Sober Living

What began as a movement on the west coast, there are sober living facilities now located all over the United States and numbers have steadily increased within the past ten years. The term “sober living,” refers to supportive and sheltered living facilities for people who are recovering from an alcohol or drug addiction. The environment provides security and encouragement for those who are recovering from substance abuse and helps recovery patients during the delicate initial phases of sobriety.

A sober living facility provides more than just transitional living; the community is home to a number of recovery patients who live together in an apartment or dorm-style accommodation. Each day, the patients are responsible for carrying out a sequence of chores and responsibilities designed to provide them with the skills needed for life beyond the safety and predictability of a structured living environment. Residents are expected to be self-sufficient and accept counseling and therapy, and take on an active role in their own recovery process.

The use of drugs or alcohol is strictly prohibited while a resident of a sober living facility. Any resident who is caught with or uses drugs or alcohol can be expelled from the facility immediately. Residents are expected to not only undergo mandatory self-help meetings, but also to submit to random drug and alcohol testing, failure to comply with any of the rules and regulations of the program is grounds for being immediately ejected from the facility.

Sober living facilities play an important and vital role in the recovery process for former substance abusers. The facilities provide a drug and alcohol-free environment and assists recovery patients during transitioning from a treatment center into mainstream society. Surrounded by other like-minded residents, a patient is given a safe, supportive environment in which they share personal stories, set goals and encourage one another while undergoing the transformation of recovery.

Sober living residents experience a high-level of personalized assistance, which helps them adjust to living in the outside world. The facilities are supervised by a staff that ensures a sober environment offers support and structure when it is needed most. Residents are expected to work, attend treatment and engage in sobriety-related activities. The facilities are professional, highly trained and know how to foster self-esteem and encouragement for recovery patients when they may be facing the pressures and uncertainty of a life outside the safety net of structured living, having a strong support network in place is an extremely important aspect of recovery.

Learning how to live a life without the assistance of drug and alcohol is something that many recovering addicts have trouble adjusting to. Once residential or outpatient rehabilitation has been completed, many recovery patients become frightened when thinking about going back to live in the outside world, or venturing back into a situation which poses certain temptations and dangers. If a recovering addict is unable to transition back into society comfortably, the chances for relapsing increase tenfold. A sober living environment is a tool that has saved many recovery patients from having to re-enter society before being completely capable and ready.

When a person is actively in the throes of drug or alcohol addiction, the only focus is on getting and using drugs or drinking alcohol. Addictive behavior stops a person from being able to grow in a healthy and positive manner, and wreaks havoc on every area of a person’s life. Basic living skills are forgotten, a person has no idea how to hold a job, pay bills, take care of themselves or their family, everything else comes secondary to the addiction. After undergoing treatment, a patient learns how to combat the addiction and receives education, information and the skills necessary to create a solid foundation for a new life free of drugs or alcohol. A sober living environment creates a real life scenario which is much less structured than that of a treatment facility, and provides the opportunity for recovery patients to participate in the activities of daily life and relearn forgotten skills and behaviors.

In a sober living environment, a recovery patient learns to build up self-confidence, and acquires a sense of purpose and stability. The homes are usually small and gender specific, which makes treatment more personalized and unique. The environment provides the chance for a recovery patient to work on the next step in creating a life filled with meaning and purpose. A recovering addict learns how to successfully combat fears and overcome apprehensions, and how to deal with problems and issues in an efficient and healthy manner.

The road to recovery is never an easy prospect; however, with the right tools and support network a person can find a way to make recovery and sobriety last a lifetime. With the help of a sober living facility many recovering addicts are able to learn understand the disease of addiction, process inner emotions and triggers, get through the rough times and go on to lead a happy and productive life free from perils of drugs and alcohol forever.

If you or someone you love has addiction problems and are interested in the benefits of a sober living facility, please contact us today for further information.