You’ve just completed a drug rehab program – what comes next? If you’re like a lot of rehab graduates, you’re probably feeling more than a little nervous about what the future holds. Rejoining the mainstream community can be exciting, but it can also be very intimidating. You might feel frightened at the idea of confronting your old triggers or running into friends from your using days.
Sober living homes offer a safe solution for recovering addicts who are making the transition back to the community. These homes are usually located in residential neighborhoods so that house members feel like they are part of society. However, they are protected by rules and guidelines that support the residents in sobriety. Read on to find out what it’s like to live in transitional housing.
What Makes Sober Living Effective?
Even before you move into a sober living home, you’ll find out what makes it different. You’ll have a strict set of rules to follow, like abstaining from drugs or alcohol, attending house meetings, completing specific chores and agreeing to random drug screening. You will probably have a curfew, and you will have to sign in and out whenever you come or go. If you’re a recent rehab graduate, you may be assigned to a senior member of the house who will go with you when you leave the home.
Your morning at a sober living home will start with daily chores like making your bed, cleaning a shared bathroom or helping with breakfast. Once you’re done with this routine, you may be expected to attend a house meeting, a 12-Step group or a counseling session outside of the home. After these morning activities, you can search for employment, help with chores around the house or perform community service. If you have a job, you’ll go to work as scheduled. In the evening, you’ll share an alcohol-free meal with your housemates and participate in a support group session. At night you’ll have free time to call your loved ones, read or watch TV.
Throughout your day, you can count on being part of a sober, supportive environment.
Although the routines of life in transitional housing may sound simple, they are actually quite effective. Your days have enough structure to keep you on track with your recovery goals, without the intensive monitoring and regulations of a rehab facility. A six-month study of 130 residents in sober living homes published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs showed that 40 percent had stayed clean and sober during that period. Another 24 percent reported that they had abstained from drugs and alcohol for the majority of that time.
How to Succeed in Transitional Housing
Living in a transitional home doesn’t guarantee your success in recovery. The more faithfully you stick to the sober living guidelines, the greater your chances of avoiding a relapse. As you go through your day, you’ll find that support comes from many sources: your housemates, your peer support group, your 12-Step meetings and your counselors.
Seek out friends and family members who encourage you in your recovery, and avoid people who question your sobriety or try to drag you back into addiction.
Michael’s House offers comprehensive aftercare services, including a program that focuses on the needs of sober living residents. Although we don’t run a sober living facility of our own, we provide counseling services, educational programs and support groups for recovering addicts who live in transitional housing. Talk with our admissions counselors about how we can support you through rehab and beyond. Call 760.548.4032 now.
