Post-Treatment Life

Making the decision to quit drugs and alcohol and get help is a big step. You have decided that you no longer want to put yourself or your loved ones through the pain of addiction and illness. But what happens after treatment?

While treatment and detox completion are also big achievements, the real work awaits in life outside of a medically supported facility. It starts in sober living.

Transitioning into Sobriety

Sober living homes have positive rates for lasting sobriety. Mental health and addiction experts encourage the choice because it is a beneficial tool for maintaining sobriety, not just for the first month or year, but for the rest of your life.

Studies prove that people who choose sober living residences achieve higher rates of sobriety than others. Strict rules provide a supportive, yet stern environment where individuals are carefully monitored.

Residences help recovering substance addicts transition into a clean and sober life for good. The tools they provide, the support network they put together, and the rules they require help residents adjust to a new way of living that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Adjusting to Sober Living

Sober living homes are often referred to as transitional living because of its function. The home helps recovering substance abusers transition back to regular life where there will be potential triggers and stress. By working through a solid routine, putting in adequate time in individual and group therapy, and working through a twelve-step program, residents may be well prepared to handle unforeseeable challenges when they leave sober living.

However, there are many adjustments that need to be made in order to live successfully in sober living. For one, there are strict rules that must be followed as a requirement. This may be startling, as the life of an addict prior may have been filled with constant movement, secretive behavior, an influx of people, and life without rules of any kind. Sober living homes often have shared house responsibilities or required participation in house events. Other mandatory rules include visitor policies, approval for leaving during day time hours, and a strict evening curfew, though variations of these rules differ based on the home.

The main focus for any sober living home is that all residents must pass random drug testing. If a resident relapses and is unable to pass a drug test, they will need to leave the sober living and possibly return to a primary treatment program. Re-admittance is may be reviewed and determined depending on the person and situation.

While it may be difficult at first to adjust to certain rules like what time you have to be home, where you can go, and who you can associate with, the rules are always in the best interest of residents’ health, sobriety, and future quality of life.

Other ways to adjust just to sober living and any new change is to talk it through. Sober living possesses a strong network of addiction experts, physicians, and mental health professionals to provide support. Sober living also offers the support of wellness experts (yoga, meditation, or mindfulness teachers), mentors, and additional staff.

Individual therapy sessions offer a kind, compassionate, and understanding presence for any resident. They are there to help residents find their own path of healing. Specifically tailored recovery plans help the individual adjust while generating a feeling of recognition and genuine concern. When people feel like they are being heard or seen, they are inclined to be more engaged in their recovery.

Additionally, twelve-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, may also help with adjusting to sober living. Programs often include fellow residents and addicts at similar stages in their recovery. Peer-to-peer support can help adjust to sober living. Others in the group may be feeling similar confusion or discomfort at the new living situation. It is important to be as forthcoming as possible with voicing your fears, hesitations, and doubts. By speaking honestly, you may give another person comfort by showing them that they are not alone. Drug addiction, treatment, and recovery are all unfamiliar and unpredictable paths. You would not be human if you were not nervous about what awaits. But you are not alone.

Communal Support 

While it may be difficult at first, another way to adjust is to immerse yourself fully in house life. All houses differ in their offerings, but they all have a shared goal, which is to provide support to guide you through your sobriety. One way they do this is by creating a positive house environment by setting up house activities, outdoor excursions, or participation.

Communal living and activities generate opportunities for friendships, deep connections, and understanding. Isolation is where mental illness and addiction grows and takes over. However, sober living takes all avenues to eradicate that threat by encouraging sharing, support, and exchange in daily house life.

Thriving in Sober Living

Peer support and working together toward the common goal of sobriety can be easier if you accept the limitations of sober living as your new reality. Rather than view it as restricted living, you can view it as a brand new life.

While living life independently is the ultimate goal, sober living prepares residents by encouraging them to turn to each other, to share more honestly, and to be present and accountable for their own sobriety and health. Through participation, residents will find their purpose and the right recovery path for them.

The close community, which sober living creates, encourages group support, peace, and productivity. Sober living has a calm environment where outside stressors and influences are minimized. This creates great opportunities to reflect, work through issues, and make goals for life beyond transitional living.

Adopting a positive mentality and supporting others may contribute to success. Communicating with roommates, finding out their stories, spending time together, developing a new hobby, and pursuing creative interests can make lasting psychological differences in your sobriety. Despite hesitations or fears, completely immersing yourself in sober living is how to thrive in recovery.