How Do Support Groups and Sober Houses Work Together?

Residents of sober living homes are usually required to attend 12-step meetings or other types of support groups while they live at the facility. These two treatment options often work together to create a well-rounded recovery for addicted individuals.

Why Do Sober Houses Require Support Group Participation?

According to a study from the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, sober living houses “offer no formal treatment” of their own, but these facilities will usually “either mandate or strongly encourage attendance at 12-step groups.” Sometimes, if an individual is particularly uncomfortable with the 12-step process, they may be allowed to attend a different type of support group, but usually, this kind of program participation is required.

Support groups help people in sober houses build strong social networks.

This occurs because the sober house does not provide its own formal treatment option, but individuals going through addiction recovery still need to receive some sort of treatment, especially if they are at an early stage of their overall recovery. This allows the sober house managers to focus on the living situation and comfort of residents and not on treatment itself, as this is a more hands-off option for recovery. Still, because many individuals utilize sober homes as an alternative to formal treatment and because 12-step and other types of support groups often work best with those in stable households, these two programs often go hand-in-hand.

How Do the Programs Work Together to Promote Recovery and Relapse Prevention?

Individuals in recovery require a stable home life as well as an appropriate treatment option, and when a person utilizes both programs together, they are able to receive the benefits they need. Living in a sober house provides residents with a more secure place to live as well as a home that is drug and alcohol free, and attending support group meetings gives them a strong treatment foundation and a sense of routine. These two programs working together can provide an experience similar to residential treatment for those who still need to work and live their daily lives and do not require as intensive of a program as residential centers provide.

Also stated by the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, “Developing a social network that supports ongoing sobriety is… an important component of the recovery model used in sober living houses.” This can be partly achieved through staying at the sober house and interacting with other recovering individuals as well as the owners of the home, case managers, etc. But support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and LifeRing allow members to build the kind of strong, social network of people who support a substance-free life, and they can help members branch out beyond their sober home so they will eventually be able to leave the house and begin their life anew.

If you are interested in learning more about sober living houses or want to find one in your area, call 800-953-3913 (Who Answers?). We can help you find the right residential option for your needs as well as a home that links with the best support group for your recovery.