Most people who want to change their relationship with alcohol, drugs, gambling or any other habit already know where they want to end up. The hard part is the distance between today and that life. “Never again” is too big a promise to hold onto on a difficult afternoon.
The Turning Tides Program is built around a simpler idea: you only ever have to get through the next day. Then the next week. Then the next month. A small action can “turn the tide”.
Why “the tide”?
Cravings behave like waves. They build, peak and break, usually within minutes, even when they feel endless. Learning to ride them rather than fight them is one of the most useful skills in recovery.
Change behaves more like a tide. It’s slow at first and easy to doubt. But once it turns, it keeps coming in.
Four horizons, one plan
The program gives you four one-page plans, each built around your life:
- The 1 Day Plan is for your first day and any hard day after it. It covers how to get through to bedtime, what to do when a craving hits, and how to recover quickly from a slip.
- The 7 Day Plan is a week built one day at a time. It brings together movement, food, sleep and a plan for the times of day you find hardest.
- The 30 Day Plan maps your first month as four stages: Stabilise, Transition, Strengthen and Consolidate. It shows what you can expect in your body and mind at each stage, with a weekly check-in.
- The 90 Day Plan is the bigger picture. It sets personal health goals, such as sleep, fitness, weight or blood pressure, agreed with your GP, and milestones worth celebrating.
What makes it different
Recovery isn’t only a mental project. What you eat, how you move and how you sleep all shape your mood and cravings, so Turning Tides Program works with body and mind together.
It’s also built on action, not just conversation. Your plans are reviewed and rewritten each week in counselling, so they grow with you rather than sitting in a drawer.
The Turning Tide Program works alongside your GP, 12-step groups or SMART Recovery, not instead of them.
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants to stop or cut back, whether that’s alcohol, other drugs, gambling, gaming, sex addiction or another habit that has started running the show. It’s for you if this is your first attempt, and for you if it’s your tenth. Earlier attempts aren’t failures. They’re information about what you need this time.
A note on safety: if you drink heavily every day, or you’re dependent on certain other drugs, stopping suddenly can be medically dangerous. Please talk to your GP before you begin. We’ll work alongside your medical care.
How it works
- Format: one-to-one counselling, in person at Coolum Beach or by telehealth anywhere in Australia
- Length: 90 days, with weekly sessions
- You receive: personalised 1, 7, 30 and 90 Day Plans, updated as you progress
The first step is the smallest one. Book a free 15-minute consult and we’ll talk about where you are and what your first day could look like.
If you need support right now, Adis 24/7 Alcohol and Drug Support is free and confidential on 1800 177 833 or Lifeline 13 11 14.
