If you or a loved one need help, please call: 949-979-6866
Knowing deep down that you need to stop drinking or using drugs unfortunately doesn’t make stopping any easier or less scary. You may already know what happens when you go too long without it, or maybe you’ve tried to quit before and ended up feeling so awful that using again felt like the quickest way to make it stop.
And if you’re reading this because you’re worried about someone you love, you may be wondering what happens when they get here, who will be with them, and whether they’ll be okay through the night. Those are fair things to want to know.
At OceanRock Health, our Newport Beach detox is medically supervised, with nursing support available 24 hours a day. Someone is awake and paying attention, providing support if something changes. You can start working with your clinical team as soon as you arrive, so detox isn’t something you have to complete before treatment begins.
Medically supervised detox gives your body time to adjust to being without drugs or alcohol while nursing support is available 24/7. Instead of trying to figure out for yourself whether what you’re feeling is normal, you have people there who know what withdrawal can look like and can keep track of how you’re doing.
At OceanRock, that can include:
For many people, detox is where treatment starts. The goal isn’t to rush you through withdrawal. It’s to give you a safe place to get through those first days while your body begins to adjust and your treatment team gets to know you.
When you call OceanRock, you’re talking to someone who understands that this may not be an easy call to make. You’re not going to be judged or frowned upon for what’s been happening. And if you’ve been to treatment before and it didn’t hold, that’s not a disqualification.
The person who answers will first talk with you about what’s going on and what you need right now. They’ll answer your questions and walk you through what admission looks like so you know what happens next.
So if you’re nervous before you call, that’s okay. Making the call can take a lot of courage. You don’t have to sound certain or know exactly what to say. You just have to start the conversation.
Detox can be uncomfortable. There’s no getting around that. But going through it somewhere you feel safe, with people around who know what you’re experiencing, can make those first days feel a lot less overwhelming.
When you arrive at OceanRock, you’ll be met by staff and connected with your clinical team right away. You won’t spend your first day wondering who you’re supposed to talk to or waiting until detox is over before anyone starts getting to know you.
There’s also no expectation that you arrive feeling good, rested, or ready to talk about everything. You’re there because you need some help getting through this part. Your team can start getting to know you while giving you the time and space to settle in.
And the people you meet that first day aren’t necessarily people you’ll have to leave behind once detox is over. If you continue treatment at OceanRock, your therapist and case manager can continue with you, too.
If you’re worried about what will happen when you stop, there’s a good reason to take that seriously. Withdrawal can feel awful with a lot of substances, but alcohol and benzodiazepines are different because withdrawal from either one can become life-threatening.
That doesn’t mean something terrible is going to happen to you. It does mean that if your body has gotten used to alcohol or benzodiazepines like Xanax, Ativan, or Valium, suddenly stopping on your own may not be safe. This is one of those times when having medical supervision really matters.
If you haven’t stopped yet and you’re worried about withdrawal, call OceanRock and talk with someone about what you’ve been using and what happens when you go without it. If you’re already having severe symptoms or think something is seriously wrong, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
You don’t have to wait until you’re in trouble to ask for help. If insurance is part of your concern, the team can also help you verify your benefits.
When you’re going through detox, keeping track of medications or figuring out how to get other care you need can feel like one more thing on an already very full plate. At OceanRock, medication management continues through detox and residential treatment, so you have support with that part of your care too.
If there’s a treatment you’re interested in that OceanRock doesn’t provide on-site, you don’t necessarily have to figure out the logistics by yourself. OceanRock doesn’t administer TMS or Spravato directly, but they can help make getting to that outside care a little easier while you’re in treatment.
Sleep patterns can be irregular when you first stop drinking or using drugs. You may sleep more than usual, struggle to sleep at all, or finally fall asleep only to wake up from a vivid dream or nightmare. At OceanRock, sleep is something your team pays attention to rather than assuming it will sort itself out once the drugs or alcohol are gone. If nightmares, vivid dreams, or other sleep problems are making it harder for you to rest, you can talk about what’s happening and get support while your body adjusts.
Healthy sleep patterns can take some time to build. The goal isn’t to expect you to sleep perfectly right away, but to start helping your body find its way back to a healthier rhythm.
Oceanrock Testimonials
It’s normal to wonder how long you’re going to be there, especially when the rest of your life is still waiting for you. Some people come to OceanRock for a 7-day detox, while others continue in treatment for 6 to 12 months. You don’t have to figure out that whole timeline when you arrive.
Depending on what you need, your next step may include:
As you walk through detox, you and your treatment team can decide what level of support makes sense for you next. If you want to stay longer and your insurance carrier pushes for a shorter stay, OceanRock can advocate for more time on your behalf, although insurance approval isn’t guaranteed.
Telling someone the whole story of how you ended up in treatment can take a lot out of you. Having to tell it all over again every time you move to a different level of care can be even harder.
At OceanRock, you’ll tell your story once. The therapist and case manager you begin working with can stay with you as you move from detox into residential treatment and through PHP, IOP, or outpatient care. If sober living is your next step, they can help you make that transition too. Your team already knows where you’ve been and what you’ve been working on, so you can keep moving forward from there.
Detox may only be the first part of your time at OceanRock, but the relationships you start building there don’t have to end when detox does.
Worrying about whether insurance will cover treatment can make an already stressful decision feel even harder. OceanRock can help you verify your benefits and understand what your plan may cover.
OceanRock works with several major insurance carriers, including:
HMO and marketplace plans can sometimes be harder to use for treatment, but OceanRock puts staff time into working through those processes. Insurance verification doesn’t guarantee approval or coverage, but it can give you a clearer idea of your options before you make any decisions.
Feeling safe in treatment is about more than knowing someone is awake at night. You’re also living around other people during a time when you may feel pretty vulnerable, so it matters that someone is paying attention to what’s happening around you.
OceanRock is staffed and supervised, but the goal isn’t to make you feel like you’re being watched every second. Staff is there to keep the environment safe while still giving you the space to settle in and focus on why you’re there.
And if you’re the person at home worrying about someone you love, that supervision can offer some reassurance too. Your loved one isn’t being left to get through those first difficult days on their own.
Where you spend the early part of recovery can matter. Orange County has a large recovery community, so treatment doesn’t have to feel like something happening in a little bubble that disappears the minute you leave.
It’s also a place where getting outside and moving your body can be part of everyday life. The weather makes that possible much of the year, and being near the coast gives you somewhere to walk, clear your head, or just spend a little time outside when you’ve been stuck in your own thoughts for too long.
Newport Beach is beautiful, but that isn’t the reason to come here for detox. It’s a chance to begin treatment in a place where recovery already has a strong presence and where self-care can start becoming part of regular life.
How Long Does Detox Take?
Some people come to OceanRock for a 7-day detox, but no single timeline fits everyone. How long you need detox depends on what’s happening with your body and what your clinical team recommends. If you continue treatment afterward, your overall time at OceanRock may be much longer.
Is It Safe to Detox at Home?
It depends on what you’ve been using and whether your body has become physically dependent. Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can become life-threatening, so suddenly stopping either one without medical supervision can be dangerous. If you’re unsure whether it’s safe for you to stop at home, talk with OceanRock or another medical professional first. If you’re having severe withdrawal symptoms or think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
What Medications Are Used During Detox?
OceanRock provides medication management during detox, but your medical team will determine what makes sense for you rather than following the same approach for everyone.
What Happens After Detox?
Detox doesn’t have to mean starting over somewhere else once withdrawal is behind you. At OceanRock, you can continue through residential treatment and other levels of care while keeping the same therapist and case manager you started working with during detox.
Will My Job Find Out I’m in Detox?
Taking time away from work can come with a lot of questions about what you need to tell your employer. OceanRock can help with FMLA paperwork and disability navigation while you’re in treatment. For questions about what information your employer may receive in your particular situation, talk with the OceanRock team before making assumptions about privacy or disclosure.
 | Authored By: Oceanrock Editorial Staff The OceanRock Editorial Staff is the team behind the content on the Oceanrock Health website. Based in Newport Beach, California, we bring together the clinical expertise of our care teams with a commitment to clear, compassionate writing about addiction and mental health recovery. Drawing on the day-to-day experience of our clinicians, medical director, and admissions specialists, we write to demystify the recovery process, from detox and residential care through PHP, IOP, and outpatient support. |
You can know you need help and still feel completely unsure about making that first call. You don’t have to know how long you’ll need treatment or have everything that comes next figured out. You just need somewhere to start.
When you call OceanRock, you’ll talk to someone who understands that asking for help can be hard. You can ask the questions you’ve been afraid to ask, talk about what’s been happening, and figure out together what kind of support makes sense for you.
Maybe you’re making this call for yourself. Maybe you’re up late worrying about someone you love, and you just need someone to tell you what to do next. Either way, you don’t have to have the right words when you call. Just tell us what’s going on. We’ll start there.
Call OceanRock when you’re ready to talk, or verify your insurance if that feels like an easier place to begin.
