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Originally Posted On: Addiction Treatment and Recovery: What Is a Sober Living Home? | (tasterecovery.com)

The path to sobriety is never linear — like most things in life, you will have to face a number of unpredictable twists and turns, setbacks, and obstacles. But if you’re looking to overcome addiction and maintain your sobriety, there are a myriad of tools at your disposal today. Just some of these include detox and recovery facilities, individualized therapy, group therapy, sober living homes, and more. In other words, you don’t have to go at it alone if you need help. If you’re wondering ”what is a sober living home and how it can help me on my journey to recovery?”, check out this blog for more.

If you’ve just completed a period of time in a rehabilitation center, you’re probably feeling a huge range of emotions. One of which may include a sense of fear or doubt about maintaining your sobriety. This is a completely normal part of the journey to recovery, and this is where sober living homes are beneficial.

Also known as a halfway house, a sober living home acts as a bridge between you and the real world after your time in an in-patient rehab center. You may find yourself wondering: ”what is sober living and how does it really feel?”. Well, a sober living home offers you the chance to come to terms with sobriety and slowly re-integrate back into your normal life.

In essence, it’s an in-between recovery option designed to help you remain true to your recovery before returning back to your life before sobriety. A sober living home is a closely monitored environment. It also offers you unrivaled support while transitioning into this new phase of your life.

Going from addiction to long-term sober living is a massive life change — especially if you struggled with addiction for many years. Sober living homes present an intermediate sober environment. You are encouraged to develop a healthy set of coping skills and habits before you return to your everyday life. The point of this is to equip you with the best tools to honor your recovery.

So, you may be wondering what is the actual difference between a sober living house and the rehab facility you just spent time at. It’s important to know that they are not the same thing.

In short, a sober living facility is far more loosely structured and regimented than an in-patient rehab. This is because sober living homes allow for employment, socializing, and other outside activities. You get a chance to adjust to the real world — albeit at a slower pace.

As a resident of a sober living home, you can come and go as you need. So, if you need to go to work, want to visit family, or have lunch with a friend, you are free to do so. However, you are still required to adhere to certain house rules during your stay.

The point of a sober living home is to re-introduce a sense of freedom and independence back into your life. This is important for your recovery, as well as your mental and emotional wellbeing.

In contrast, an in-patient rehabilitation center requires you to relinquish some of your independence in order to tackle your addiction and find your feet on the road to recovery. You generally aren’t allowed to come and go as you please, and you must attend individual and group therapy sessions throughout your stay.

Most sober living homes require that you have completed a full stay in an in-patient rehab center before you enter the home. This is so that they can be sure of your commitment to your stay and your recovery.

Your actions and commitment also affect the recovery process for the entire house and those who live in it. For this reason, they want to ensure you are ready and willing to enter this next crucial phase of your recovery.

Sober living house rules tend to remain the same from one sober living facility to the next. Establishing your independence is of utmost importance, but you still have to honor and respect the house rules.

As mentioned, you aren’t bound to the sober living campus as you are with in-patient rehab. This, in itself, allows you to ease back into your normal life, but at your own pace. You can take on daily tasks and responsibilities — both within the home and outside the home to help you establish a routine.

Some of the most common house regulations include:

• The first and most important rule is to stay sober — alcohol and drug use is not permitted inside or outside the home
• You must agree to random drug and alcohol testing on a regular basis
• You cannot keep/own any products that could contain alcohol, such as mouthwash, personal care products, etc.
• You are encouraged to find work, go back to school, or study a course during the day
• You must contribute to the sober living home by carrying out certain chores
• You are encouraged to attend all group meetings/counseling sessions
• Violence is not accepted, under any circumstances
• You may have to abide by a night-time curfew, depending on the facility
•  Treat all other housemates with complete respect and care

Before you enter a sober living home, you’ll have to agree to respect the rules and regulations of the sober environment. You’ll also be briefed on the consequences of violating any house rules.

All of these rules may sound ”petty” to some, but they are a very important part of your recovery and preparation for when you return to your normal life. They are there to help you take responsibility for your actions and behavior. While also rebuilding your sense of self-confidence and self-respect.

You can think of a sober living facility as the ultimate supplement to your sobriety and your recovery as a whole. Going from full, immersive care back into your normal life can be a completely shocking experience. This is especially true if you have come from an unsupportive, abusive background/home life.

A sober living home intends to replicate a healthy, normal lifestyle that is centered on sobriety. It gives you a taste of what it means to live a steady, responsible existence while maintaining sobriety. All in all, this greatly reduces your risk of relapse.

The sober living lifestyle also offers 12-step program meetings, group therapy, and individual therapy, should you need it. In other words, you have a much-needed community of support around you. This helps to create a sense of structure and accountability in your new, day-to-day life.

Another huge part of the support you’ll receive in a sober living home is the life-long friendships you’ll make. This helps to reinforce your sobriety and recovery with strong friendships with people walking the same path as you.

During your time at a sober living home, you’ll have the chance to:

• Make amends with all the people in your life who were affected by your addiction
• Find adequate housing after your treatment
• Secure some form of employment to help you make ends meet
• Adjust to living a life of sobriety at your own pace, with the support you need

Not only this, but the team at a sober living home will help you develop an aftercare plan designed to prevent relapse. This plan is usually created during therapy sessions and focuses on triggers that may entice you when you return to your normal life.

You will be equipped with the right coping skills on how to deal with these triggers and avoid them where you can. You’ll also have a supply of emergency contact numbers and people you can turn to in high-stress situations.

Finally, a sober living home also helps you to avoid isolation. Returning back to your normal life, your family, and old friend circle can be a massive adjustment. You may need to find new friends or avoid certain people to help you maintain your recovery.

With the relationships you establish in a sober living home, you can avoid the isolation that sometimes comes with sobriety. You’ll have meaningful friendships for life that you can rely on.

So, what is a sober living home? To wrap up, it’s a place of refuge that you can rely on while you transition from your in-patient rehabilitation, back to everyday life. It allows you to get the best start on your road to recovery and a new lease on life.

If you’re looking for this type of support, Taste Recovery is the online portal designed for you. Browse our site for some of the top sober living homes in the country, and get the head start that you need.