What It Is Like Living in a Sober House: A Complete Guide

At Turnbridge, we recognize the clear difference between getting sober and living sober, which is why we encourage continuous care and management, in recovery and after rehab. We’re here 24/7 to help you get the care you need to live life on your terms, without drugs or alcohol. Talk to our recovery specialists today and learn about our integrated treatment programs. Residents of sober living homes pay rent to stay in the home and the house owner typically maintains the responsibility of upkeep and maintenance. Many sober living homes have recurring meetings where residents can participate in 12 Step type exchanges. For many in recovery, sober living homes can be the difference between going back to old habits and staying on the road to recovery.

• Most of the time, residents share communal spaces, like kitchens, living rooms, and backyards.
• Some programs created halfway houses where clients could reside after they completed residential treatment or while they attended outpatient treatment.
• Different types of sober living will provide different levels of support and guidance for their residents.
• Although “program first” is often the best path to take, it is not a requirement in some homes.
• There is no alcohol, no drugs, and no addictive prescriptions or OTC drugs allowed in a recovery home.

In summary, sober living support addiction recovery in transition to independence. Of course, there are many other variables that affect overall program quality, effectiveness, and fit. This group tends to be somewhat consistent across most types of sober living homes—which we’ll dive deeper into momentarily.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO LIVE

We used the Global Severity Index (GSI) as an overall measure of psychiatric severity. The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers is a nonprofit professional society designed sober house to offer support to organizations across the continuum of care. If you or someone you love needs help with addiction, the licensed professionals at Into Action Recovery can help.

• Most residents enter the houses after residing in a short term homeless shelter located near the program.
• Having a solid support system and a safe living environment allows residents to grow, and to get the accountability they need to sustain sobriety.
• Halfway houses and other treatment organizations offer clinical care.
• In addition, state licensure or group accreditation ensures that the sober living home complies with safety standards and a code of ethics.

These can include an emphasis on age-specific housing and an active alumni community. As explained in our definition of sober living homes, the goal of sober housing is to give people in recovery a safe and supportive place to heal, away from outside pressures. You will be given a place to live and to focus on yourself, without temptation from old drug-using friends, old hang-out spots, and other environmental relapse triggers. Within sober living homes, you can receive the type of support and treatment that you would normally only get from residential or intensive outpatient treatment or 12 Step programs. In a sober living home, you can be surrounded by caring people who have been through what you are going through, to share stories, share meals, and support you. After completing any sort of addiction treatment program, individuals may find themselves unsure of their ability to face the daily challenges of maintaining sobriety.

Everything You Wanted To Know About Sober Living

Some programs might only accept clients who have already completed an inpatient stay at a connected facility, or they might give them a higher priority on the waitlist. Let’s say you or a loved one has almost completed an alcohol or other drug addiction treatment program. Or maybe you’re going to start an outpatient program, but living at home isn’t a sober, supportive environment for you. Anyone who wants to stop drinking alcohol or using drugs should consider joining a sober living community. Many residents complete a rehabilitation program prior to approaching a sober living home, but this is not mandatory. If you have already gone through rehab, but you’re not quite ready to live independently, this type of facility may be an excellent fit for you.

Because sober living homes replicate normal, everyday life situations while instilling healthy habits, they help to reduce the chance of relapse. Residents aren’t bound to the sober living home’s campus and can come and go as they please. This allows individuals in recovery to feel like they are easing back into normal life and can start going back to their daily tasks and responsibilities. Although sober living homes are less restrictive than inpatient facilities, they still have rules that residents must abide by, including curfews and group meeting attendance. Interviews will elicit their knowledge about addiction, recovery, and community based recovery houses such as SLHs. We hypothesize that barriers to expansion of SLHs might vary by stakeholder groups.