Why You Should Start Your Sober Life in a Recovery House

Drug treatment programs not only equip addicts with the tools needed to live drug-free, but also give them the confidence and motivation to make a go of it. That being so, once a person leaves the treatment program, much of the structure and security these programs provide goes away.

The transition from drug treatment to “real life” can catch many a recovering addict off guard once the reality of daily life sets in. For these reasons, someone who’s completed drug treatment may want to consider starting sober life in a recovery house.

A recovery house acts as a much-needed transition between drug treatment and the demands and stressors of everyday life in the real world. For people coming off long-term addiction problems, this transition period is especially necessary to instill the types of habits and routines that make a drug-free lifestyle possible. According to the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, after completing a recovery house program, residents come away with a solid understanding of what it takes to maintain abstinence in the real world.

The Aftereffects of Drug Addiction

Addiction encompasses a wide array of effects that alter a person’s physical body as well as his or her state of mind. While the physical withdrawal addicts experience can be excruciating to say the least, the roots of addiction lie in the psychological dependency that develops during the course of drug use.

By the time a person becomes addicted, the need for the drug has surpassed the point of physical dependence. At this point, a person’s belief systems, motivations and drives are all focused on getting and using drugs. In effect, addiction alters a person’s psychological make-up to the point where drugs become the top priority in his or her life.

Drug treatment programs provide the types of physical supports addicts need to overcome the body’s physical dependence on drugs. These programs also help addict work through the psychological effects of addiction. The only problem is, the psychological aftereffects of addiction can last considerably longer than a 30, 60 or 90-day at a drug treatment program.

Benefits of a Recovery House Program

Once a person leaves drug treatment, having a stable, drug-free living environment to go home to is essential to maintaining abstinence on an ongoing basis. Recovery house programs provide a stable living environment where addicts can focus on their recovery while carrying out the affairs of everyday life.

Recovery house programs require residents to:

• Pay monthly rent
• Maintain gainful employment
• Attend 12 Step support group meetings
• Abstain from drug/alcohol use
• Not bring drug or alcohol on the grounds
• Perform household chores
• Get a sponsor

Residents must abide by these rules as a condition of their stay in the program.

In effect, a recovery house acts as a training ground for what recovering addicts will encounter once they’re out on their own. These programs also breed a sense of community as everyone living at a recovery house is working towards the same goal.

While some programs may place limits on how long a person can stay, most will allow residents to stay for as long as they need provided they abide by the rules of the program. After six to 12 months of living in a recovery house, a person will already be living a drug-free lifestyle by the time he or she re-enters the “real world.”