After putting in all the hard work to set aside your addiction, you have an obligation to yourself to protect your sobriety. Rest assured, that’s not going to be an easy thing to do. As you walk out the doors of rehab, you are very likely to encounter the temptation and triggers that led you down the path of addiction in the first place.
As you depart the facility, you have two choices. You can rest on your laurels and hope you have learned the lessons that will keep you on the straight and narrow path of recovery. If your knees are a little shaky and you have doubts about making it on your own initially, you do have the option of employing aftercare options.
While most rehabs provide access to a number of aftercare and alumni options, there are three options that seem to be more important than others. These options include:
- Additional counseling on an outpatient basis
- Participating in relevant 12 Step recovery programs
- Spending time rehabilitating in a sober living environment
At this time, we would like to help you investigate the third option a little more closely. We hope the information we are about to provide will make a huge difference in your ability to maintain your sobriety.
About Sober Living
With the help of your rehab, you should be able to secure a referral to a local sober living home for addiction sufferers in recovery. A sober living home is essentially a group home where all residents have a vested interest in staying sober. For the most part, the idea behind a sober living environment is to provide people in recovery with a secure bridge between rehab and taking on full responsibility for their lives in recovery.
The facility is usually managed by either an addiction counselor or a recovering addiction sufferer with a substantial amount of time in sobriety. Each resident pays rent and is required to follow rules. Some of the key rules usually include:
- Maintaining complete sobriety
- Submitting to random drug testing with zero tolerance
- Performing chores around the house
- No unnecessary fraternization – especially with the opposite sex
- Pursuing employment when the time is right
- Attending counseling and/or 12 Step meetings
These rules are nonnegotiable. If the resident makes good progress, they earn extra privileges, including more responsibility as they move towards moving out on their own. Failure could result in expulsion from the home. The last thing anyone needs is a sober living home infested with drama.
How Expensive is Sober Living?
Sans any assistance from healthcare insurance, residents are required to handle the cost of sober living. The rental amount usually includes rent and utilities. In most cases, residents are allotted cabinet and refrigerator space and required to purchase their own food.
As for the costs, it really depends on several factors. Some of the lower-end sober living homes only charge a few hundred dollars a month. If someone is looking for upscale housing that includes lots of extra amenities, that type of sober living home might run as high as a couple of thousand dollars a month. What you would end up paying will depend a great deal on what kind of amenities and flexibility you want from your sober living experience.
After Sober Living
As you build up your level of responsibility and confidence in your ability to live life on life’s terms on your own, you are free to leave the facility. Remember, unless you were designated to a sober living facility by the legal system, you are always free to go. The facility exists to give you additional time to heal from your addiction.
Once you are on the outside, you will hopefully remember the lessons learned and where to find support should that relapse demon come a calling. If you feel you are ready to slip back into the abyss, you always have the option of returning to sober living until your feet are firmly planted on the road of recovery.
Before you concern yourself about the cost of sober living, you must first address fighting back against your addition. That’s something we would be happy to help you do. If you are ready to start the recovery process, you need to pick up the phone, dial 844-639-8371 and speak to one of our staff members.