Drug and alcohol addictions are equal opportunity diseases. They will attack anyone regardless of age, religious affiliation, race, or sexual identification. That’s why the addiction treatment community works so hard to develop custom treatment programs to meet the needs of a wide range of clients. The notion of customizing treatment options also extends to aftercare services that are available after rehab. There is always some level of focus on making sure everyone has equal access to services under conditions that make them feel comfortable and accepted.
This has become a major issue among people who struggle for acceptance from society. One of the most prominent aftercare options is sober living. In a sober living home or environment, recovering addicts get a chance to bridge the time between rehab and when they return home to face their personal responsibilities. This is a wonderful option for people who don’t feel secure about their ability to maintain their sobriety. Sober living buys them more time to build on the things they learned in rehab. Much like rehab, sober living homes come in all shapes and sizes. Each facility offers certain amenities and offers its service to a specific clientele. In the following sections, we want to go into more depth about how sober living homes offer access to certain groups of people. We will also address the benefits of sober living.
Are There Sober Living Communities for LGBT People?
Despite societal efforts to eliminate bias and prejudice, it’s sad to report that not everyone is accepting of differences. To make sure all groups of people have access to sober living services, some homes reserve their services for particular groups. This is not done with the intension of trying to keep groups apart. Instead, it is done to make sure certain groups of people have a comfortable environment in which to work on their recovery. A lot of sober living homes are coed. That has appeal for recovering addicts who are comfortable living in groups that include the opposite sex. For people who aren’t comfortable with the concept of coed recovery and living, there are plenty of homes available exclusively for men or women.
To answer the titled question, yes, there are sober living communities available for people who identify with the LGBT community. To be clear, sober living homes that cater to the LGBT community don’t do so for any reason other than to make sure people from that community feel they have a place to go. They just want a place to go where they will feel safe and accepted while being themselves. As for the benefits of sober living, the potential benefits are the same for anyone who wants and needs help. All they have to do is follow the rules and continue working on their recovery. FYI: Sober living rules are pretty generic throughout the entire sober living community.
The most common rules include:
- Zero tolerance for any kind of substance abuse
- Willingness to participate in random drug testing
- Willingness to participate in 12 Step programs and or ongoing counseling
- No inappropriate fraternization with other residents
- Handling of chores around the home
If a resident can follow these rules, they will get a chance to reap the benefits of sober living. Here are a couple of those benefits.
Create Structure for Their Live
While in the throes of addiction, people tend to lose their way. They neglect responsibilities and make bad decisions that adversely affect their lives. What they lose is a good structure for living. In a sober living home, they get a chance to rebuild structure into their lives. That’s a great benefit because structure is something they will need to keep their recovery on track when they return home.
Develop Support Resources
Everyone in a sober living home has at least two things in common. They all survived the rigors of treatment, and they all want to maintain their recoveries. This common ground allows everyone to build friendships based on common goals. These friendships often become the basis for great support resources outside of rehab and sober living. As you contemplate where you go for treatment, we want you to know we accept clients with no regard for differences. We see our clients as people who want/need help, and we provide that help in a safe and welcoming environment. We have no tolerance for prejudice. For more information about our facility and services, please contact us at 844-639-8371.