Alcoholism Treatment

There’s a very good reason why we call alcoholism a progressive disease. It might start with a couple of after school beers with your friends, just goofing off in the garage when the parents are away. Maybe you fall down and break your dad’s birdhouse project by mistake and your friends think it’s the funniest thing they ever saw.  A few years later, you’re embarrassing your girlfriend at a dinner party, slurring your words and stumbling off the front porch. Then there’s the first drunk driving arrest, with the requisite jail, bail and explanations to your folks or spouse. As time goes by, your drinking mishaps mount, and maybe by now you’ve lost a job or two. Oh, and your doctor says you’ve got some health issues that need attention.

So far so good. You haven’t killed anybody yet, and maybe your marriage is still hanging on by a thread.  But it’s definitely time to get help. The good news is you don’t have to go it alone, and the fact that you’re asking for help doesn’t mean you’re weak. Truth is, just admitting that you have a problem and that you’re willing to do something about it shows a lot of courage. It also shows you care enough about your loved ones to seek the professional help you need.

Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach, California, has successfully treated thousands of alcoholics, and we do that by providing an individualized program that is carried out in a safe and caring environment, far from the daily temptations presented by alcohol. One big reason Morningside is so successful with alcoholics is the fact that many on the staff are recovering alcoholics themselves. And nobody, but nobody, knows the thought process of an alcoholic better than another alcoholic. Many of us have been down that road before. We know how difficult it is to stop drinking and, more important, how easy it is to pick up a drink again.

And we don’t put all of the emphasis on 12-step programs as the sole cure-all for alcoholism. “What separates us from other recovery treatment centers is that we’re not just 35 guys sitting down and reading the Big Book (of Alcoholics Anonymous),” said David Gates, Chief Operating Officer at Morningside Recovery. “We do a complete, thorough assessment of each client, and then conduct extensive and comprehensive psychotherapy with the patient, as well as teach him or her life skills.”

Major emphasis is placed on educational classes and individual and group therapy sessions that concentrate on real-life situations. Group education and group therapy are conducted by licensed therapists, using a curriculum that is research- and evidence-based,” he said, adding these sessions are about skill building, developing life skills, relapse prevention, anger management, relationship and parenting skills.

And all of this is conducted concurrently, in concert and in conjunction with daily 12-step recovery group meetings and support.  It’s sort of a “best of all possible worlds” scenario.

Here’s a brief itinerary of what you can expect when you check into Morningside Recovery’s alcohol treatment program:

• An assessment will determine whether detoxification is appropriate. This is considered on a case-by-case basis and, if needed, arrangements will be made for you to check into a detox facility.
• You will meet with a treatment intake coordinator for paperwork and to discuss procedures, rules and regulations.
• Treatment begins right away, and you attend all groups, meetings and lectures scheduled for your particular addiction treatment program.
• You will meet with our psychiatrist and nurse practitioner for thorough psychiatric and medical evaluations.
• A one-on-one session with your own addiction case manager will take place within the first week. That is followed by conferences on a weekly basis to discuss treatment plans, progress and other issues you might be facing.

By far the most important part of our alcohol treatment program is aftercare. Without a comprehensive, well structured plan of action for when you leave Newport Beach, months-old sobriety can slip out of your grasp. Morningside offers a transitional work program, job placement services, career counseling and relapse prevention, and we encourage frequent attendance at 12-step meetings in your own city when you return home.

“We really put the emphasis on aftercare,” said Morningside’s David Gates. “This isn’t just a 30, 60, or 90-day program where, at the end, we put you on a plane, send you home and say, “We’re done.”

We know you have questions. And we have the answers.

Call Morningside Recovery at

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