If you are confused about whether to live with your loved ones or opt for a sober living home after your treatment at a rehab center, then sober living would be the right choice.
Why Choose Sober Living?
To start overcoming drug or alcohol addiction, enrolling yourself in a rehab center is a great first step. With the help of different treatment methods and therapeutic approaches, you will be able to recover and get free from your addictions. But it may not always be wise or safe for a recovering drug or alcohol addict to go back to a normal lifestyle after he or she completes an inpatient rehab program. There will be many changes upon completing rehab, like the people you hang out with, the circumstances you experience, and lifestyle changes.
The people you surround yourself with may trigger unfriendly memories of the past with drug or alcohol abuse. Sometimes, returning to a dysfunctional family, unhealthy relationship, or even a certain part of the city can suck you back into an old life you no longer wish to be a part of. To avoid these temptations and triggers, choosing to live in a sober living home can be an incredibly helpful option at the start of your sober lifestyle.
After the initial treatment at rehab, sober living homes can be one of the best places to live. The new life of a person who has suffered drug abuse or alcohol addiction is built up through the right treatment programs. Many people will be able to complete the treatment programs very successfully, but treatment success doesn’t make it should not be the end of your treatment.
Once the rehab centers have done their part, it is now your turn to stick to what you have done in the rehab centers. For that to happen, you need guidance and accountability until you are strong enough to live on your own. With sober living homes, many people find the support they need along with the other sober housemates striving to achieve the same goal and stay sober. Having people who want to reach the same goal can help you better in reaching the goal as you will be able to help each other.
What Exactly Are Sober Homes?
Sober homes are a type of licensed housing that gives the opportunity for people in or coming out of recovery programs to find a place to live as they re-acclimate to normal life. Sober homes are a drug and alcohol-free environment and are considered to be completely safe for those who are trying to recover from old habits of drug and alcohol addiction. These homes are very much similar to normal homes, and sometimes they even have cooked at the resident, cleaning services, and help manage finances.
Usually, every person in the home will have a chore rotation and contribute evenly with other housemates to make sure everything stays clean, drug-free, and functional as a living space. All the residents of these homes can live together, eat together, socialize and attend all the support groups they need to attend. The tight-knit community of sober living homes often attend the same weekly meetings and help each other stay on track. They are able to support each other through every step. Learn more about how to get sober
How to Get the Best Out of Drug-Free Homes:
Many people might be wondering why you should be going to sober living home rather than going back home. Unfortunately, because the southern California area carries so many addiction statistics, this place is a thriving home base for recovery homes and treatment programs.
First and most importantly, it’s crucial to do your research before entering a sober living home! As the laws are changing and regulations are becoming more strict for humane standards, luckily, a much smaller number of harmfully ill-intentioned “scam” homes exist anymore. Sober living homes tend to be smaller, safer, and hold more of a family mentality throughout. Sober programs and sober living homes can provide a greater chance at remaining sober. Being in sunshine most days of the year, it’s a great location to get your life back together, build positive relationships, enjoy the beauty of nature, and explore the world with new (sober) eyes.
Here is what you can do:
- Most of the time you should try to keep yourself busy. This can be done by exploring new hobbies for yourself. Doing something new and different can always be interesting and will keep you engaged with positive new skills for a long time.
- Always stay away from people, events, objects, places, and any kind of activity that is going to trigger past substance abuse situations. That means, do not go to places of nightclubs or bars even with the people of the sober homes as that can trigger a relapse.
- You should try to build a support network for yourself at sober living homes. Having a strong network of people like your peers, your friends or your family can help you along the way. Your roommates or the people with whom your work can be the right team for you.
- As an inpatient at the rehab center, you have started your journey towards a drug-free and alcohol-free life. Your journey does not end there. You need to continue your journey by actively taking part in programs and counseling sessions that are conducted at sober homes. This is going to be a long-term process, and hence you should be ready to fight for yourself without going back to the old you.
Final Questions: Is Sober Living Worth It?
Many people are still confused about whether to opt for a sober home or to go back to family and friends. But you should be able to answer a few questions yourself:
- Was your relationship with family and friends normal when you were using drugs or alcohol? Would you have gone deeper into addiction if certain relationships were healthy?
- Sober living homes can be affordable for how nice of an area you get to live. Does the environment back home affect you in a negative way?
- What are the chances of relapse? You may not be sure about it, and hence you need a safer and comfortable place that can help you stay away from your past habits, at least until those habits become normal to you in time.
- In my new sobriety, do I want to feel part of a greater cause? Do I need extra support right now or do I risk going back into isolation and loneliness?
- Even if it feels uncomfortable, what can I learn from being part of a sober living community?
If you need help finding an sober living home, reach out today. Opus Health thrives on finding the supportive community you might need to successfully move on in your recovery journey. Give us a call today.
If you or a loved one needs help, call us at 949-625-4019.
