Individuals that are engaged in substance abuse treatment need lots of support. Support can be provided in the form of sponsors willing to take a distress call no matter the time or day, friends and family willing to provide a listening ear or a safe place to live post-treatment, counselors and therapists that are working together to implement supportive measures in a patients treatment plan, and sometimes even co-workers that are willing to provide a simple ride to and from work. Simply put, the greater the support network, the greater the chances of success for the individual in recovery. Self Determined Recovery embraces the importance of a support network, and has put into place a sober living program that furthers this continuum of care in order to improve a patient’s chances of recovery from substance abuse.
What Is Sober Living?
A sober living home (often referred to as a halfway house) operates as a bridge between a substance abuse facility and normal life. People who have been in a detox or in-patient treatment facility, will most certainly need follow-up care and attention. They may be struggling with things like readjusting, getting back into normal daily routines, communicating or dealing with their emotions in a constructive way, or may just need a place to stay that’s not going to influence or promote substance abuse while they work to build back to a healthier version of themselves. People residing in sober homes often submit to group counseling sessions and urine tests to ensure that they remain on the straight and narrow while working toward long-term sobriety.
What Are The Benefits Of Sober Living?
Sober living homes offer those in treatment a way to live in an environment that allows for the reinforcement of lessons learned in rehab. Studies have shown that for most people, transitioning into a sober living home after treatment is the difference maker between going back to their old habits or continuing down the path of sobriety.
In addition, sober living provides a great way to alleviate concerns an individual might have about going from an intensely monitored environment (such as a detox or in-patient treatment facility) right back into daily life. What we’ve found to be common in such situations, is that for many people that are early-on in their recovery, sober homes living may provide their only option for a safe, sober living environment. And while sober homes do not provide the same level of supervision and structure as an inpatient facility, they do provide an intermediate sober environment that encourages individuals to develop healthy coping skills and habits for when they return home.
Sober Living with Self Determined Recovery
We work hard to provide the most productive and encouraging sober living environments for our patients. We see this as one of the most important aspects of a patient’s road to recovery. The concept of ‘sober living’ is that a structured housing plan will provide a reinforced recovery environment. We believe that there must always be a collective emphasis on abstinence for the well-being of the group, and agree with the science that the kind of aid provided through this collaborative living situation is critical for recovery patients; especially those that are not fully confident in their independence. This structured support is something that we provide from detox all the way through outpatient care.
Can Family & Friends Visit?
Generally speaking, yes. There are times when visitation will be limited, but for the most part we encourage people residing in sober homes to maintain strong ties to family, so long as family is not the root cause of their addiction.