“I’m ready to get help” may be one of the scariest phrases for an addict. While addicts seem to live in chaos, their world is actually consistent, familiar, and driven by the same priority every day: getting that next hit. Recovery means changing behaviors, mindsets, and lifestyles. That’s scary.
However, change is actually one of the biggest positive facilitators for recovery. It’s one of the best things you can actively incorporate into your own recovery from addiction. So, choosing out-of-state outpatient treatment could be one of the best decisions you make in early recovery.
The Mistake of Choosing Familiarity
For many people, outpatient treatment is a more appealing option than inpatient treatment because it allows them to hold onto more of their established life. They like the idea of being able to stay close to home, hold their job, and see their families.
While staying close to home may sprout these ideal features, it doesn’t exterminate the negative impact of familiar triggers.
Think about how the taste of that infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte immediately makes you think of crisp and cozy fall mornings. The same effect applies to otherwise commonplace features in your familiar environment, creating major triggers.
Sensory Trigger
The sound of your neighbors constantly arguing, shouting, and disrupting your evening at home after a long day of work effortlessly causes feelings of stress and frustration, which drives you to seek the comfort of your drink or drug of choice.
Location Trigger
Passing by your favorite liquor store or former pick-up spot is unavoidable when staying close to home. Remaining surrounded by places that remind you of using will stifle the positive changes recovery attempts to create.
People Trigger
Your loved ones may be enabling your substance abuse without realizing it. Inviting you to grab a drink at the end of the day seems harmless to your coworkers because they don’t suffer from addiction. But the tension the proposition creates is a trigger.
Benefits of Out-of-State Outpatient Treatment
The easiest way to jumpstart the change recovery generates is to remove yourself from those familiar triggers. Find a treatment program that provides a change of scenery.
Free of distractions
Finding an out-of-state outpatient treatment program means that you’re removed from the toxic people and places that would otherwise distract from your recovery. A new location is essentially a blank slate for positivity to be the driving factor.
A change of scenery complements a change of mindset
During treatment, you’ll learn new tools to cope with stressors, triggers, and trauma. You’ll learn how to process emotions and be honest with others. Treatment isolates addict behavior and changes mindsets. It’s much harder to be open to that mindset change if nothing else around you has changed. On the other hand, a new environment and change of scenery complements a mindset change.
Promotes comfort and positivity
Choosing out-of-state outpatient treatment means that you can choose an environment that feels comfortable and positive to you. Blue Coast Behavioral Health is based in Southern California, known for that “good vibes” lifestyle. In addition to year-round beautiful weather, Southern California features a huge sober culture, tons of indoor and outdoor activities, and an atmosphere of acceptance.
More opportunity to cater to your specific needs
When you choose to stay home for outpatient treatment, you’re limited by the treatment facilities near you. Hopefully, they’re good treatment facilities that offer the features you desire. In the case that they don’t, opting for out-of-state outpatient treatment widens the scope and gives you more opportunity to find a treatment facility that offers the program features and amenities you’re looking for.
Sober Living option
Traveling for outpatient treatment probably means that you’ll need housing. This could actually be a great opportunity for you to find a Sober Living home while you complete treatment. Outpatient treatment works best when paired with Sober Living because your living environment inherently promotes recovery. So, when you get home from your outpatient sessions each day, you can rest assured that your environment will be free of drugs and alcohol.
Every addict who makes the life-changing decision to get help deserves to go through treatment with the odds in their favor. For many people, that may mean finding an out-of-state outpatient treatment program.
Blue Coast Behavioral Health offers both outpatient treatment and Sober Living. If you’d like to learn more about our sober living options, feel free to give our admissions counselors a call: 714-203-2708
