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Ocean Hill therapist Liz Webster
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


When Dry July doesn't cut the drinking problem
*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...


My stay at Ocean Hills: Change was needed to hang onto my life and family
Here is Marie' story, documented in a 5-star Google review of Ocean Hills: A life of binge drinking for 32 years – and most recently...


Why 'California Sober' didn't work for me
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....


Testimonial: You can't win against alcohol
"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


How to deal with triggers and cravings
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


Testimonial: Stepping away from the chaos
I was going to work, going home, getting drunk and getting to work, hungover. I knew I was out of control.


Alcohol looked like a solution but it was the problem: Alex
Alex stayed at Ocean Hills in 2020 to address his alcoholism. Here is his story: from the depths of desperation to learning to live a...


How to stay sober when someone doesn't want you to
Alcoholism a family disease – it effects everyone, not just the person drinking. Everyone as a role to play, whether they know it or not.


Staying sober during the festive season
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


Recovery and sobriety – Tikanga Maori at Ocean Hills
We see the world as a positive, vibrant place where we choose to live sober lives in freedom and good health.


What is an alcoholic or addict?
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 different terminology for people who have issues with their use of alcohol or drugs. They believe that addiction is a spectrum of behavio


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


Chasing someone else's demons
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.


Wine mum culture under the microscope
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.


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


No easing out of addiction lockdown
Once people have admitted that they're powerless over their addiction and are willing to ask for help, a new life in sobriety can begin.


Locked and loaded: sober in lockdown
Freedom is sobriety and today, I'm going to love it like nothing else.


A day in the life of rehab
We understand the struggle of addiction and live in the solution of recovery.


Dancing through the New Year in recovery
When we're sober, the lights are on and the filters are off.
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