Is Sober Living A Good Idea?
Sober living homes can be fantastic resources when you recover. Living with people who genuinely understand what you’re going through can make all the difference when recovering from drug and alcohol abuse. Offering protection from relapses, temptations to return to substance abuse, and a way to safely practice life skills eroded by addiction, sober homes are a popular alternative to living at home or with friends in recovery.
But they’re not for everyone.
3 Ways to Tell if Sober Living is a Good Idea for You
For some, sober living is the right choice. For people still new to recovery, or perhaps unwilling to give communal living a try, sober homes may not be the best option.
So, here’s three ways to know if sober living is a good idea for you:
You’re at the right point in your recovery: Sober living is not inpatient care; that’s an intense stage of drug and alcohol treatment most people go through early in their recovery. Involving 24/7 medical monitoring, therapy, and more, inpatient care and detox help people create a firm foundation for their recovery.
Sober living, on the other hand, is more of a place to live once you’re ready to start experimenting with independent living. A form of communal living, sober living homes act as a safety net for people undergoing outpatient addiction treatment at an addiction center or drug rehab.
During outpatient care, patients no longer live at an addiction center. They generally commute to their drug rehab from their home or other living arrangements. This is where sober living homes really come into play.
Sober living homes are drug-free, making relapses far less likely. They’re also great places to stay accountable to your recovery, meaning residents are more likely to have a successful recovery. Finally, these homes are often staffed by people who’ve been through recovery, giving residents even more resources – and friendly people to talk to – as they continue their treatment.
Your home situation isn’t perfect: For a lot of us, returning home during rehab treatment means returning to familiar places and people. That’s not a bad thing per se; it’s always great to return to those we know and love after we’ve been away.
Unfortunately, for many of us home is also full of reminders of substance abuse and addiction. Old running buddies and familiar places can cause relapse, either through peer pressure or remembering the places where we used to party. A sober living home that’s far away from old haunts and harmful social networks can be a powerful aid in recovery.
You’re in this for the long haul: Sober living really benefits those who are fully committed to their recovery. When you join a sober living house, you’re not just renting a room (or a bed – private rooms in sober homes tend to be both rare and expensive). You’re essentially joining a community.
In a typical sober home, you’ll be assigned chores you’ll be expected to do, and there might be penalties if you skip out on doing them. You might also be expected to pay rent and a share of the utilities as well. Chances are good you’ll be living under a curfew again, too, and you might also participate in regular drug tests.
Finally, many sober homes require you to have a job or spend time seriously looking for work.
This isn’t intended to make you feel like a kid again. By reintroducing responsibility, you’ll be relearning old social skills that’ll help you once you’re done with treatment and ready to reenter normal life.
If this sounds like a pain, or something you’re not comfortable with, you might want to consider another place to live as you recover. Keep in mind, though, that bunking with friends or family might come with problems such as non-sober roommates or family that doesn’t understand your new way of life or harbors old grudges.
So, Sober Living is a Good Idea for Me. What’s Next?
If these three situations apply to you, finding a sober home to call your own is the next step.
There’s a huge variety of sober homes on the market. Some are aimed at particular interests or genders; others may be more suitable for older residents, or younger residents who enjoy action sports, getting outdoors, and more. Plus, sober homes frequently come with rules and expectations from residents. It’s important to do research ahead of time and ask questions if needed.
Some good questions to ask are:
- How much does the sober home cost?
- Do I need to pay for utilities like wi-fi?
- How long can I stay here?
- What’s expected of me as a resident?
- What are the rules? Do residents get multiple “strikes” if they break rules?
- How many people live in the house?
- Is the house secure and up to code?
These questions will make finding your house a lot easier. You can also search websites such as SoberLivingNearYou.com!
Speaking of, if you’re looking for a good, reputable sober home you’re in the right place. We’ve carefully listed thousands of sober home providers across the US. Researching, comparing, and finding a sober home is as easy as hitting “search.”
Start your search today with SoberLivingNearYou.com!
