Sober Homes: The Optimum Environment for Continued Recovery
Recovery from alcohol and drug abuse requires more than just staying sober. Recovery is about reclaiming one’s relationships, self-respect, and vision for the future. It’s about creating an entirely new design for daily living. Sobriety is the foundation for these positive changes, alongside important shifts in one’s lifestyle and mindset. These vital changes can only occur in the right environment. A chaotic setting full of stress and peer pressure is likely to lead to relapse, while a calm, drug and alcohol-free environment with access to support networks and camaraderie is much more likely to facilitate continued sobriety. Sober homes provide individuals with this ideal environment for lasting recovery.
The Role of Sober Living Homes in Maintaining Sobriety
Many individuals enter sober homes during a period following primary treatment at an inpatient treatment center or extended care program. Others come to sober homes as an alternative to such intensive treatments. Since they are not focused around treatment, sober homes are often the final point in the continuum of care before an individual re-enters daily life. Sober homes play a vital role during this transitional period. For those who previously struggled with basic life skills such as personal hygiene, banking, and employment search skills, they offer a controlled, abstinent environment in which to practice those skills without fear of failure. For many who are forgoing more involved treatment, they provide the structure and safety that may be missing at home. Sober homes strike a balance between letting the recovering individual learn the skills required to function and succeed on their own, while still offering a structured, safe, and supervised environment along with the resources that individuals need to make those lasting changes.
Sober Living Outcomes
Studies show that sober living homes lead to “resident improvement on measures of alcohol and drug use, employment, arrests, and psychiatric symptoms.” Likewise, involvement in 12-Step groups and a positive social network dedicated to recovery are key predictors of long-term sobriety. In one study, residents of sober living houses were found to have “reduced or stopped their substance use between baseline and 6-month follow up and then maintained those improvements at 12 and 18 months”.[1]
Sober Homes and Access to Health and Recovery Resources
With research stressing the importance of 12-Step work and an abstinent social network, many sober homes feature, or are located close to, 12-Step recovery meeting groups. Convenience and ease of access to such resources is crucial. Similarly, access to transportation and any resources that encourage a healthy lifestyle, such as exercise classes or nutritional counsel, can also play a large part in maintaining a sober lifestyle.
Sober homes are about making it as easy as possible for the individual to take advantage of these lifestyle choices, bringing together a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress reduction practices like meditation, a quiet and stress-free environment, a strong sober support network, and continued attendance at recovery meetings. The goal is to help the individual leverage every tool they have available to them in order to build and practice new skills and keep themselves on track for continued sobriety.
Bay Area Sober Services’ Sober Living Houses
Bay Area Sober Services’ Sober Living Safe Houses offers both shared and private rooms, so that individuals can tailor their living situation to their unique needs. Either way, they will be surrounded by others who are on a similar path to maintaining sobriety, and can practice skills that are vital to a developing a new healthy sober lifestyle in an ideal environment.
Our Sober Living Safe Houses are located in the quiet, friendly Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco. Featuring a close proximity to 12-Step meetings, as well numerous amenities such as a gym membership, yoga and meditation classes, nutritional education, WiFi, and cable TV, our Sober Living Safe Houses provide everything an individual needs to stay sober and create a healthier, happier lifestyle. Contact us today and let us help you find the right environment for a sober life.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3057870/