Andrew McGarrol is the Consulting Clinical Director to the Ocean Hills Team.

In a culture that’s saturated with alcohol and where drug-taking is often seen as normal, socialising without substances can be a challenge.

So, you think you have a problem with alcohol, and want to know how to stop for good? Here are 5 top tips from the experts at Ocean Hills.

If you think you've got a problem with alcohol, it's worth checking out further.

Here are 10 tips on how you can get stop drinking, and stay sober.

Sober story: The first shaky days of sobriety from alcohol

He terrorised us with his hangovers. There weren’t many days where I didn’t arrive at school crying. It was like walking out of a war zone.

I don’t think anyone thought I had a hope but Ocean Hills gave me my last chance of survival. Having battled addiction for more than 25 years and becoming extremely unwell I finally realised (with a lot of help from my family) that yes, my life was worth living. I had one final attempt at drinking although I would be in my grave within three weeks if I kept going, as the doctors kept telling me. I didn’t want to put my family through that, even though I felt at times it would

Helping people get and stay sober with our professional, experienced qualified team is what we love to do.

Tools for staying sober brought to you by the team of clinicians at Ocean Hills.

I never want to drink again. This has got to stop. It starts about 2am, when I'm jolted awake by something I can't fathom. Was it a bad dream? Was it a sound that woke me? Is it because my head is pounding or could it be because I am thirsty. My god, I am so thirsty. I reach for water and gulp like I've been in the desert for days without a drop to drink. Painkillers come next and an attempt to sleep again, without success. My body is wired but tired with my eyes scratchy, li

Just wanting and needing to quit drinking alcoholisn't enough. At Ocean Hills , we know that when New Year celebrations are over and summer days stretch out before us with plenty of hours in the day to reflect on what you want more of and what you need to leave behind. For many people, quitting alcohol is on the resolution list as the excesses of the festive season take a toll. Some people will attempt a Dry January but for those who struggle with alcohol dependency, resoluti

Stephanie van Waas is the Clinical Manager at Ocean Hills. Stephanie clinically assesses each guest and oversee all of their clinical care.

Studies show that yoga is effective in helping to alleviate some effects of addiction, such as depression & anxiety.

Art as a therapeutic medium has long been used for people living with addiction and mental health issues.

When you're abusing alcohol, it can feel like you're living a double life when you're pretending to be something you're not.

People with substance abuse tend to want to get away from themselves, which is why drinking or using drugs seem to work so well, as they take you out of your head. At Ocean Hills Detox & Rehab , we know that people who don’t understand addiction might tell you, just learn to love yourself and then you won’t drink like this. For some this is great advice but for people with addiction issues, you might as well just tell them that world peace is on the way as war tears us apart.

“I was full-on drinking every night and often in the morning, when I’d start drinking again. I’d wake up in the morning and still be holding

If you're worried about your drinking, call Elaine on 027 573 7744 for a confidential chat.

Staring down the barrel of alcoholism is a professional experience that doesn’t faze Jan Ellis these days, but it was a challenging part...