Living in Los Angeles has many perks, including easy access to fun activities daily. That said, the fast-paced lifestyle and party culture in Los Angeles can be difficult for people recovering from addiction.
If you are recovering from substance abuse in LA, you might need a high level of resilience and an arsenal of tools to maintain your sobriety. Los Angeles is known for partying, exclusive clubs, and drug or alcohol abuse. Because of this, you’ll need to be extra careful when you are in early sobriety.
While completing an addiction treatment program is a huge accomplishment, it does not mean that your recovery journey is over. If you are trying to stay sober after rehab in LA, there are some tips and tricks you should be aware of. For example, you’ll want to build a support network, avoid high-risk environments, find sober-friendly activities to engage in, use the recovery resources LA offers, and rely on professional support when necessary.
If you are looking for a structured and supportive environment to live in while recovering from addiction in Los Angeles, California, Patrick’s Purpose is here to help. We offer a sober living home that can provide you with the tools and support you need to maintain long-term recovery.
Tips for Staying Sober After Rehab in Los Angeles
Addiction treatment centers help you recover from the root causes of your substance abuse, address co-occurring conditions, and teach you important relapse prevention skills. While they are intended to prepare you for sobriety in the real world, you need to continue learning and growing to maintain your recovery.
Trying to maintain sobriety in an environment like Los Angeles can be challenging. The city has a reputation for a fast-paced lifestyle and a partying culture. That said, it is possible to have a fulfilling recovery journey in this city.
If you are trying to stay sober after completing a recovery program in LA, you should:
Build a Support Network
Sober life can be challenging, especially when you are faced with triggers. Living in LA might mean you come across drug and alcohol use sometimes. While overcoming triggers for relapse can be hard, it’s much easier when you have a support network to rely on.
You can build a support network in LA by attending 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). You can also choose to attend 12-step alternatives like SMART Recovery or Women For Sobriety (WFS).
Even further, you can rely on close friends and family members in times of need. Whatever type of support network you choose, make sure the people you are relying on are supportive of your recovery and knowledgeable about how to maintain long-term sobriety.
Avoid High-Risk Environments
Because Los Angeles is known for partying, you might be invited to some events. If you have friends who are not in recovery, they might not realize how damaging it could be to invite you to parties where alcohol and drug use will take place.
If you are invited to parties, clubs, or bars in Los Angeles, you should consider a few things before attending. Will the environment trigger you to crave drugs and alcohol? Will there be other sober people at the event?
It is best to avoid high-risk environments like house parties, bars, and clubs when you are in early sobriety.
Find Sober-Friendly Activities
While sobriety should be taken seriously, you are also meant to have fun. If you deprive yourself of social activities, you’ll begin to miss the fun parts of drug and alcohol abuse. Keeping this in mind, you should find sober-friendly activities to engage in while you are living in Los Angeles.
Keeping yourself busy and fulfilled by engaging in fun activities can lessen your risk of relapsing. Examples of fun and sober-friendly activities in LA include:
- Hiking or other forms of outdoor recreation
- Attending art festivals or museums
- Going to restaurants with friends
- Thrifting and outdoor flea markets
- Stargazing at Griffith Observatory
- Visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Attending beaches or the skatepark at Venice Beach
- Taking surfing classes
- See a performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall
- And so much more!
Use Recovery Resources in Los Angeles
While Los Angeles is known for its fast-paced lifestyle, it is also a city of acceptance and inclusion. That said, there are still plenty of community-run events for sober people. For example, there might be a hiking group for sober individuals or a meet-up for sober yoga in the park.
Attending these sober meet-ups helps you find new friends and create a community based on mutual support.
Rely on Professional Support
Lastly, it’s okay to rely on professional support when you need to. You should continue attending regular therapy to keep your mental health in check, go to regular sober support meetings, and work with an addiction counselor who can help you learn new relapse prevention skills.
Another thing to consider is sober living. If you do not have a structured environment to live in after completing rehab, a sober house could be a good idea. At Patrick’s Purpose, we help our residents develop the skills they need to achieve independent living without the fear of relapse.
Get Connected to a Sober Living Home in Los Angeles
If you recently completed an addiction treatment program in Los Angeles, you might want to consider sober living. At Patrick’s Purpose, our sober living home offers a safe and structured environment for people to learn how to maintain sobriety on their own.
Contact us today for more information on how our sober living program can help you stay sober in Los Angeles.