Sober living houses help with a healthy transition after rehab. This type of living arrangement will allow you to leave the safety of rehab and enter a less restrictive living environment while maintaining a focus on recovery. Residents enjoy a less structured environment but still develop skills and tools to help maintain sobriety in the real world. When looking at different sober living houses, there are some things to keep in mind.
Structure: While the idea behind a sober living home is less structure than rehab, you still want to have some sort of structure. If you are fresh out of rehab, the overwhelming amount of decisions you have to make every day can lead you to turn to drugs or alcohol. A sober living home that implements a daily routine can be helpful and it should still have regulations and rules. It should also have a zero-tolerance drug policy and it should be a drug-free environment. You will find that there should be some reasonable house rules in order to keep a healthy home.
Safety: While transitioning out of rehab, the last thing you want to worry about is safety. Ask about safety measures and technology that is used by the facility. You should also consider the neighborhood where the home is located. You don’t want to be living in an area where people are hitting up outside the front door.
Social Network: The energy and mood of the sober living home are important. Pay attention to your gut feelings when you are visiting. Do you get a good vibe from the people who are currently there? Do you feel a sense of camaraderie? It is a positive environment? Finding the right social support is important for long-term sobriety.
Strong Support Team: A support system is important for everyone. The staff at the sober living home should truly care about your success and you. While you may already have an individualized training plan from rehab, finding the support that can enforce drug testing or encourage a resident to attend 12-step meetings can make a big difference in early recovery.
Personal Responsibly: While a sober living house can help, the success of sobriety will depend on whether you are going to put in the work. Sober living houses should recognize this and help you take the first steps in your independence so you can maintain a sober lifestyle.
Length of Stay: There should be no minimum or maximum amount of time that residents can stay in the house. By not limiting the amount of time someone can stay in the house, it eliminates the pressure of being alone. Allowing a resident to stay longer than others shouldn’t be penalized.