For Sober Living Be a Part of a Sober Community

There is little chances of sobriety for a person is going through recovery alone. When you're alone, you're vulnerable to your old ways of being, your old thought patterns, cravings, triggers, and desires to use. When you're alone you have little support and it can be hard to stay committed to sobriety, especially when facing the challenges of recovery. An ideal sober living experience will include a community of others who are sober and who have recovery at the center of their lives. 

Here are a few reasons why a sober community can strengthen sober living:

Community brings hope. It can be hard for those who are alone in their recovery to maintain a sense of hope. However, once a person realizes that they are not alone, they tend to feel more enabled to meet the challenges recovery tends to bring.  Someone trying to maintain their sobriety may feel hopeful that it's possible to achieve recovery from addiction. This may be especially true at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, or other types of 12-step meetings, where there is often a strong sense of community. 

Community brings friends together. Belonging to a group can heal that sense of separation. Often, addiction begins because a person feels alone or isolated or simply rejected by others. However, a community that has sober living at the heart of it can provide honest feedback, authentic connection, and therapeutic experiences. For instance, you may hear stories from others that include their dreams, feelings, and fears that perhaps you are familiar with too.  Relating to the stories of others can be incredibly healing. 

Community brings self-acceptance. When we are accepted by others, it’s easier to accept ourselves. Feeling welcome for who you are helps you like yourself more. Certainly, addiction can erode a person's self-esteem. However, when you are surrounded by others who accept and appreciate you for who you are, you may feel better about being who you are. 

Community brings commitment. When you are surrounded by others who are committed to their sobriety, you're more likely to feel the same. Even if you don't feel quite committed to sobriety at first, but you knew you needed to get sober, being around others who know what sober living is like can strengthen your own promise to stay sober. Also, when you have others around you who are also moving toward the same goal, you share the experiences of sober living. You share a positive future. You can hold this vision for each and fortify each other in it. Certainly, that's the point of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. Every member, regardless of the length of sobriety, is there to support their fellow members in recovery. 

If you are alone in your recovery, look for a sober community to be a part of. It might be an AA 12-step meeting, a recovery-oriented group at your church, or a local community group focused on sobriety. Whatever form it takes, having a community to rely upon can bring endless benefits to your recovery.

Sober Living Takes Time but Starts with a Decision

If you’re thinking about getting sober, you might be daunted by the idea of changing your life. You might know that you want the change because of the uncomfortable circumstances that addiction brings. At the same time, you might feel fear, stress, anxiety, or even emotional turmoil about the changes you want to make. Transforming your life is worrisome for anyone, regardless of the type of change. Fortunately, sober living takes time. You can move into it slowly. You can gradually get closer and closer to the life you want. But one thing is clear, before any of this happens, you need to make a decision. You have to decide that this is the direction you’re going. Sober living is possible, but you must know you want it. 

Most people are familiar with getting sober abruptly. You start going to AA meetings, get a sponsor, and you work the 12-steps. You stop drinking and using drugs. You stop drinking one day at a time until you’ve created an entire lifestyle of sober living. This has worked for millions of people. At the same time, there are other methods of getting sober which are less immediate. A lesser known model of sobriety is harm reduction. It helps a person get sober slowly by gradually reducing the level of harm substance use is creating. For instance, if you’re getting drunk every day perhaps you’re first goal is drinking only 4 times per week instead of all seven. Or your goal might be to drink nonalcoholic drinks for 3 of the 7 days you’re drinking each week. Or your goal might be to smoke cigarettes instead of marijuana. With harm reduction, slowly reducing the amount of your drinking or drug use can begin the process of sober living.

Yet, you might know that harm reduction isn’t going to work for you. You might know from the beginning that in order to live soberly, you’ll need to do it completely. Maybe you know that if you hang on to drinking or drug use of any amount, you’re going to keep living the same harmful lifestyle. It’s true that some people want to make the change quickly. They’re ready to be sober today. 

Regardless of how you get sober, sober living begins with a choice. Even if you don’t feel ready to do it today but you want to, all you need is a decision. Once you decide, then your choices can begin to grow out of that. Sure, even if you make the decision to get sober, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to stay sober for the rest of your life. You might relapse. You might even forget about your decision. But in some way, when you stay connected to the light of your decision inside, albeit small right now, you can find your way to sober living again and again.

And the number one thing that all recovering addicts need, whether they’re working on harm reduction or abstinence, is support. Once you’ve made the decision to get sober, go out there and find the support you need. Call a therapist, attend AA groups, and gather your friends around you. Once you’re clear that you want sober living, find the community of friends and family who will help you create just that.

Sober Living Means Taking Good Care of Yourself

There are some experiences that you might expect with sober living. Sobriety, for one. And perhaps spending time with others who are sober might be another major aspect of sober living. However, once you’ve got sobriety down, there are other parts of sober living that many recovering addicts need to get used to. This article will address the more subtle facets of what it means to live a sober life.

Primarily, sober living means taking good care of yourself. And interestingly there are many addicts who never learn how to do this. Although it might sound simple, many of adult men and women, especially if they were raised in chaotic homes or experienced trauma as a child, may not take the time to cook themselves a meal, go to the doctor when they aren’t well, or drive at safe speeds on the highway. Some recovering addicts discover that they really don’t know how to take good care of themselves. Although they might eat, sleep, and take care of their basic needs, they don’t do it regularly enough. They might not eat until 3pm or they might sleep 4-5 hours at night. And if they’re not physically well, they’ll ignore their symptoms until they absolutely can’t ignore it any longer.

This kind of lifestyle might seem to work while addicted to drugs or alcohol. However, most recovering addicts find that when they are taking care of themselves consistently, they have less stress, more emotional energy to tend to life’s day to day challenges, and less relapses. Those who are taking the time to make themselves dinner, take short breaks throughout the day, and go to the doctor on a regular basis, have more mental and emotional energy to safely manage their triggers and cravings.

For this reason, part of sober living is learning how to take good care of yourself. This might include things like:

• Eating well.
• Taking all your medications as prescribed.
• Having health insurance.
• Keeping up with daily hygiene.
• Avoiding caffeine and nicotine.
• Attending support groups and treatment appointments.
• Having a support network.
• Getting adequate exercise.
• Having a safe place to live.
• Having at least one hour per day for yourself.
• Feeding your religious or spiritual life.
• Associating with people who are safe and supportive.
• Driving safely.
• Having hobbies or activities that you enjoy.

Although the first step to sober living is sobriety, later recovering addicts learn that taking care of themselves can also support their sober lifestyle. Yes, sober living is about staying sober. But it is also about all those facets of life that help a person stay that way.

If you or someone you know is struggling in their sobriety, perhaps a focus on self-care might help. When a person is eating well, sleeping 8 hours each night, going to the doctor regularly, exercising, and managing their daily stress in healthy ways, he or she is more likely to stay sober. Because sober living is healthy living, learning how to take care of yourself is an essential part of recovery.

Options for Housing When You’re Coming Out of Addiction Treatment

There are many difficult experiences that a person might have when they are finished with addiction treatment. It’s common for many people to be in the challenging experience of having to find a place to live, secure a source of income, and establish a new way of life. In fact, perhaps the two most pressing issues are income and housing. The following is a list of common options that many recovering addicts explore for housing after treatment. 

Reside at a sober living home. This is a smart way to stay sober after treatment. Although some people might want to get back to their lives as it was before treatment, doing so may put them in danger of relapse. Being around familiar people and places too quickly after treatment can trigger memories and desires to use. However, a sober living home serves as a bridge between addiction treatment and you’re old life. Typically, a sober living home has rules to help keep residents sober and safe. And they often require residents to attend 12-step meetings or other support groups. Furthermore, rent is often less expensive than if you were living on your own. 

Live with friends or family. If you can’t afford a sober living home, you may have the option of living with friends or family. This might be a good choice for those who do not have yet have a form of income. However, there are risks that come with living with those you know. You might jeopardize your friendships or relationships if something goes wrong or if you relapse. You might also put yourself in danger of relapse if you choose to live with anyone who may still be using. And lastly, you might put yourself in danger if you don’t continue to stay connected to a sober community. 

Secure section 8 housing. This housing option is subsidized by the county or state you live in, making rent significantly less. However, this might be a long shot for many people because in most counties, section 8 housing has a long waiting list – up to 7 to 8 years. So you would have had to put your name on the list long before you went to addiction treatment. Also, most people who are struggling with addiction and/or who are homeless don’t think to put themselves on this list. Or they may not know about it.  You may want to get mental health services from the county, including getting your name on the wait list for section 8 housing. You never know if you’ll need it in the future. 

Live at a transitional living home for mental illness and/or addiction. Like sober living homes, there are also transitional homes for those with mental illness. If you have a dual diagnosis (those who have an addiction and a mental illness) this might be a good fit. This type of housing option is transitional meaning that you’d be able to stay there for up to 6 months to one year. This may give you enough time to look for a job, recover, and establish a new way of life. 

 

These are some housing options to consider if you’re leaving addiction treatment within the next few months or sooner. If you have questions about these, contact your mental health provider or case manager for more information.

Sober Living: Circumstances That May Require It

For many people, residing at a sober living home after addiction treatment is an option. They might feel that they need the extra support before returning home. They might have the resources to focus on their sobriety for a few more months. However, for others, residing at a sober living home might be a requirement. For a variety of reasons, they might need to stay somewhere that is focused on their sobriety and safety.

Sober living serves as an interim place for a person to reside between addiction treatment and returning home. These homes grew out of a need for housing for those coming out of rehab. Many men and women coming out of addiction treatment need a safe and structured place to live in order to stay sober.

Although many people tend to go to sober living homes right out of treatment, it isn’t necessary. Some might recognize that they have a problem with drugs and alcohol and decide to live at a sober living home in order to support their sobriety. In addition to this, there are some other circumstances in which a person might be required to live at a sober living home. For example:

• A person is required by the courts.
• A person may be required in order to get their children returned to them.
• A person might want to live at a sober living home versus living on the streets.
• Someone might feel that living away from his or her family while recovering might be better than staying at home using drugs or drinking.
• A person might not have the money to afford addiction treatment.

Regardless of whether you were required or chose to live at a sober living home, there are some incredible benefits. Obviously, it’s a place to go in order to stay sober. However, there are other benefits as well. For instance:

• Sober living homes have a structured environment that can support not only sobriety but also a person’s general well being.
• Sober living homes have other residents who are struggling with the same concern and who can become a part of a person’s support system.
• Sober living homes keep a person away from the familiar people and places that could jeopardize their sobriety.
• Sober living homes often have a requirement that residents attend 12-step meetings, further supporting their sobriety.
• Sober living homes can give a person a sense of responsibility through chores, curfews, and attending therapeutic meetings.
• Sober living homes often require regular drug tests of their residents, providing accountability to their residents.

These are a few of the benefits that a person might receive from residing at a sober living home.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction, contact a mental health provider today. He or she can provide a list of services that facilitate sobriety, such as local sober living home.