Each year, around 3.8 million Californians engage in binge drinking at least once a month. If you’re managing an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, you’re not alone.
At New Dawn Treatment Centers, our alcoholism treatment blends expert clinical care with immersive, experiential therapies such as alpaca-assisted healing and acupuncture. Our gender-specific, trauma-informed programs create a compassionate, hands-on path to recovery.
If you or someone you care about is considering treatment, the following guide discusses who we are and how we can help.
What We Treat
Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) can look entirely different from one person to the next.
One individual may struggle with job loss, relationship issues, and homelessness, while another could be functioning, attending work, taking care of their children, and handling daily responsibilities. One person may be living with deep, unresolved trauma while the other may be in the middle of a financial crisis.
Each person living with addiction is unique, and their journey to healing should be, too.
At New Dawn Treatment Centers, we create treatment plans that prioritize individuality and work to heal clients as a whole (body, mind, and spirit). We understand that AUD is not a sign of weakness or a lack of willpower. It is a complex condition influenced by genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
How We Treat Alcoholism: Evidence-Based and Experiential Therapies
The same treatment won’t work for everyone, and for some, only a combination of therapies can resonate. That is why our programs blend proven, evidence-based therapies with innovative experiential methods.
What to Expect in Treatment: Standard + Evidence-Based Therapies
Understanding your relationship with alcohol is often the first step of treatment. Once the cause of alcohol use is established, you can begin the work of recognizing triggers, cultivating healthy coping strategies, and reframing unhealthy thoughts into productive thoughts.
At New Dawn, we use the following therapies to guide our clients through this process:
What to Expect in Treatment: Experiential + Alternative Therapies
Part of what sets New Dawn apart is our use of innovative and expressive experiential therapies. These therapies encourage self-expression, build resilience, and teach clients that there is a bright future ahead in recovery.
Some of our experiential therapies and techniques for treating alcohol use disorder include:
At New Dawn, we offer a healing environment where you can stop drinking and rebuild your life while finding a sense of purpose and connection. Experiential therapies allow you to feel joy again, and they inspire you to create the life you want – away from alcohol.
Equine-Assisted Therapy:
Recreation Therapy:
Yoga:
Acupuncture and Relaxation:
Art Therapy:
Massage Therapy:
Tai Chi:
Life Coaching:
What Are the Treatment Options for Alcoholism at New Dawn Recovery Centers?
Our treatment programs include the following levels of care:
| Care Level | What It Is | Who It's For |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Detox | A medically supervised process of clearing alcohol from the body while managing withdrawal symptoms to ensure safety and comfort. | Anyone who has been habitually drinking and is concerned about withdrawal symptoms. |
| Inpatient | A structured, live-in program that provides 24/7 medical care, therapy, and support. New Dawn offers gender-specific programming and housing to address unique needs. | Those who may be living with co-occurring disorders, those who need to avoid external environmental triggers during early recovery, and individuals looking for intensive daily care. |
| Outpatient | Includes intensive outpatient treatment (therapeutic intervention 3 days per week), partial hospitalization programming, and regular group + individual therapies. | Those who need to split their time between home, work, and treatment. Those who cannot stay overnight but still need intensive programming. |
| Lifetime Aftercare | Provides ongoing counseling, peer support, and community events to help graduates stay connected and maintain long-term recovery. | Anyone and everyone in recovery post-treatment. Aftercare is a lifeline, a guide, and a support system that helps prevent a return to use. |
What Causes “Alcoholism”?
It’s common to ruminate on the “why” when living with addiction. Unfortunately, there is no defined reason why some of us develop AUD and others don’t.
Here’s what we do know:
A) Alcohol use disorder is caused by psychological, genetic, or environmental factors, and there is often more than one factor at play.
B) An alcohol use disorder isn’t a “choice”; it’s a disorder and should be clinically treated as such.
C) There are risk factors that contribute to the possibility that someone will develop AUD, including:
A history of trauma or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
A sensitivity to dopamine, the reward chemical, in the brain
A low socioeconomic status
A family history of substance use or exposure to substance use at a young age
The presence of a co-occurring mental health condition, such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia
How to Know If You Need Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder
Having a risk factor for alcohol use disorder doesn’t mean you’ll develop an addiction, but it’s a strong indicator that you should be mindful of your relationship with alcohol.
But how do you know when your relationship with alcohol has become unhealthy? Additionally, how do you know if you need treatment for an alcohol use disorder?
First, look at how much you’re drinking. A standard drink is one beer, one glass of wine, or 1.5 oz of spirits. The current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control say that 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men is considered moderate drinking. If you’re drinking more than that in one sitting, you may want to ask yourself why.
Second, look at your tolerance levels. If you find that you need more and more alcohol to achieve a “buzz”, that’s concerning. It means your body has become accustomed to regular alcohol consumption.
Third, look at your behaviors. Are you neglecting your responsibilities, isolating yourself, hiding your alcohol use, using alcohol as a way to cope with stress, or spending large chunks of time drinking? All of these are signs of a possible alcohol use disorder.
AUD doesn’t look the same for everyone, but if you’re having withdrawal symptoms when not drinking or if you feel any guilt/shame from your drinking habits, it’s probably time to seek help.
If you’re thinking about getting help, you’re not alone. Over 2 million people received treatment for AUD in the last year. Treatment is a viable and effective option to get your life back.
Get Treatment for Alcoholism (Alcohol Use Disorder) at New Dawn Treatment Centers
Addiction treatment should support every part of a person’s well-being.
Part of what sets New Dawn Treatment Centers apart is our dedication to helping people overcome addiction through programs that foster healing in ways unique to the individual.
Our clinical team is experienced and dedicated to helping people overcome addiction, and all of our services are CARF-accredited to ensure we collect and use patient feedback to improve our programs. As a result, our graduates report an average 95% satisfaction rate. To learn more about our gender-specific programming, experiential treatment, or clinical methods, call us today at (916)741-5312.
New Dawn Treatment Centers: Be Free.
We Are Here to Help
Jumpstart Your Recovery Today
New Dawn’s addiction recovery programs have helped thousands of individuals recover from substance abuse for nearly 30 years. Start your recovery process with us.
