For many who have recently completed an addiction treatment program or are just beginning their sobriety journey, the idea of leaving behind the stability and safety of a residential addiction treatment program and going back into the world where addiction lives, can be daunting. Many recovering addicts turn to other support systems for ongoing support and accountability during the early stages of recovery. One such option for help is a sober living program or sober living community. This article discusses the role of sober living in addiction treatment.
What is a Sober Living Home?
Sober living homes or sober living communities are facilities often used after the completion of an inpatient addiction treatment program. Although sober living homes can be stand-alone environments, they are frequently associated with a treatment aftercare program. This is because they serve as a transition or a step-down option for people completing addiction treatment who are not yet ready to leave the supportive environment of residential care.
The early days of sobriety are often the most challenging because triggers or “reminders” of using or drinking may seek like they are everywhere. Many who are new to sobriety find it is difficult to navigate certain aspects of their pre-treatment lives without facing use triggers. A sober living house offers a safe and secure environment where you can slowly transition from the structured environment of active treatment back to your home and community. At a sober living home, peers and treatment professionals provide essential support to help you manage relapse triggers while helping you slowly regain independence from drugs or alcohol.
What is the Role of Sober Living in Addiction Treatment?
As part of Missouri addiction treatment, patients looking to overcome addictions to drugs or alcohol work each day with their treatment providers. While fully engaged in treatment and surrounded by care and support, your focus is on healing from addiction’s physical and emotional impacts.
Depending on your particular program and the ideal treatment model for your needs, you have access to care and support 24/7. Access to a high level of structure vastly limits (or entirely removes) the potential for challenges such as relapse triggers during treatment. However, once treatment ends, these challenges will inevitably arise. For some, the lack of support that sometimes accompanies sobriety can lead to relapse. This is where the role of sober living comes in.
What are the Benefits of Sober Living?
A key benefit to staying in a sober living home after treatment is to allow you the opportunity to slowly ease back into your daily routine without sacrificing your sobriety. Time at a sober living home helps newly sober, and recovering addicts gradually return to their obligations and responsibilities with the help and support of like-minded peers who share the same sobriety goals.
Another benefit to sober living homes is relapse prevention. The community environment at a sober living house is ideal for practicing and reinforcing the essential relapse prevention tools learned during therapy sessions. At a sober living home, you benefit from community strength and support as other house residents share similar concerns, worries, or challenges. Sharing your successes and failures with others helps others in similar situations but also helps you maintain your commitment to lasting sobriety.
Often residents at a sober living home are encouraged to engage in peer support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or similar. Residents are also encouraged to participate in continued therapy while developing new relationships with peers who are committed to recovery and ongoing sobriety.
Are There Sober Living Houses in Missouri?
The first days and weeks after treatment can be difficult. Many find they struggle with the adjustment period that follows addiction treatment. Sober living homes offer a safe setting between inpatient care and home where you can practice and reinforce the lessons you learned during your treatment program. In many cases, the time spent in a sober living environment may be the difference between continuing on a path of sobriety and relapsing back to drug and alcohol use. If you would like to learn more about our treatment and aftercare programs at Grand Falls Recovery, contact us to ask about our programs or schedule a tour of our facility. Let us show you how we can help you start your journey to sobriety at our Missouri addiction treatment center. A member of our admissions team can answer your questions about treatment, the benefits of sober living, and how time in a sober living community can help you stay on track to lasting sobriety, health, and wellness.