A Helpful and Effective Guide to Sober Living

1. A Helpful and Effective Guide to Sober Living

2. Synopsis • What Is Sober Living? • Misconceptions about Sobriety and Rehab Programs • Sober Living Homes: Saving Lives A Day At A Time • The Benefits of Sober Living Homes

3. What Is Sober Living? • Sober Living is also known as a halfway house or group home designed for those suffering from alcohol or drug disorders. It is also an informal way of treatment after leaving a Rehab Center and another great step towards recovery. It can either be court appointed or of choice. It’s meant to be utilized for the first few months of sobriety. Sober living homes help decrease rates of relapse and increase successful recovery. These halfway houses can be located within each county. • Rules and Regulations: • There are rules and regulations that are important to follow for your treatment and for safety purposes. Some of the rules and regulations are random drug testing, financial requirements, curfews, the participation of the homes daily tasks and participation of treatment. Some of the rules of a halfway house including, but are not limited to the following: No intake of drugs or alcohol, no destruction of property, being respectful of others, no theft or violence, and no sexual misconduct. These are all important to follow. Breaking the house rules can result in eviction. Rules and regulations are another crucial part of your and others recovery process. Even though the rules and regulations may seem intimidating, it’s to ensure a successful recovery and safety for yourself and others.

4. Misconceptions about Sobriety and Rehab Programs • Sober living housing hurts former addicts by restricting access to only each other. • Those who participate in sober living housing are often recorded saying they feel less alone because of others who have had the same experiences as them. There are people they can relate to and have conversations with that make sobriety easier. In fact, most people use sober living housing as an intermediate step between rehab and living independently again. These homes do not allow drugs into the facility unless they are needed medically. • Halfway or sober living housing centers are dangerous places to be. • These homes are not dangerous and all have requirements for those that they let into their spaces. Most often, people who have already participated in a rehab program will live in the house. Residents must stay sober in these homes, and by them previously having experiences with the methods therapists use to help people stay sober, time in these homes is more helpful. These sober living houses do not tolerate violence either, they are places for people to get better, not experience trauma.

5. Misconceptions about Sobriety and Rehab Programs • Sober living houses are solely public facilities. • There are private and public sober living houses and prices vary depending on location and the type of care offered. These homes are often a lot less expensive than rehab centers, but residents of sober living homes are still required to see a therapist and attend 12-step programs. However, these experiences are not as intensive as rehab programs. Most private facilities try to keep their prices affordable so that those who want to ensure their sobriety have a place to do it safely. • Sober living homes restrict the activities of their residents. • While residents of sober living homes do have certain rules they wouldn’t be subject to in real life, they still attend work and school and can still visit their friends and have their friends visit them. • Sober living housing and rehab are the same thing. • Rehab centers are much more restrictive of their patients. It is true, however, that some people may need to attend a rehab or detoxification center. They are places where some of their activities are limited so that they cannot get possession of or take any drugs.

6. Sober Living Homes: Saving Lives A Day At A Time • Sober Living Homes: Community • Sober living homes programs include daily meetings, free time, and meals. They provide the emotional support a newly sober person needs. It is a safe environment where they can be themselves and share feelings and frustrations with others. There may be shared areas such as a coffee shop, swimming pool, walking paths, exercise rooms and outside benches. Sober living homes try to create a relaxing environment for their residents. • Sober Living Homes: Structure • Sober living homes are structured in a way in which they will benefit a newly recovering addict. There are rules to follow while staying there. The most important rule is staying sober. Sober living homes house newly sober addicts. If one of them loses their sobriety, it can affect the whole group. Staying sober is very serious and cannot be taken lightly.

7. The Benefits of Sober Living Homes • Just an example, in the average facility there’s normally a curfew that residents can’t be late for, and they may or may not also be allowed to hold down a job while staying there. This also leaves room for residents to wander and get into potential trouble, but random drug tests are implemented here to ensure they stick to the program. It’s a privilege that most addicts wouldn’t want to lose. While some slip through the cracks, there are plenty more driven by their freedom to not get it taken away. We don’t realize what we have until it’s gone, that’s how the saying goes, right? Sober Living Homes like to teach their patients responsibility, and that can’t be taught if they’re cooped up in a home all day thinking about how they got there in the first place. In order to recover, addicts must learn to cope with society again, without the drugs or alcohol.

8. The Benefits of Sober Living Homes • The cost of sober living homes is much different from rehab. While attending rehab you pay for the service, therapy, and overall intensive care patients go through, and the bills add up. In a halfway house, residents are expected to pay rent and to support themselves with buying their own food and personal products. Depending on the area, that can mean anywhere from $400 a month to $1,000. It’s a good price to pay for a stable, clean environment. These homes are most definitely not for everyone. Some recovering addicts can’t be near others like them; the temptation is too much. Others find it comforting that they are surrounded by people that suffer from the same addiction as they do and are trying to better themselves from it. There’s no judgment in these places and there’s tons of support from your peers. These things can be vital for a good, stable recovery.

9. The End • For More Details, Please visit: • http://soberliving.ca/our-facility/