The Pros and Cons of Different Types of Sober Living Programs

by Ronald Frank

Instead, they required applicants to begin their sobriety before approaching the sober house. Recovery programs filled the gap by initiating abstinence and including detoxification. As we’ve said many times already, there’s no one answer to, “How do sober living homes work? 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. While some programs have specific timelines, by and large residents are allowed to remain in sober living houses for as long as they are willing to pay rent. The most important factor determining one’s length of stay should be the needs of the individual resident.

They are designed to be a transitional space from residential treatment to mainstream society. Recovery takes time and sober living housing can help make the transition from primary treatment to real life a little easier. At BRC Healthcare, we provide gender-specific sober living residences that promote a community-based, evidence-based approach to recovery.

What Is a Sober Living Program and How Can it Help?

There is no opportunity to relapse, because everyone is held accountable for their actions, and no time to relapse, because everyone has their own, busy regime to keep on a productive recovery journey. If you’re ready to join a top-rated sober house, RedRock Recovery Center is waiting to receive you. I recently moved into Real Recovery and I have been very impressed!

  • Many people benefit from residing in a sober living house after completing treatment, but you don’t have to make this decision alone.
  • These residences have rules, which will vary from place to place, and they endeavor to offer a supportive environment for people who have begun their recovery journey but aren’t yet ready to live completely independently.
  • They come to a new understanding and acceptance of themselves, their lives, and their ability to live joyfully and richly in recovery.
  • Some sober living houses may be placed in neighborhoods with high crime rates.

In their view, random assignment of participants to conditions was often appropriate for medication studies but often inappropriately applied when used to study residential services for recovery from addiction. Sober living homes are generally designed for people in early recovery, or in outpatient treatment, though many are open to people at all stages of the recovery process. Usually, the residents in these housing facilities are either going to treatment or attending meetings on a regular basis. This is an added benefit in that it will help you keep up with these obligations and stay in a sober state-of-mind.

Is Sober Living the Right Option For Me?

Most residents see a general lift in mood, optimism, and begin to see the benefits of the program. Many of us in early recovery often experience “cloud nine” or what some call the “pink cloud effect” where life feels grand, a sort of ‘high on sobriety’ feeling if you will. Real Recovery’s sober living program for men is designed with a structured three-phase approach that helps residents remain accountable without unnecessary restrictions on freedom.

sober living program

In addition to studying a larger number of offenders, we hope to explore an innovative intervention designed to improve outcomes for these residents in terms of employment, arrests, and other areas. Our intervention modifies motivational interviewing to address the specific needs of the offender population (Polcin, 2006b). Specifically, it helps residents resolve their mixed feelings (i.e., ambivalence) about living in the SLH and engaging in other community based services. Thus, the intervention is a way to help them prepare for the challenges and recognize the potential benefits of new activities and experiences. It’s during the first month that the “fog” of alcohol and substance abuse begins to lift.

Contact our friendly staff today to create your path in addiction recovery!

While residents aren’t required to have completed a rehab program before entry, many of them have. The tools that individuals learn in intensive rehab programs may set them up for more sustainable success in a sober living house. They are environments free of substance abuse where individuals can receive support from peers who are also in recovery.

  • They are designed to be a transitional space from residential treatment to mainstream society.
  • This 53-item measure assesses severity of psychiatric symptoms on nine clinical scales as well as three global indices.
  • Over 24 agencies affiliated with CAARR offer clean and sober living services.
  • It was noteworthy that a wide variety of individuals in both programs had positive outcomes.

People usually go to sober living residences after they have done drug or alcohol addiction treatment, and their treatment provider may give them a referral for one. However, many residents enroll in sober living homes without going to rehab. You don’t need any special qualifications to enter a sober living home aside from a commitment to recovery and a desire to work on oneself.

Benefits of Sober Living at BRC Healthcare

At its core, a sober living program provides an environment that supports continued recovery from an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or both types of substances. This environment usually consists of homes that offer private or semi-private bedrooms as well as shared living, kitchen, and other spaces. Set up to mimic a home-like setting, a sober living program provides patients with the opportunity to live in a safe, stable, and substance-free environment as they continue their recovery. It’s totally fair to wonder how sober living homes work at first — after all, most of us don’t encounter them in our day-to-day lives. While many sober living homes and substance abuse halfway houses teach skills that would benefit anyone, certain segments of the population tend to be more in need of their services than others. Without these guidelines in place, there wouldn’t be much support or structure, which is the whole point of living in a substance abuse halfway house or sober living home instead of on your own.

sober living program

Substance use disorders cause serious damage to the reward centers of the brain that affect willpower and motivation, so individuals find it very difficult to stay sober through the force of will alone. Ideal residents may be seeking “structured” recovery away from a troublesome local history. IOP programs may include both group therapy and individual therapy.

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