Getting ourselves clean and sober is one thing, staying that way is another. While there are many challenges we may face as we navigate our journey in recovery, where we choose to live during the early stages can be vital.
You may have elected to take a particular first step in your recovery. That might be an outpatient treatment plan or an inpatient residential treatment program. Regardless of the treatment program you choose, living in the real world can be a challenge to early sobriety.
As we said, the goal is to get clean and sober, and then stay that way. One of the most challenging periods of sobriety is the early stages after completing a treatment program. Here are benefits that support the idea of initially living in a sober house instead of staying at home.
Stable Living Environment
Being part of a sober house near your home can provide a number of benefits. One is the inherent stability that these living arrangements will insist upon. There are three inherent benefits of living in a sober home, plus one extremely important thing that helps to boost your chances of building a foundation for a clean and sober life.
· Teach Responsibility
You will have duties and responsibilities to your fellow house members in a sober home. If you’ve led a fairly responsible life up until this point, you will find these duties easy enough to follow. However, if you’re like many alcoholics and drug addicts, responsibility, commitment, and a sense of duty, are not some of our stronger personality characteristics.
· Ease Back Into Society
There are situations where our drug and alcohol abuse has driven us out of the normal spectrum of everyday society. Sometimes, homelessness or other devastating situations have forced us into abnormal living arrangements. Being part of a sober house can help you reestablish your sense of community and ease back into society.
· Help and Support
Besides helping you to regain a sense of belonging, the community environment in a sober living residence will be full of helpful and supportive people. Often, there are opportunities to attend group sessions and meetings.
There will be sober individuals who have the responsibility of maintaining an organized and structured life in the sober home. These same individuals can be outstanding when we’re looking for work or seeking suggestions on how to deal with life in general.
Everyone in a sober home will have a similar goal. They want to expose themselves to some type of model for living in the real world, but without drugs and alcohol for a crutch. Just having the help and support of these fellow travelers in recovery can prove invaluable.
Drug Free Living
Addiction and alcoholism are cunning and baffling foes. We never know when the next trigger may come crashing into our lives bent on disrupting our sobriety. As you begin to live one day at a time without using drugs or alcohol, there are going to be subtle triggers.
These triggers are often the biggest challenge to sobriety. A key aspect of living in a sober house is the understanding that it will be a drug and alcohol-free environment. While temptations may be all around us, living in a sober home during early sobriety can be critical to resisting these temptations.
There will always be alcohol sold at stores and drugs available from a myriad of sources. However, if you choose to live in a sober environment, there will be a buffer zone between your sobriety and these subtle temptations. Drug-free living in any situation is your goal. Starting your journey in a sober home is a smart way to begin.
If you’ve become entangled in the web of addiction, the first step to turning your life around is to ask for help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. It takes courage to make that phone call and ask for help. However, trying to live a drug and alcohol-free life without help is dangerous.
Once you make that first call, you’ll begin a wonderful new journey. Part of the journey is going to involve learning how to live from one day to the next while remaining clean and sober. A sober home in your area is an excellent place to learn responsibility, plus receive help and support.
Most importantly, you’ll be able to navigate the challenges of early sobriety, living in a drug and alcohol-free environment. If you haven’t started your recovery journey, pick up the phone today and call 844-639-8371. If you’ve completed treatment and you’re looking for a good way to start the next phase in recovery, consider a sober home.