Sober Living Treatment

Many recovering individuals choose to live in a sober living home after completing rehab. A sober living home is a place where recovering individuals live while gradually making the transition back into living in sobriety in the outside world. Living in sober living treatment consists of paying a cheap rent, working, doing chores, possibly pursuing education, and participating in recovery activities (e.g. Twelve Step Meetings) with the other residents.

Benefits of Living in Sober Living

Accountability

Accountability plays a major role in successful recovery. Sober living facilities are mostly a microcosm of the outside world because they teach real-world responsibilities on their residents (e.g. paying rent, getting a job, going to school, doing household chores, etc.). When recovering individuals are making productive use of their free time and are working towards a goal, they are less likely to relapse because they are keeping their mind occupied.

Living Among Other Recovering Individuals

The only people that live in sober living facilities are newly recovering individuals. Living among other recovering individuals is beneficial for recovery because it allows for collaboration to deal with issues in recovery. Recovering individuals can understand other recovering individual’s issues better than anyone else because they have been through those issues or may be going through those issues at the same time. Living with other recovering individuals in an environment that is designated to recovery also means a significantly reduced availability of drugs and alcohol.

Avoiding Relapse Triggers

When people are active in their addiction, they subconsciously associate their substance using with people, places, and objects. When they encounter those people, places, and objects, they may experience cravings. For example, if they always got high in their local McDonald’s bathrooms, driving by that McDonald’s may cause them to crave drugs. Being in a sober living environment recovery individuals to avoid the relapse triggers of their old environment before they have the ability to cope with them.In addition, life outside of sober living presents many stressors. While it is important that recovering individuals learn to stay sober unconditionally, they should avoid unnecessary stress in early recovery. Family drama is common unnecessary stressor. Living in sober living is allows recovering individual to not have to go back and live with dysfunctional family members. Living in sober living reduces the stressors of the outside of world.

Peaceful Healing Environment

Sober living homes are often located in beautiful scenery (e.g. beach, countryside, etc.). The environment constantly speaks positivity and recovery, which are absolute necessities for healing.

Why Sober Living Treatment is Necessary for Permanent Sobriety

Living in sober living is necessary for permanent sobriety because it provides a strong foundation for living in sobriety. Recovery is a lifelong process, and having a foundation makes people more vehement about it. Recovery is also a process, not an event. An individual cannot go from living life in active addiction and living life completely sober in mainstream society right after merely 30 to 90 days; they have to transition gradually. Living in sober living gradually introduces living in recovery in mainstream society. Sober living treatment allows for individuals to take their recovery one day at a time and one step at a time.