Is a Sober Living Home for Me?

Recovery is a lifelong journey that requires persistence, planning, and patience; it also varies based on the individual. While your recovery journey is your story, part of that storyline is determining where you want to build your life of sobriety after treatment. In early recovery, the thought of returning home after treatment might seem intimidating. If your home life contains triggers, stressors, pressures, or toxic relationships, you are considered at high risk of relapse. Additional care for a smooth transition back into everyday life may be necessary.

Fortunately, sober living homes exist as transitional housing arrangements that help you gain a sense of independence through structured living. Further, sober living homes eliminate any temptation from alcohol and other substances. It’s also an environment for you to build and reinforce the life skills necessary to face challenges going forward. Let’s explore the benefits of sober living and whether this form of treatment is suitable for you.

Constant Guidance and Support

Sober living homes consist of peers and professionals who support your recovery and hold you accountable on a daily basis. Most sober living homes have on-site managers that live in the house with you and the other tenants. These managers provide 24/7 assistance to help you with any concerns and challenges that may arise during your stay. Such challenges include triggers, cravings, emotional changes. Most sober living homes connect with treatment facilities that provide additional staff and alumni who share your experiences. Having these resources nearby provides peace of mind in moments of need.

Managers, peers, and other professionals also help hold you accountable as rules and boundaries exist that you must adhere to. These rules aim to keep all residents happy, healthy, and sober. Restrictions may include no-alcohol use, a curfew, and regular drug testing. If a resident regularly breaks the rules, they may be forced to leave the home. Such measures keep the environment safe and effective for others.

Building Stronger Relationships

No recovery can be successful without having a support system. One of the most beneficial aspects of sober living is the bonds you form in these environments. You will meet others at various points in their recovery and share common grounds. These peers understand what you are going through in ways that perhaps your inner circle does not. They may also inspire you because everybody in the house is striving to become better versions of themselves.

These strong bonds combat feelings of loneliness and isolation, which is an inherent part of early recovery. You might have cut ties with good people in your life prior to treatment, however, that changes in a sober home. Over time, these peers will start to feel more like your family or close community that understands you and your unique journey. The relationships you build in sober living may last a lifetime, forming a network you can call upon when times get tough.

Restored Life Skills 

When you become addicted to substances and continue to use, you might neglect other obligations such as work and family to feed your addiction. One of the advantages of sober living is that it can restore structure in your life. In both treatment and transitional housing, you will develop a healthy regimen and lifestyle essential to everyday life, such as performing household chores, finding employment, or caring for children. Living with other residents will help employ the interpersonal, financial, and practical skills needed to take care for yourself independently – without turning to substances.

Easier Transition to Your Everyday Life

Perhaps the most obvious advantage of sober living homes is that they ease you back into everyday life. Recovery is ongoing and does not simply end after rehab. Sober living environments bridge the gap between treatment and mainstream society, helping you confront the challenges of the real world at a comfortable pace. They offer the opportunity to adjust to independent living without the formal, round-the-clock care you might experience in treatment. In a sober living environment, you will get a realistic sense of sober life outside of the walls of rehab.

Mitigate Risk of Relapse

The objective of sober living is to provide a safe and supportive place to heal away from outside pressures. Such separation will help you focus on yourself without temptation from toxic friends, old hangouts, and environmental triggers. Sober living homes can help eradicate relapse triggers that may cause cravings or temptation. Alcohol, drugs, and addictive prescriptions are strictly prohibited in the home, so temptation and opportunity to relapse are completely averted.

Recovery is your story to tell, and sometimes it requires additional help to get you on the road to a safe and lasting recovery. A sober living home can significantly aid your sobriety, especially if you find re-entering the real-world triggering or stressful. At Choice House, we work with the best sober living communities in the Boulder area and remain a point of contact beyond treatment to ensure our patients are receiving the best care tailored to their unique needs. Our additional treatment options, such as individual, group, and family therapy, further help reinforce your ability to face difficult challenges that arise in recovery. We strive to speak directly to the needs of men in order to advocate and strengthen mental health and substance use awareness within communities. With 24/7 admissions, there is never a wrong time to reach out. To find out more, call us today at (720) 577-4422.