Why You Should Choose Sober Living

Sober living is often a helpful, transitional approach to the time after rehab. When a person has been addicted to drugs for a long time, it can be hard to leave an inpatient center and go back to regular life. Sometimes, sober living houses are even a helpful option for those who have not attended formal treatment for their addictions. Here are several reasons why choosing sober living may be beneficial to you.

What is Sober Living?

A person can live soberly on his or her own, but many individuals need help when they are first starting out. Some people may want to consider a stay in a sober living house while attempting to recover from addiction. According to a study from the NCBI, “SLHs are alcohol and drug free living environments for individuals attempting to maintain abstinence from alcohol and drugs.”

Most sober living houses usually have these qualities in common:

• They do not offer formal treatment plans for residents.
• They “either mandate or strongly encourage attendance in 12-step groups.”
• They ask that residents pay rent.
• They often do not have stipulations on how long residents may stay.
• They set a resident up with at least one roommate.

Sober living houses are not “monitored by state licensing agencies,” and they are not funded by the government. Those who stay in these houses do not sign a contract or leasing agreement and must abide by the rules of the house.

Who Can Benefit from Sober Living?

Sober housing can help you get your life back on track after rehab.

The people who most often benefit from sober living houses are those who are transitioning from inpatient treatment. Inpatient treatment is often to the recovery process for many people, but it can be difficult to then leave the facility and immediately go back to a regular life. Temptation can be hard for a person who has been away from it for three or more months. Sober living houses provide another step toward a full recovery which gives individuals a more controlled environment like they were used to.

Here are some of the other reasons why someone might benefit from a sober living house:

• The person does not have a strong support system of family and friends.
• The person needs stricter boundaries because relapse is a concern.
• The person wants to meet other people who have experienced addiction and recovery in order to facilitate his or her own recovery.
• The person could not afford to leave his or her responsibilities in order to attend inpatient rehab but still needs a controlled environment.

Why Choose Sober Living?

Placer County, California‘s website states that the main reason why sober living houses exist is to “help the resident become a productive member of society.” Whatever the case, people who become addicted to drugs sometimes get off-center with work, school, family, and social life. Paying the rent, abiding by the house rules, and interacting with other members of the house can be a great transition for the person to get back into the general way society and responsibilities work, and it allows people to surround themselves with others who have their best interests at heart. Sober living can be a great transition during your journey to recovery.