Frequently Asked Questions

Our approach to your treatment experience is that recovery can be fun and fulfilling, even during the tough times.

We offer a community, framework, and support so that you can rebuild a life worth living. We use this community as treatment; some of our groups are at Waterfront Park and the Downtown Embarcadero.

The graffiti on the walls, pool table, and arcade makes our office feel less clinical and more relaxed. But inside, you’ll find that we provide trusted and quality recovery solutions and a better experience for clients and their families by focusing more on the big picture of long-term recovery.

Our innovative clinical program focuses on emotional intelligence. We teach clients how to break through limiting beliefs, old ideas, and behavior patterns. We go on to help clients get inspired and take steps toward their goals, dreams, and purpose for a good life. Each client is unique, so we are flexible in our holistic approach to help each person with an individual level of care.

We are located in the Little Italy neighborhood in downtown San Diego.

Office Address:
1446 Front St Suite 400 & 300,
San Diego, CA 92101, United States

Most private health plans cover a portion of substance abuse treatment, and some cover it entirely. To learn your carrier’s benefit coverage for outpatient treatment programs, call them or visit their website to find out what your private health insurance includes.

Sober Life San Diego is in network with the following private health insurance companies:

• Blue Shield of California
• Magellan health
• MHN
• Healthnet
• Tricare
• Halcyon
• HMC health works
• First Health
• Humana
• TRICARE
• Optum
• Aetna
• Cigna
• United Healthcare
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• ComPsych
• Anthem
• And many more

Levels of Care
Sober Life San Diego offers multiple levels of care, such as:

• Outpatient
• Partial-Hospitalization
• Intensive Outpatient
• Telehealth
• Medication-Assisted Treatment
• Substances & Mental Health

Help is available, if:

• You’ve been denied coverage.
• If you reached your plan limit
• Or you’re reaching your maximum out-of-pocket costs.

You may be protected under Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Coverage Parity laws. You deserve mental health support. For help, contact your state Medicaid office or call 1-800-662-HELP

While there is always a risk of relapse, it’s essential to know and understand your triggers and ask for help if and when needed.

Understanding the factors that play a part in relapse is integral to prevention. The following things can put a person at risk of relapse:

• A person’s past behavior.
• Whether or not the person is ready to change.
• How stressed the person is in the present moment.
• If the person is feeling isolated or alone.
• If family and friends are supportive or not.
• Or if the person feels hopeless.

At Sober Life, we prioritize teaching clients how to deal with these factors in the real world and how they can deal with issues as they arise. We make it a point not to shelter you but to teach you how to build resilience and support structures in your life to help you on your recovery journey.

When you struggle with drug addiction or mental health issues, every day can feel like a struggle. When you’re ready to get help, the most important thing is to find the right program to suit your needs.

At Sober Life, we work with Skilled clinicians who have specialized training in diagnosing and treating complex combinations of symptoms and disorders. They also serve in organizations responsible for establishing national guidelines for patient quality of care.

Once you complete our program, our team works closely with other appropriate healthcare providers to help you transition to the right level of continued care because this gives our clients the best chance at a successful life in the real world.

Our Doctors and the team work together to create a care plan that meets your unique health goals and needs because not all addiction and mental illnesses are the same.

It might mean that rather than replacing what you drink, you should consider replacing the habit of using a drink to relax or unwind at night. Forming new habits can help you embrace a new, sober life and discover new ways to spend your evening, like going for a walk, journaling, reading, or trying a few moments of breathing or guided meditation.

However, there are many alternatives to alcohol that still feel special to hold in your hand while you reach for the remote:

• ‘Mocktails’ or flavored sodas that are easy to make and low sugar.
• Alcohol-free spirits are gaining popularity, and you’ll find a wide variety.
• A warm cup of herbal tea, hot cocoa, chai, turmeric latte, or decaf coffee.

A lot of the cost depends on whether or not you have health insurance, which provider you have, and other factors. We deal with this red tape daily, so if you have a particular question, please contact us for help or more information (visit our contact page), and we can direct you to the right resources.

Yes, we do treat mental health disorders and co-occurring disorders. We treat every client as an individual and ensure we use a holistic approach to give you the best chance of success. We offer outpatient, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs. You’ll get psychiatry, med-management, and mental health treatment services as part of our mental health recovery.

At Sober Life, we treat drug addiction, mental health, and co-occurring mental health disorders. Our experienced professionals include doctors, mental health staff, psychologists, addiction specialists, and clinicians. We offer a range of treatments, including group therapy sessions, counseling sessions, individual counseling, and supportive after-care programs such as alumni support and a family program.

Ongoing stages of help can assist you with long-term recovery as you build a happy, healthy life. We do everything we can to help empower our clients to make it through the recovery process without staying protected in a bubble, like at a sober living facility. We give you the tools to function and cope in the real world.

Getting through detox isn’t just a matter of willpower and stopping “cold turkey.” If you need drugs or alcohol for your body to feel normal, then you likely need help. Doing this without medical aid could be life-threatening. Even if your addiction is not severe, it’s still a big challenge and it’s much easier to face with support.

A program like Sober Life gives you the structure and support you need to be led through outpatient detoxification and withdrawal. We can help ease your symptoms with quality medical care. Not all patients will qualify for outpatient detox.

With a detox program, you can expect that your withdrawal symptoms may last a week to a month, typically hitting their worst within 24-72 hours and then declining in severity. You’re more likely to stick with a detox program when you have as much support as possible.

Usually, you can expect a detox program to include these basic things:

• An intake exam
• Blood work
• Health/ mental health and drug/ drinking history
• Physical and mental health tests

At our facilities at Sober Life, you will receive an assessment and personalized treatment plan so we can make the most out of your recovery program, ensuring we meet your individual needs. If you need detox or hospitalization before you start your treatment with us, we will be sure to provide you with quality referrals to programs that fit your needs.

It can sometimes feel like a shock to the system when you get sober. You may feel sad, guilty, angry, or ashamed but know that you are not alone. Life looks and feels very different than it did before.

Deciding to recover is a huge step forward but remember that a successful recovery takes time. Your life may feel different, like it’s never going to be the same again, but that’s probably a positive thing. We recommend that you don’t give up because getting free from addiction or support for your mental health is absolutely worth it.

We find that a few main things can seriously reduce your risk of relapse and help you live a healthy, sober life. These categories hold different weight for each individual but it’s essential to at least have most of the things on this list:

• Build a support network
• Find a peer support group
• Manage your urges
• Find an activity that means something to you
• Learn to manage stress
• Learn to relax
• Stay out of risky or triggering situations

All of our Sober Life Graduates are invited into a supportive, free Alumni Program. We can help one another continue to live a healthy, sober life and offer guidance, tips, and tools to do so – Always without judgement.

Treatment methods vary because getting sober and healthy is not a one-size-fits-all process; everyone needs different types of treatment facilities. Most treatment programs follow similar steps, such as assessment, detoxification, counseling, group therapy, medication management, relapse prevention, etc.

There are some commonalities between recovery centers, such as 12-Step groups, AA meetings, and sober living houses. Still, you’ll want to consider your situation and decide what factors matter most to you and your recovery journey.

When you attend any programs with Sober Life, you will receive an individualized treatment plan so you can focus on your individual mental and physical health. Recovery looks different for everyone.

There are a few common types of detox or rehabilitation programs.

The first is outpatient detox which involves seeing a doctor or psychiatrist managing your withdrawal symptoms with medications while you’re at home. This route isn’t safe for every detox protocol.

The second is Inpatient treatment at a hospital or residential treatment center, though this is not as common as it used to be. These are centers that you live in for about 30 days. It’s more intense and expensive than outpatient.

Next, we come to Partial Hospitilization and Intensive Outpatient, the services Sober Life and HealthyU offer. These levels of care start at 30 hours per week Monday-Friday and drop down to 10-15 at the IOP level of care.

Finally, you have a general Outpatient, which typically comprises one individual therapy session and a 1.5-hour group per week. You may also be seeing an outside psychiatrist or doctor for medication needs.

The first thing you need to do is assess your needs. Do you have medical issues on top of your mental health or addiction issues? Next, you’ll want to understand the cost of the program. Do you have insurance or not? Will there be out-of-pocket costs, and will you be able to cover them?

Once you can firm up your requirements and budget, you may want to look into the facility and its background. Is it accredited? Do they have a good track record? Are they licensed? Do they have a waiting list? Do they use evidence-based practices?

Another critical thing to consider is location. Is it close enough to your support network but far enough away that you can’t walk out the front door and experience triggers. What are you comfortable with? Do you need to be close to family, work, or children?

And finally, what support do they offer after your program finishes? At Sober Life, we have an alumni program that’s free for clients and their families for life. We offer a wide range of after-care support and have free family services and support and a Life Skills program to help clients ease into a successful sober life.

At Sober Life, our programs are Outpatient Treatment Programs, specifically Partial Hospitlization and Intensive Outpatient levels of care. We consider ourselves to be a low structure, high responsibility environment where we prepare our clients to live in the real world and not exist in the safety of an inpatient program or a halfway house.

Outpatient care can be more affordable than inpatient care and it can be a good fit for individuals with a support network and or the desire to get help. We address both substance addiction and mental health conditions and can help individuals with other medical issues as well.

Our outpatient rehab programs at Sober Life are typically 90 days long, with that time being shortened or extended by a month. Yes, you can attend school or work while receiving treatment. Some programs offer evening hours for individuals who are working or studying days, and you can also attend outpatient rehabilitation during the day.

Intensive outpatient programs include group sessions, one-on-one therapy, and other forms of counseling like life skills. This type of treatment allows participants to stay at home with family, maintain their essential social connections, and keep their medical treatment confidential while focusing on recovery.

A Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is a structured and intensive form of outpatient treatment that aims to support individuals in their recovery from addiction or mental health issues. It provides a higher level of care compared to standard outpatient programs while still allowing participants to return home at the end of each day. Sober Life firmly holds the belief that individuals stand the best chance of maintaining long-term recovery when they acquire the skills to navigate real-world situations during and after their treatment journey.

Within a PHP, participants follow a comprehensive therapeutic schedule that involves various counseling sessions and therapies. Sober Life’s approach places great importance on real-life integration. By learning how to apply coping strategies, make sound decisions, and prevent relapses in their everyday routines, participants become better equipped to uphold their progress long after formal treatment ends. Learn more about our PHP services at Sober Life here.