How Sober Living Environments Reduce the Risk of Relapse?
You have just completed your rehabilitation (rehab), now you have to go back to the real world – how do you feel? Anxious? Stressed? Fearful, even? You are not alone – many feel this way after completing their rehab. After all, for many, it can be the time to go back to the same environment that led to their substance use in the first place.
Now, imagine you have the option of a transitional living facility where you can stay for a while to strengthen your sobriety and prepare yourself for the outside world; what would you say? Would you be more comfortable living in a sober living environment? If yes, read along to learn more about what a sober living environment is and how it can reduce the risk of relapse.
What Is a Sober Living Environment?
A sober living environment is a substance-free residence where you go to live for a while after your detoxification (detox) or rehab to strengthen your recovery. Many, if not all, sober living homes provide you with structure, where you are supervised by house managers and staff and participate in daily chores, recovery activities, and regular check-ins so that you can establish the much-needed structure in your life and also the skills you need for independent living.
You share a sober living environment with other residents who have also been where you are; you receive support even as you support them to foster a strong feeling of sharing and connectedness in your recovery journey.
Key Ways Sober Living Homes Help Prevent Relapse
Sober living homes vary in the degree of structure and services they offer – for instance, some sober living homes are entirely peer-run while others offer intensive care and structure. Basically, the following are some common ways in which sober living homes can help you prevent relapse:
Drug and Alcohol-Free Setting
Even if you forget everything else, the one primary rule of all sober living homes is sobriety. They offer you a substance-free environment you can go to during the early days of your recovery, and you may also have to consent to regular alcohol and drug screenings.
Instead, if you go to your old living environment where you face the same old triggers and temptations of alcohol or drugs, the risk of relapse is huge, if not imminent. By providing a substance-free setting, sober living becomes your safe space where you can cast away all distractions and simply focus on your recovery.
Structured Daily Living
Structured daily living is where you receive ongoing structure after your relapse, which helps you navigate the still-uncertain waters of early recovery. You get to:
- Establish consistent sleeping and waking schedules
- Participate in daily chores and responsibilities
- Meet for communal meals
- Engage in recovery-based activities, like house meetings, recovery meetings, and even group therapy.
- Participate in life skills training
- Need to adhere to curfew.
This structured daily living not only establishes structure and routine in your life; it also helps you develop the skills you need for independent living, such as cleaning, house maintenance, cooking, budgeting, grocery shopping, and so on.
Peer Support and Community
Sober living environments thrive on the sense of community. Where substance use leads to secrecy and isolation, recovery opens you up to new experiences – even a sense of connectedness and belonging. When you find the comforting arms of peers on similar recovery journeys as you, you support and learn together as a family. Not just this, you establish friendships you can always lean on for a lifetime – especially when things become overwhelming or even if you feel you are on the verge of a relapse.
Life Skills and Independence
Life skills training is a huge draw of sober living. You receive employment assistance and financial management training, among others. Typically, many who enter the doors of sober living have their finances and careers in disarray. But it does not have to remain this way. You can find and maintain stable employment as you transition to independent living. Better finances can ease many of your stresses and go a long way in preventing relapse.
Encouragement of Ongoing Treatment
Sober living is your home away from home, but it does not cut you off from the outside world. You are encouraged to participate in your ongoing care – like outpatient therapy, medication management, and 12-step recovery meetings, to maintain your recovery and prevent relapse. Sober living homes take care of your schedule and provide you with transportation to ease the ongoing treatment for you.
When Should Someone Consider a Sober Living Home?
Typically, your rehab center will recommend sober living as part of your aftercare and put you in contact with many of the sober living homes they collaborate with. But even otherwise, if you do not have a stable, supportive environment to go back to after rehab or even during outpatient rehab, or if you are sure you will be going back to the familiar triggers and stressors that can undo your recovery, then you can opt for a sober living home where you can stay for a period of at least 6 months to strengthen your sobriety.
Basically, sober living homes are open to everyone who wants to remain sober. You can enroll in one on your own, by way of intervention, or even by court order – the opportunities for you to establish structure and independence in your life will remain the same. Even studies show that abstinence rates go up from 11% to 68% during a 6-12 month stay in a sober living home.
Choosing the Right Sober Living Home
If you are considering a sober living home, then choosing the right sober living home for yourself depends on what your needs and goals are. Here are some pointers that will help you out when you are at this point:
Connect with your rehab center – Your rehab center may have a sober living facility of its own or collaborate with other reputable sober living facilities in your locality. Connect with your team, and they will guide you through this process of choosing the right sober living home for you, depending on where you are in your recovery.
Seek referrals – You can even contact your primary healthcare provider or family and friends for referrals. You can even refer to sober living homes online, check their website, look up the staff, and read testimonials.
Visit the sober living home in person – Once you zero in on a sober living home or a few sober living homes of your choice, visit them in person to ensure they comply with the safety standards, are good with maintenance, and offer you the services you need.
Look out for red flags – Keep an eye out for red flags, like staff-to-resident ratio and quality of services offered. Make inquiries with the other residents if possible.
Cost and Location – Sober living homes are of varying costs; choose one that fits your budget, as sober living is not typically covered by insurance. Keep an eye out on the location as well – ensure it is close to your treatment center, place of education/job, and even your family so that they can visit you regularly.
Final Reflections
While not everybody who has completed rehab needs a sober living home, a sober living home is generally beneficial for your sobriety, especially during the early days of your recovery. Residents stay in a sober living home for up to 6 months on average, but you can stay until you feel prepared for the life that awaits you in the outside world. In a sober living home, you develop the tools and skills that will make you self-sufficient as you transition back to independent living, while also easing this journey for you.
