Do Sober Livings/Transitional Homes Help with Long-Term Recovery

They say that living in a structured sober living home can greatly improve one’s chances for long-term success in sobriety, but how and why exactly is that so?

Getting sober is challenging! When individuals attend an inpatient drug addiction program, their chances of success increase as they have 24-hour supervision, limited phone access, are separated from drugs and alcohol and are forced to think before acting impulsively. Upon completion, they have the choice to return home where all of their triggers may be present or chose to reside in a structured sober living home which may provide great advantages.

The idea of a sober living home is that you live in a residence that gives you some level of support and accountability for your addiction while letting you work toward greater independence. You live surrounded by others in the same situation and receive the benefits of mutual support.

The drug and alcohol free environment is an obvious benefit of sober living. A less obvious benefit is that of social support. Research proves that social factors are a crucial element of successful addiction recovery. Recovering addicts that have a strong social support system are more likely to maintain long-term sobriety.

In a sober living house you have a built-in social network. Your roommates are also in recovery and you have the opportunity to support and help each other stay sober. Many houses include support group meetings and you are surrounded by people who have the same goals and needs that you do. Those who are further along in recovery often support new residents.

Going directly from rehab to living back at home, going to work and socializing with family and old friends can be a rocky transition to make. It can be abrupt and unforgiving. One day you are fully supported in a safe environment, and the next you are expected to go back to normal life, except without abusing substances. This is where many addicts end up relapsing.

A great benefit of a sober living home is that you get a smoother transition back into the real world. The sober living home is less structured and less secure than a drug rehab facility, but it provides some safeguards that you wouldn’t have at home. In a sober living house you can slowly learn how to re-enter society as a sober person. You can take time to develop new skills and to find out who you are sober.