Understanding
Sober Living Homes

Sober living homes are an excellent option for those who are new to recovery but may not feel comfortable returning to an “unmonitored” environment just yet. Inpatient treatment programs and some outpatient treatment programs are heavily structured, and for some leaving such a structured environment and openly exposing themselves to triggers can be scary. Also, for many, sober living homes provide a safe environment to continue working on sobriety when the at-home living environment is not conducive to recovery. Sober living homes do not offer the same level of structure as inpatient facilities or even outpatient rehabs; however, they do present a stepping stone sober or intermediary environment that can encourage residents to continue developing and practicing healthy coping skills and habits to use once they do return home. 

Sober living homes can be considered supplementary to treatment at an addiction treatment facility. They are a safe alternative from going directly from an immersive and supportive care environment to an unstructured environment at home. Sober living homes generally replicate typical, everyday life situations while striving to instill healthy habits. This combination helps to reduce the chance of relapse for countless addicts each year. While staying at a sober living home, residents do a number of things that help guide them further in their recovery period. For example, some may locate stable and safe housing to move into after treatment, and others may work to find steady employment. 

Most importantly, however, sober living environments allow the opportunity to make amends with family and friends who were impacted by substance abuse. Also, a status over living home allows the opportunity to adjust to sober living in an environment without the same structure as an inpatient care setting. 

One other significant benefit to a sober living home is relapse prevention. A stay at a sober living home is often part of a carefully designed aftercare plan created during the initial stages of addiction treatment. While in the sober living environment, a recovering addict is provided the opportunity to identify triggers that may be difficult to manage once they are living in the community again. The structure of a sober living environment further reinforces and teaches new healthy coping skills that can be used when faced with triggers. The sober living community also provides emergency contact people and numbers that can be called upon during times of high stress or cravings to use. This relapse prevention plan or “plan of action” will ensure that someone new to recovery will know what to do in challenging moments and will have a healthy way to manage inevitable triggers that will arise in their day-to-day life.