Addiction Recovery in Orange County: A Long-Term, Personalized Approach to Healing

When people search for addiction recovery in Orange County, they are often looking for more than detox or short-term treatment. They are looking for stability, clarity, accountability, and a sustainable path forward that continues after formal treatment ends.

At Epic Journey Recovery, our approach to addiction recovery is built on over a decade of real-world experience owning and operating treatment centers, working alongside licensed professionals, and supporting thousands of individuals and families through addiction, mental health challenges, and major life transitions.

This long-term philosophy is shaped by the work and life of our founder, Preston Durnford, whose professional experience and personal recovery journey are deeply woven into the foundation of Epic Journey Recovery.

Over a Decade of Experience Across All Levels of Care

For more than eleven years, Preston has owned and operated treatment centers across multiple levels of care, including sub-acute detox programs, outpatient levels of care, long-term recovery programs, and primary mental health treatment with secondary substance use support. He is the founder of SoCal Mental Health and has worked closely alongside licensed clinicians, psychiatrists, physicians, neurologists, and functional medicine doctors.

This depth of experience matters. Effective addiction recovery requires understanding how detox, outpatient treatment, mental health care, and long-term integration all connect. Epic Journey Recovery was built with the full continuum of care in mind, offering personalized recovery support rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

Bridging the Gap After Treatment Ends

Traditional treatment programs are often necessary, especially in early recovery. However, many individuals struggle once the structure of treatment is removed. After working with thousands of patients and coaching hundreds of individuals and families, Preston identified a consistent gap, people often lose personalized, one-on-one support after formal treatment ends.

Epic Journey Recovery exists to bridge that gap.

Our work focuses on long-term addiction recovery, relapse prevention, emotional regulation, and building a structured, meaningful life. This includes accountability, daily routines, habit formation, calendar organization, nervous system regulation, and clarity around career and life direction.

Recovery does not end when treatment ends. For many, that is where the real work begins.

A Science-Informed, Integrated Recovery Approach

One of the core principles at Epic Journey Recovery is education. Sustainable change happens when individuals understand not only their experiences, but also their brain, biology, and nervous system.

Through years of collaboration with medical and mental health professionals, Preston developed an integrated approach that helps clients understand how trauma, stress, neurotransmitters, hormones, bloodwork, and nervous system regulation influence behavior and emotional health. This science-informed foundation empowers individuals to make better decisions, regulate emotions more effectively, and reduce reliance on unhealthy coping patterns.

When clinically appropriate and medically supervised, clients may also receive preparation and integration support for ketamine or plant medicine experiences, always in collaboration with licensed providers and ethical guidelines.

Lived Experience Meets Professional Leadership

Preston brings more than professional experience to this work. With over eleven years of sobriety, his personal recovery journey is inseparable from his mission. His father died by suicide in December of 2015, and his brother passed away from a fentanyl overdose in August of 2019. He has also lost multiple close friends to overdose and suicide.

These experiences shaped his commitment to building recovery models that are honest, compassionate, and grounded in reality. Recovery is not just about abstinence, it is about rebuilding identity, purpose, and self-trust.

Preston is the published author of The Epic Journal, a structured recovery and reflection tool used by individuals and treatment centers nationwide. The Epic Journal is utilized as a curriculum within Joint Commission–accredited treatment programs, helping clients build accountability, clarity, and long-term recovery momentum. Many Epic Journey Recovery clients actively use TheEpicJournal.com as part of their ongoing recovery process.

Experiential Growth and Nervous System Regulation

At Epic Journey Recovery, we believe healing must be lived, not just discussed. Preston is an avid freediver and skydiver with over 750 skydives, and he integrates experiential growth into his philosophy of recovery.

Intentional, experience-based challenges help individuals rebuild confidence, presence, and resilience. These action-oriented experiences are balanced with meditation, mindfulness, and structured routines, teaching clients how to regulate their nervous systems rather than seek constant stimulation or escape.

The goal is balance, intensity paired with stillness, structure paired with freedom.

Concierge, One-on-One Addiction Recovery Support

Epic Journey Recovery emphasizes concierge-level, one-on-one addiction recovery support in Orange County. While group programs and treatment centers play an important role, many individuals benefit from consistent personalized guidance that adapts as their life evolves.

We support individuals navigating addiction recovery, primary mental health challenges, career transitions, and major life changes. Our work often complements therapy, psychiatry, and medical care, helping clients integrate all aspects of their support into a cohesive and sustainable plan.

For those seeking virtual support, Preston is also the founder of Epic Journey Wellness, a nationwide virtual coaching and wellness platform offering structured recovery guidance and integrative care. Learn more at EpicJourneyWellness.com.

A Philosophy Built on Structure and Accountability

At the foundation of Epic Journey Recovery is a simple belief, individuals are the product of their thoughts, habits, and daily choices.

This philosophy is reinforced through written planning, reflection, and accountability. Preston often references his father’s advice, “If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist.” This mindset shapes every aspect of Epic Journey Recovery, from goal setting and scheduling to long-term planning and personal responsibility.

Long-Term Addiction Recovery in Orange County Is Possible

Addiction and mental health challenges can feel overwhelming, but long-term addiction recovery in Orange County is possible with the right support, structure, and alignment.

Epic Journey Recovery exists to help individuals move beyond survival and into a life rooted in purpose, stability, and self-trust.

Learn more at EpicJourneyRecovery.com, explore virtual care at EpicJourneyWellness.com, and access recovery tools and curriculum support at TheEpicJournal.com.