Sober Living
Since their creation, sober living homes have provided those in recovery a place to call their own as they get their lives back on track. Sober living homes come in all shapes and sizes and can be found in communities around the world. They are dedicated to helping individuals return to a sober life at a pace consistent with their comfort level and their ability to succeed in sobriety with varying levels of support and assistance.
Michael's House offers a residential sober living facility for those who have completed drug and alcohol rehab and require a longer term in a stable residence before transitioning into a home of their own.
What is a Sober Living Home?
A sober living home is dedicated to helping those who have successfully graduated from a drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility. Rather than go straight back home after rehab, a sober living home provides residents with a safe place to build a solid foundation in sobriety. Here, you or your loved one can practice the new skills acquired during drug and alcohol rehab with the support of peers and on-site staff. In this way, you or your loved can better navigate through the more difficult issues while adjusting to life without drugs and alcohol.
Who Can Live at a Sober Living Home?
Anyone who has completed rehab for alcohol or drug addiction or needs a safe place to live during drug and alcohol rehab can take residence in a sober living home. Sober living homes are made up of a mix of people recovering from addictions to various substance including alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, crystal meth and other controlled substances. Some sober living homes are co-ed, while others are gender specific for either men or women.
How Does Sober Living Help the Individual?
Sober living homes provide several key elements that bolster the individual's quest for addiction recovery.
First of all, sober living residences provide a slower transition between the high structure that comes with drug treatment and the open structure that most will find at home. Sober living homes are places that allow the individual to ease back into the mainstream of society after drug rehab. Back in the flow of everyday life, much will be asked of the individual who has completed drug and alcohol rehab; the sober living home is a place to begin the process of addressing these issues in a more non-threatening and safe setting.
Second, sober living homes provide emotional and psychological support. The individual will be living side-by-side with others who are going through the same issues and experiencing the same obstacles, questions and setbacks. This support structure provides encouragement and advice as well as the opportunity to be a sounding board for others and pre-empt relapse during the period when relapse is still a very real concern.
Finally, a sober living residence provides accountability. Sober living homes are run on a strict set of rules and regulations. The need to adhere to these rules helps the newly sober person learn accountability and develop a sense structure that will easily translate into any context.
What are the Rules and Regulations at a Sober Living Home?
Although rules and regulations vary according from one sober living home to the next, there are several guidelines you will find at almost every sober living facility. They include:
- A zero-tolerance policy towards drug or alcohol use on the premises (being caught doing so will likely lead to expulsion from the home).
- Rent and all bills must be paid on time
- Attendance at an after-care program such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous (for those who have competed rehab)
- Random drug testing while living at the home
- General good behavior amongst fellow tenants
House rules are important because they help residents to learn follow-through and responsibility. Rent must be paid on time every month, and the cost of utilities will be shared as well (if not included in the rent). Sober living homes are NOT homeless shelters. Everyone who lives there has either paid for the privilege or received assistance to help with the expense and if the rules are not followed, then whoever breaks them will be asked to leave.
Is Sober Living Necessary?
No. For many, though, it is preferred and a vital, pro-active choice after drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
Many people who complete drug and alcohol rehab choose sober living rather than an off-site aftercare service because they prefer the stability that comes with choosing an abstinence-based residence. By choosing a home and roommates who will keep you accountable to your goal of maintained abstinence, you provide yourself with a solid support system that will assist you in living a life without drugs and alcohol. Many establish relationships that last long after they move out of the sober living facility.
Do I Need a Sober Living Home?
This is a very personal question. A sober living home may be the right choice for you if you have successfully completed drug and alcohol addiction treatment and:
- Don't feel ready to return home and/ or
- If you don't have a home to return to and/ or
- Feel that you would benefit from the structure of an abstinence-based facility but no longer need the rigid structure of a drug and alcohol rehab.
If you do not have a living situation waiting for you when you leave drug and alcohol treatment, a sober living facility will give you the time to find a place to live. It can also provide you with a safe and stable place to stay while you find a job, work and save money for a deposit and first month's rent or to pay back bills you may have incurred during your addiction.
How do I Get My Loved One Into a Sober Living Home?
Sober living homes are not like drug and alcohol addiction treatment facilities. There is no intervention that ends with your loved one enrolled in a sober living facility. Rather, a sober living home is a residence only and reinforces the tenets and principles taught at a drug and alcohol rehab. A certain amount of clean time and a commitment to remaining clean and sober is a requirement for entry at most sober living houses.
Sober Living at Michael's House
When an individual completes drug or alcohol treatment at Michael's House, they will possess the skills needed to get the most out of a sober living facility, and eventually return home to begin their life anew, free of drugs or alcohol.
Michael's House treats the individual in mind, body and spirit – helping them safely detox from drugs or alcohol, providing results-oriented group and individual counseling and finally, working through the skills and behavior changes necessary to avoid relapse and start living life to the fullest for the first time in a long time. Contact Michael's House today at , and start building that new life tomorrow.
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