“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.

"I have seen the destruction of alcohol and drugs in loved ones' lives and I now am dedicated to providing a nurturing and supportive approach to allow our guests to navigate their recovery in the best way possible for them." Staring down the barrel of alcoholism is a professional experience that doesn’t faze Jan Ellis these days, but it was a challenging part of her life experience on a personal level. The Programme Facilitator at Ocean Hills hasn’t personally struggled wit

Ocean Hills therapist Liz Webster has been sober since 2013. On weekends, guests at Ocean Hills follow a more relaxed recovery routine from the busy, therapy-focused weekdays. Yoga , nature walks, biking or bowling and hot pool visits are led by Ocean Hills therapist Liz Webster. “We start the day with a lot of practice around gratitude , do daily recovery readings and then have a nice breakfast, which usually includes a green smoothie. It’s good to introduce a healthy diet

Jenny's drinking went from social to sneaky in a matter of months. *Jenny has always liked a drink. Like a lot of Kiwis, she loved a few beers and wines on a Friday and was partial to an espresso martini or Manhattan on a girls' night out. Her drinking never greatly impacted her life or health until she hit her 30s. As her her lifestyle changed – through parenting and greater responsibility in her career – she drank more at home. Sometimes, she drank alone to relieve the pres

"Overwhelming relief was eventually struck following the turning-point call to Ocean Hills – the call that enabled my first glimpse of hope to revival." Here is Marie' story, documented in a 5-star Google review and Ocean Hills testimonial: A life of binge drinking for 32 years – and most recently three years of compulsive daily drinking –  I inevitably hit rock-bottom in my life. Pre-rock-bottom meant repeatedly emotionally hurting those I loved most, compromising my abilit

"I knew that my drinking was dangerous and out of control but I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to my beloved alcohol." When I was slipping and sliding in and out of recovery, I tried going 'California sober' dozens of times, although I didn't call it that. Instead, I called it 'cutting down', 'taking a break', 'easing up' and 'slowing down'. My alcohol and drug counsellor called it 'harm reduction'. There's nothing wrong with any of these approaches, if they work. They did

"I was an award-winning professional artist and I used to tell myself I was more creative when I was drinking." Rhiannon was a guest at Ocean Hills Rehab , and was generous enough to share her recovery story with us in this personal question and answer session. Her name has been changed for privacy reasons. When I first came to Ocean Hills, I knew I was very sick. I’d gone to the doctor as I was going quite yellow. I had all these tests done and ended up in hospital. They tol

Triggers and cravings are a normal part of getting sober but you need a good plan and support to manage and overcome them. If you're trying to break an addiction, making a plan to overcome the triggers and cravings related to your substance use is crucial to preventing relapse. What is a trigger? Most people will experience a trigger to drink alcohol or use another substance before they actually 'pick up'. Sometimes these triggers are easy to pick but often they can build up

I was going to work, going home, getting drunk and getting to work, hungover. I knew I was out of control.

"Using alcohol and drugs initially made me feel like I fitted in and gave me amazing highs that I was unable to replicate anywhere else in life." Alex stayed with us in 2020 to address his alcoholism. Here is his Ocean Hills testimonial: from the depths of desperation to learning to live a happy and healthy life in sobriety. What brought you to Ocean Hills? I reached a point of desperation. This included the loss of control of my use of alcohol on a daily basis, increasing ne

Alcoholism a family disease – it effects everyone, not just the person drinking. Everyone as a role to play, whether they know it or not.

It is possible to stay through the sober season and still enjoy yourself. The silly season is dubbed that for a reason. If you don’t prepare to stay sober throughout this period, you prepare to fail and slip back into active alcoholism. The good news is, many of us at Ocean Hills Detox & Rehab in the Hawke's Bay have trodden this path before and know what the pitfalls are. Here is our expert team's 8 tried and true ways to help you in staying sober during the festive season

We see the world as a positive, vibrant place where we choose to live sober lives in freedom and good health.

Though the word 'alcoholic' is daunting for some, it can open to the door to a solution: Sobriety. At Ocean Hills , we know that the terms 'alcoholic' and 'addict' are riddled with stigma and shame. No one wants to carry labels like these, and who can blame them when they conjure up images of despairing people leading wretched lives who have lost hope of ever being free from substance abuse? In drug and alcohol treatment circles, some practitioners have started using differen

Ocean Hills founder Elaine Atkinson made her dream come true when she got sober and opened up a rehab.

If you're sick of trying to chase someone else's demons, help your loved one get the help they need with people who have walked the walk.

There were a lot of good times – I’ll be honest about that – but there were also a lot of bad times, sloppy times and dangerous times.

As one addict helps another through the raw and challenging days of early recovery, a bond forms, leading to a lifetime connection.

We understand the struggle of addiction and live in the solution of recovery.