By Susie Hopson-Blum
In an article published by Newsweek, it was reported that 32 million Americans (nearly one in seven adults) have struggled with a severe alcohol problem in the last year alone. For most adults, moderate alcohol use is likely not harmful. For others, alcohol use is a disease that can have negative effects on an individual’s work, medical, legal, educational, and social life.
As active addicts or alcoholics, we tend to think we are invincible. We push drink after drink into our bodies with little to no thought about the danger of what we are doing or the harm we are causing. However, the long-term effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism can be devastating and even life threatening. The fact of the matter is that death or irrevocable health issues generally go hand-in-hand with addicts and alcoholics.
All of those “wild times” in our addiction when we thought we were having fun, we were actually numbing out reality. Whether we were numbing out our loneliness, anxiety, depression, friendships, memories, ambitions or truth, the reality of addiction is that users numb out all aspects of emotional life.
Addiction is real; it is a deadly disease that takes over mind, body and spirit. Today, I am proud to say that I am “sober for today,” a phrase I’ve been able to state each day for over 25 years.
Knowing firsthand the struggles recovering addicts experience throughout recovery, I knew it was my destiny to mentor others and offer a voice of sober experience to those struggling with addiction. It was this certainty that led me to open a sober living house in Southern California called Sober Pacific Living. Clients continued to come through the door, despite reaching max occupancy. My mindset to refuse to turn people away, paired with my professional expertise and personal experience led to the creation of New Method Wellness, a substance abuse treatment center that takes a holistic approach to recovery. Each of New Method Wellness’ founders has a special relationship with substance abuse; whether they have suffered from the disease themselves or they have witnessed a love one’s suffering which makes their compassion immeasurable. To-date, New Method Wellness has treated well over 1,000 recovering addicts.
For me, opening New Method Wellness was not about business or financial success. Success in my eyes is helping as many people as possible begin the journey to recovery and with New Method Wellness, I am proud to be doing just that.
About Susie Hopson-Blum
Susie Hopson-Blum is an owner and founder of New Method Wellness and currently serves as the director of admissions. Having been in recovery for over 25 years, Hopson-Blum has been an active and vital member in the recovery community ever since she went to treatment in 1988.
Hopson-Blum’s experience managing and directing a behavioral health treatment facility began in 2006 when she opened a sober living house, Sober Pacific Living. As clients continued to come in the door with a passion for treatment and recovery, Hopson-Blum used her professional expertise and personal experience to create New Method Wellness, a substance abuse treatment center that takes a holistic approach to recovery.
Hopson-Blum is a Certified National Drug and Alcohol Assessor from the National Association of Drug and Alcohol Interventionists and is passionate about being an integral part of the intervention process. As an intern level-certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor, Hopson-Blum has years of experience directing and guiding families in assisting their loved one from active addiction to the safety of treatment. Prior to opening New Method Wellness, Hopson-Blum sold real estate for 35 years. For more information on New Method Wellness, visit www.newmethodwellness.com.