Please Recommend a Detox Retreat
January 19, 2011 11:52 AM Subscribe
I’m 35, male, and live in San Diego. I’m hoping to find a retreat (or something similar) that is not too far away, not too expensive (maybe $2,000-$3,000), and that starts as soon as possible. I have recently gone through a lot of unpleasant life changes, and have been drinking too much, too often, and for too long. My primary issue may be with alcohol, but I want to try this before I try outpatient treatment. I’m hoping to find a retreat where I can recharge and also break my drinking habit. Ideally, it would include some combination of yoga, meditation, and counseling or something directed to my drinking habit. Thanks.
It is hard to be sure about the pricing but the Chopra Center has something that looks to be in your area. (They have an addiction program too, but that appears to be in British Columbia, and price is way over your budget.
I can't tell the price but Full Circle Yoga Institute offers twice a year retreats that seem to offer what you want, except the focus on addiction. They probably could make a decent referral to a more addiction centered program in your area, though.
posted by bearwife at 12:43 PM on January 19, 2011
I can't tell the price but Full Circle Yoga Institute offers twice a year retreats that seem to offer what you want, except the focus on addiction. They probably could make a decent referral to a more addiction centered program in your area, though.
posted by bearwife at 12:43 PM on January 19, 2011
Response by poster: I prefer non-religious. Thanks.
posted by metawabbit at 12:54 PM on January 19, 2011
posted by metawabbit at 12:54 PM on January 19, 2011
If you are into buddhist retreats, you could just go to Deer Park Monastery for 2 weeks. Probably no formal program, but they might be able to help a bit. Small per diem cost.
posted by zia at 1:13 PM on January 19, 2011
posted by zia at 1:13 PM on January 19, 2011
No personal experience, and perhaps this is too fancy/less than what you need, but Miraval, near Tucson? They have counselors on staff and have a variety of programs, including an Andrew Weil program coming up at the end of the month called 'Achieving Optimum Health During Difficult Times."
You might also search under "life coaching." Clearly you'd benefit by working with an accredited counselor, etc., but a program that also includes life coaching might help you coordinate some of these exercises as you work through multiple issues.
posted by Madamina at 1:19 PM on January 19, 2011
You might also search under "life coaching." Clearly you'd benefit by working with an accredited counselor, etc., but a program that also includes life coaching might help you coordinate some of these exercises as you work through multiple issues.
posted by Madamina at 1:19 PM on January 19, 2011
Saying that you drink "too much" is vague. I didn't get the impression that you're drinking constantly, like all day every day. But if it's anywhere near that, it could be dangerous to just quit cold turkey without some sort of medical supervision (DT.)
That said, if you are mostly just seeking distraction . . . CorePower also offers yoga retreats but as far as I know nothing specifically for addiction.
posted by GastrocNemesis at 2:38 PM on January 19, 2011
That said, if you are mostly just seeking distraction . . . CorePower also offers yoga retreats but as far as I know nothing specifically for addiction.
posted by GastrocNemesis at 2:38 PM on January 19, 2011
Have you investigated the possibility of going to an ashram?
Yoga is not a religion but obviously there is an emphasis on the spiritual side of life at these sorts of retreats - personally (as someone who has struggled with addiction myself from time to time) I found the focus on mindfulness, generosity, self-discipline and calming the mind all to be just as useful as any counselling. And you can engage with the whole guru thing as much or little as you like, in my opinion. The benefit of an ashram is that it's generally a drug and alcohol-free zone, often cheaper than a youth hostel (for $2000 you could stay a few months) and for that you get delicious vegetarian food, yoga and meditation classes in peaceful surroundings, and often meet some really interesting people from different walks of life. This is just my experience, YMMV.
What about something like this or this? I don't have experience with these ones specifically, just what came up from googling 'san diego ashram'.
Also - no yoga retreat will be a total substitute for a qualified addiction therapist. How about making an appointment with a therapist before you leave, to discuss how you can best approach your recovery?
Good luck.
posted by Weng at 11:45 AM on January 20, 2011
Yoga is not a religion but obviously there is an emphasis on the spiritual side of life at these sorts of retreats - personally (as someone who has struggled with addiction myself from time to time) I found the focus on mindfulness, generosity, self-discipline and calming the mind all to be just as useful as any counselling. And you can engage with the whole guru thing as much or little as you like, in my opinion. The benefit of an ashram is that it's generally a drug and alcohol-free zone, often cheaper than a youth hostel (for $2000 you could stay a few months) and for that you get delicious vegetarian food, yoga and meditation classes in peaceful surroundings, and often meet some really interesting people from different walks of life. This is just my experience, YMMV.
What about something like this or this? I don't have experience with these ones specifically, just what came up from googling 'san diego ashram'.
Also - no yoga retreat will be a total substitute for a qualified addiction therapist. How about making an appointment with a therapist before you leave, to discuss how you can best approach your recovery?
Good luck.
posted by Weng at 11:45 AM on January 20, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by valkyryn at 12:35 PM on January 19, 2011