. We motivate each-other and within the first few months, residents start seeing a measurable difference in their bodies and energy levels.
Habitat for Humanity
Many of our clients come from affluent families and have many blessings that they don't appreciate or feel like they deserve. Residents participate in Habitat for Humanity projects twice a month building homes for families that are less privileged. Although the work is hard and tiring and often leave the clients exhausted they are still smiling at the end of the day because through this process they gain a better perspective to appreciate what they have even more.
Self Esteem
It is the goal of La Jolla Recovery to build our resident's self esteem. Our clients get much more than just a token for their accomplishments in daily sobriety. At 90 days of sobriety, residents will have gone to at least 60 twelve step meetings, been to the gym at least 36 times, have participated in Habitat for Humanity six times, and have had a remarkable change in their diet. They have changed, both on the inside and the outside. Now most are ready for career counseling and learning how to live life sober as productive members of society. Instead of leaving our program sober but with no direction, our residents leave employed with a strong foundation for a permanent and happy sobriety.
Healthy Relationships
Part of Recovery is surrounding oneself with the right people. Many enter Recovery with unhealthy relationships and relationship habits that are waiting to jeopardize their recovery. Our MFT, Alexandria Drecun helps residents identify potential pitfalls, and offers guidance in building healthy boundaries and relationships. Abusive relationships and associating with people actively using drugs or drinking heavily is a typical road to relapse.
By the time La Jolla Recovery residents have lived in the house for 90 days they will have gone to at least 65 Twelve Step meetings, gone to the gym as a group 39 times, met with a personal trainer at least 12 times, donated time to their community with habitat for Humanity 6 times and will have learned valuable, and practical ways to eat healthy, manage finances and relationships with experienced staff and partners, and will have built a sense of community, both in the house and outside in the Twelve Step fellowship. The resulting combination is a solid foundation for a happy and permanent sober life.
