Northbound is not only a place for you to regain your sobriety and begin making plans for a successful reintegration back into the real world, but it is also a place where you can learn how to adjust your lifestyle to support your newly sober life.
It’s no secret that many addicts experience a sense of depression when they start thinking about how they can possibly have fun without using. Luckily, we have numerous resources that we utilize for our clients so they can shake this depression and fear of living a boring life. It is just as important to us as it is to our clients to find new and exciting ways to have fun without drinking and/or doing drugs. Therefore, we do a variety of things to help show you how easy it is to have fun without compromising your sobriety. These practices include:
- Relating and sharing – For many individuals working at Northbound, they themselves are recovering addicts, which is often a main driver of developing a strong connection with our clients. By relating and sharing their own personal success stories and leading by example, the staff at Northbound can help you realize that even though your life is changing, that you, too, will be able to find enjoyment in your life without your use.
- Having fun with you – It is important to the staff at Northbound to not just set up recreational activities for you to participate in, but to also engage themselves in the activity alongside of you. The Northbound staff is never going to ask you to work harder than they are, meaning that they will remain as dedicated to your sobriety as you will. Therefore, they will join you when engaging in activities such as playing golf, surfing, swimming and more.
- Time management – A major struggle for some recovering addicts is that they begin feeling like they won’t have the time to participate in activities or recreational events that promote their happiness. Even though this is normal, the staff at Northbound focuses directly on helping you develop strong time management skills that will not only allow you to incorporate fun into your schedule, but also help keep you sober for the long haul.
At Northbound, it is important to the staff to not only sharing their stories with you to give you an extra boost of inspiration, but also to be your partner in activities and events and show you how to manage your time so you can keep having fun long after your stay at Northbound.
Author
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Paul Alexander is the CEO, President & Founder of Northbound Treatment Network in Newport Beach, California. He believes wholeheartedly in transformational leadership, organizational health and effective, fully integrated substance use disorder and mental health treatment. With over 27 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, Paul has extensive knowledge of “in vivo” treatment modalities, clinical development, operations, strategy, marketing and financial planning. He has been widely recognized for his development of collegiate-based residential treatment programs for students in recovery and authored a research study at The University of California confirming this modality’s effectiveness.
Paul’s comprehensive professional experience, willingness to innovate, and emphasis on organizational health are vital factors in Northbound’s continued success. Paul received his Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist training at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA, and was awarded Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 2002. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law and Society, Summa Cum Laude, from University of California, Irvine, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. Paul currently serves on The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) board. In addition, he serves on The Family Recovery Foundation board and The CarePossible board in Orange County; both organizations are committed to raising funds for family recovery and treatment for former military personnel. Paul is in recovery himself and lives in Orange County with his wife Silvana and his two young sons, Noah and Dean.
