Getting Sober
You may be wondering to yourself, “What is Sober Living?” A person has a higher chance of success at becoming sober if they are inspired an encouraged to change, usually around other people who are recovering or in the treatment field. There is no greater feeling than to realize that a close friend or family member has recently become sober and drug free. It’s possible to get sober after an intensive treatment program, but it also requires that the individual continue their recovery after treatment by maintaining a structured, supported lifestyle around people who can help them remain clean.
What is Sober Living?
If you know anyone that has been to a sober living facility, then you know that people may described in many ways. A sober living home is a special place where someone can live while they are transitioning out of a treatment center or program. Some would likely refer to it as a rehab home, or sober living space. These types of homes tend to be described as one of the most reasonably priced means of treatment or therapy to those that need it quite possibly the most after they have completed a program. Generally, there tend to be quite a few people with addiction that will reside within these kinds of homes as a portion of their own rehabilitation. Nevertheless, most drug addiction experts would agree that this is the best option for someone to have the most success and achieve the best transition in their recovery.
The actual period associated with getting sober could potentially be a life or death situation, because nobody is assured the chance that change will be successful and continuous. Many people that go to treatment, end up relapsing after they have left their program and begin using again. There is still that small chance of possibility that a patient may give in to drugs or alcohol at any time after they leave the facility and relapse.
“They offer no formal treatment but either mandate or strongly encourage attendance at 12-step groups. SLH’s have been important resources for individuals completing residential treatment, attending outpatient programs, leaving incarceration or seeking alternatives to formal treatment.” (Polcin and Henderson, 2008)
A sober living facility more easily guarantees that a patient will continue to use the tools and techniques that they learned in treatment and implement it in their everyday lives while in a sober environment. This is just like a home with the fundamental sober values that one cannot replicate in a “normal” home or living environment. The staff aim to prepare the clients to be able to reenter the real world that they will later return to. They may soon be transferred to the person’s normal living situation and in this place, they are sure to be able to be built with the more substantial willpower and coping strategies to deal with drug addiction.
How Long Will a Patient Stay?
Patients could continue to stay in a sober living home anywhere from ninety days to a few years, depending on the severity of their addiction and based on observations that the staff determine while they are living there. In this kind of home, they are often joined by various other affected individuals that would most likely also like to adjust and enhance their own lifestyles. Consider the Big Brother household in which each and every member gets to accomplish things like cleaning the house, yard, and preparing meals. This is the jump start a person needs before they go and face the real world. Structured activities are usually given to each individual to help prepare them for when they reenter society and have to do things for themselves. This type of environment ultimately prepares them for a sober, independent life ahead.
Finding a Sober Living Home
Sober living homes offer a drug and alcohol-free environment for a person transitioning out of treatment, allowing the person to feel supported and reduce the chance of relapse or returning to drug or alcohol use. These types of houses or facilities are relatively easy to find, and are available in most every city.
Typically, a residential treatment center will have resources that they can provide the patient with for sober living facilities upon their discharge from the facility.
Benefits to a Sober Living Home
Along with having a support system right in your own home, there are many other benefits to living in a sober living home or facility. Some of the most common benefits include:
- Meaningful and strong relationships with other sober people
- Independence and freedom
- Restored life skills and tools to cope
- Constant support and guidance from someone who understands
- Help with the transition back to a “normal” living situations once complete
- Helping to reduce the chances of relapse
It is a really healthful program that can little by little take an individual with addiction back into the real world and be one with the environment that they are used to and previously lived in. You will probably be surprised at the normalcy of these homes and how supportive they can be to someone going through recovery from addiction. They are likely in neighborhoods and small cities located within a local, friendly, community.
If you or someone you know is looking for resources on addiction treatment or a sober living facility, it’s important to reach out for help right away.
References
Polcin, D and Henderson, D. (2008, June). A Clean and Sober Place to Live: Philosophy, Structure, and Purported Therapeutic Factors in Sober Living Houses. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556949/