Congratulations. You have finished your treatment and you are ready to jump into your sober life and the long road of recovery. Now it is time for you determine if a sober living environment will help you on your journey.
First, you must make a decision:
- Will you go home and try to live your new sober life on your own with the tools you have gained from treatment?
- Or, will you move into a sober living home and let its environment help you maneuver life safe and sober?
Should You Move Into a Sober Living Environment?
While it is ultimately your choice, research tends to show that transitioning from treatment to a sober living facility seems to have the highest recovery success rates – especially if your home life is not going to be the healthiest for you.
Besides, have you discovered how a sober living environment can help you?
Let us count the ways that a sober living home can be beneficial for a successful recovery.
1. Structured-Style Living
Treatment settings are often very structured. If you leave this controlled setting and go home where there are no boundaries, you may feel overwhelmed, nervous, and scared.
For the first time in a long time, you are facing life sober.
Without any restrictions, will you be strong enough?
Sober living communities almost always bring with them a structured style of living.
There will be rules that must be followed and consequences for those who break them. For example, will you likely have a curfew and chores.
Following the rules slowly gains you more freedoms.
2. Mandatory Group Sessions with Housemates
Whether or not you like group sessions, you have to admit that they are beneficial.
They are a way to communicate openly with others who truly understand what you are going through. Most sober living homes will have mandatory group sessions with the housemates.
Together you can work through issues in the home and continue to strengthen coping skills.
3. Guidance with Seeking Employment or Education
You know that you need to make money when you get back to living your life. But, do you even know where to start? Many people don’t.
They have spent so much time focused on their addiction that they have let the real adult responsibilities dissipate.
A sober living environment will give you the chance to gain some guidance on how to seek employment or how to get back into school.
The following are often included in such guidance:
- Job searches
- Interview skills
- Resume writing
- Social skills
4. Create Lasting Friendships
Living with others sort of forces you together. And, quite often, there will be at least one person you create a lasting friendship with.
When you get back to life, it is always good to have the support from someone who knows your struggle.
Blossoms can grow from those who meet in a dark place.
5. Assistance with Daily Living Skills
It may sound lame, but basic living skills aren’t really at the top of your list when you are trying to get your next fix.
Do that for very long and these life skills will get a little rusty. Sometimes we need a refresher course on handling the small stuff.
Sober living homes are great for helping you get back to where you need to be with life skills.
6. Secure a Support System
There are no excuses – you need a support system when you finish treatment.
It doesn’t matter how strong you are feeling because it only takes one single moment of weakness to send you spiraling. Your support system is there to help catch you.
You will work on forming this while in your sober living environment. Not only from other residents of the home, but from the counselors, mentors, and therapists as well.
7. Money Management Education
Do you know how to properly handle your money once you get a job? Because, once you get out on your own, you will have bills to pay.
You need to learn how to budget and how to save.
When living in a sober living environment after treatment, you will learn budgeting techniques and tips for when you return back home.
Without this advice, it’s easy to spend your money unnecessarily.
8. Strengthen Your Problem-Solving Skills
Throw a group of people together in a home that are trying to remain sober and fight through past addictions and you will surely have problems to work through.
This is why your problem-solving skills will grow significantly in a sober living home.
And, they are incredibly beneficial for the rest of your life.
9. Slower Move Back into Real Life
If you go home after treatment, you are going to have to be ready to face everything on your own.
This thought alone can be scary.
A sober living environment and community gives you a chance to move back into real life at a much slower pace.
Not only does it allow you to tackle sobriety at your own pace, but it helps you to build a community of support while learning necessary skills that will help you in the long run.
10. Give Your Family Members Peace of Mind
Remember, you aren’t the only one who has struggled with your addiction.
Your family has likely encountered a lot of frustrations and struggles right along with you. Just as you are scared to leave treatment, they are scared for you.
Choosing a sober home gives them peace of mind, too.
11. Gain Stability
Things can seem a bit shaky when you have to go out on your own.
Until you have the strength and the confidence, your stability may be lacking.
A sober living community offers you the help you need during this vulnerable time to help you get your feet underneath you before heading back into the world.
Vulnerability is a good thing.
12. Zero Tolerance for Drugs and Alcohol
The temptation is real.
And your home life probably has no real restrictions on drugs and alcohol.
Get stronger and reduce the temptation in a sober environment.
Not only will this make you stronger, but can help make your recovery journey more successful by remaining with like-minded people who are going through a similar experience.
You will learn to reduce this temptation which in turn helps improve your success.
13. Reaffirm Your Ability to Handle Responsibilities
It seems repetitive, but strength, self-confidence, and so much more is needed to face life.
A sober home will give you chores and responsibilities that will force you to learn to be reliable and accountable.
There are usually consequences for those who don’t follow through. Although it sounds ridiculous, these responsibilities are essential in your self-growth.
14. Expect to Continue Your Treatment
Will you be strong enough to make yourself follow through with your treatment? On your own, will you voluntarily continue your treatment with therapists, meetings, etc.?
A sober living environment will expect you to continue – so you will.
It is much easier to conform when you aren’t trying to handle it on your own.
Conclusion
Once you complete treatment, you are on your own.
This is when the choices you make can greatly impact how your recovery is going to go.
Educate yourself now so you can have the best opportunity in the future.
Will you jump into life head first and fingers crossed? Or, will you transition yourself, step-by-step, with the support of a sober living environment?
The Lakehouse Sober Living can help you during this journey. We are here for you and will support you along the way. Contact a staff member today.
