By the time you finish treatment for your drug addiction, you’ll likely feel a sense of relief. Before you start thinking the worst part is behind you, you need to be aware your recovery from addiction has only just begun. As you are surely aware, you will never be able to safely use drugs or alcohol again. Even the slightest relapse could have severe ramifications. You have to remain diligent every minute of every day of every month of every year for the rest of your life. If you can do that, you are deserving of all the wonderful things you will experience in your life as a sober person. You are not alone in your desire to see yourself succeed at staying sober.
Aside from family and friends who are rooting for you, you now have the backing of all the clinicians and counselors who helped you get to this point in your life. The last thing any of them wants to see is your face inside the rehab facility ever again. To that end, it’s very likely people in the rehab facility provided you with information about aftercare resources. You need to take advantage of these resources. There’s no point in tempting fate with the belief you are good on your own. While you are navigating your recovery, your addiction is doing exercises to stay strong for the opportunity to attack you again. You stand a much better chance of a lasting recovery if you use the aftercare resources afforded you upon completion of treatment. While additional outpatient counseling and 12-Step meetings (AA and NA) are great aftercare options, we want to tell you a little bit about sober living.
How Does Sober Living Work?
As you depart the rehab facility, you might notice a little hesitancy about taking on life’s responsibilities while fresh off your addiction. That’s a reasonable thing for you to consider. If you are not sure you are ready, time in a sober living environment could be exactly what you need. Most rehabs either run or have affiliations with local sober living homes. With a good referral, you can place yourself in an environment that’s ideally suited for people who need time to get their sober legs under them. A sober living home, regardless of ownership, is usually managed by a person with a lot of sobriety. As a former addiction sufferer, they know and understand where new residents are coming from. The way it works is each resident is given a set of rules to follow. Initially, the rules are very restrictive. As time passes and the resident improves, the rules are adjusted to allow more freedom. This process continues until the resident is ready to stand against their addiction on their own. Sober living rules are the backbone of a sober living program. These are the rules every resident is required to follow to maintain good standing and gain privileges. Here’s a list of common rules, followed by a more in-depth description:
- Absolutely zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use
- Responsibilities around the facility
- Attendance in multiple 12-Step meetings each week
- Integrate back into work/school in preparation for release from sober living
Zero Tolerance from Relapse
All residents are required to abstain from all drugs and alcohol without a prescription. To assure compliance, the sober living residence manager will likely administer mandatory surprise drug testing. Any violation subjects the resident to dismissal.
Household Responsibilities
All residents are required to do chores around the house. Only exclusive luxury facilities will provide access to maid service and chefs. If a resident has a job, they will likely have fewer responsibilities around the house with more of them be allocated to unemployed residents.
12-Step Meetings
Most sober living homes support the concept of 12-Step meeting participation. In many cases, residents are required to attend at least three meetings a week with sign-offs. It’s highly likely the sober living home will sponsor a meeting or two of its own with mandatory participation.
Integration Back into Society
Sober living is not a permanent solution. All residents are required to make progress towards reintegrating back into society. That includes securing employment or going back to school. If you are ready to address your addiction issues, we are standing by to help. We can help you get from detox all the way into a sober living program. For more information about our service, call us at 844-639-8371.