After you complete rehab you may not want to return to your previous lifestyle and surroundings, especially if you lived around people who use alcohol or other drugs. One fantastic option is to live in a sober living house for a year or more. A sober living house is a group home where everybody who lives there is sober and in recovery.
Sober living houses provide structure. The structure is helpful in getting back into the regular routines of work and self-care that many addicts lose when their addiction spirals out of control. But perhaps the most helpful benefit of living in a sober house is being surrounded by other recovering addicts who are focused on living sober and rebuilding their lives.
How Living Among Others in Recovery Benefits Everybody
During your addiction, you may have lost touch with friends and family who didn’t understand your problem or know how to help you. In sober living you’ll be surrounded by others who have similar stories to yours, and who share the goal of recovery and healing. Most people in sober living attend 12-Step Meetings regularly; in some sober livings, it’s a requirement.
You Will Get To Know People Who Have More Time in Recovery Than You
People in sober living are in varying stages in recovery. Usually, the house manager and other staff have multiple years of living sober. Some residents also have a year or longer sober, some people are new to recovery, and some are healing after a relapse. Really, it’s the same assortment of recovering people you’re likely to encounter at a 12-Step Meeting, only you’re also living together in the same house.
You can learn from everybody in the house, even those people who make mistakes and maybe relapse. You have others nearby with more time than you have who will be happy to help you as you learn how to maintain lasting sobriety. By helping you, they’re ensuring their own well-being and continued recovery. As you continue to attend meetings and work the twelve steps, you can in turn help people who are new to recovery.
Living With Others Who Want to Have Sober Fun Is a Great Way to Relearn This Skill
When you’re addicted, your world can shrink and grow dim, until your only interest is using and obtaining more of your substance of choice. You’ve surrounded yourself to some degree with others who are also addicted. A sober living house is a perfect environment to learn how to socialize and enjoy life fully while avoiding alcohol and other drugs. You’ll have people to hang out with who want to have sober fun, and together you can share some of the best times of your life. You’ll be building memories and friendships that last a lifetime!
It’s easy to forget how fun it can be to share a home-cooked meal and a good TV show with friends, or to enjoy sports like hiking, cycling, and swimming with others. And, of course, you’ll have people nearby who can hold you accountable for working your recovery program.
By Choosing a Sober Living House You’re Giving Yourself a Better Chance at Recovery
Studies have shown that people who continue treatment for a longer period beyond the initial 30 days of sobriety have much better outcomes. Those who live in a sober living environment in early recovery also have a significantly higher rate of maintaining sobriety after three years or longer. Being surrounded by others on the same path of recovery and healing is a great way to ensure you’ll stay sober. You will be giving yourself the best support system to go forward into a new life and a lasting recovery.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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