Sober living homes are places without any temptations or distractions from drugs or alcohol.
Relapse is a real risk after rehab, so people in recovery should do everything they can to safeguard their sobriety. Half way homes offer many great benefits that can help newly sober individuals sustain their recovery and establish healthy habits and relationships. If you’re considering enrolling yourself or a loved one in a sober living program, here are some of the most important ways they can help prevent relapse.
8 Ways Sober Living Homes Help Prevent Relapse
They provide constant guidance and support in a sober living environment.
Half way homes offer safe, stable living environments where all drug and alcohol use is prohibited. Residents have the personal freedom to go and do as they wish, but a set curfew and regular drug tests provide constant accountability to help them stay on track. On-site staff also help ensure that all residents are following the community rules of the half way home. Many half way homes are connected to an addiction treatment center, which will be equipped with a staff of professionals who know what it’s like to be newly sober after addiction. These staff members can provide advice and wisdom to sober living residents when it’s most needed. House managers will also keep residents accountable and safe as they gradually transition back into mainstream life after rehab.
They require (or highly encourage) recovery meeting attendance.
The benefits of attending community support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) have been well-documented in research studies.(1,2,3,4) Overall, they are a great resource that help people in recovery sustain long-term abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Most half way homes require or highly encourage residents to attend recovery meetings several times a week. As a result, residents receive frequent and ongoing support from a group of sober peers. These meetings also help them work through each of the 12 Steps and enhance their personal growth.
They help residents prioritize recovery.
At a half way home, recovery is the central focus of life. Residents are given a place to live where they can focus on themselves and their recovery for an extended time. At a half way home, residents won’t have the temptation of living with old, drug-using friends and they can separate themselves from other environmental triggers. Unlike living independently with roommates in a rented home or apartment, half way homes also host weekly check-in household meetings and special events or recovery-related activities for residents. They also provide individualized recovery programs that help residents identify recovery goals and make progress toward achieving them.
They provide recovery resources the residents would otherwise have to find on their own.
After rehab, many people struggle to assimilate back into the everyday world. That’s because they may still need time to develop and practice those recovery tools they learned in rehab. However, half way homes help make the process easier by providing easy access to recovery resources like individual and group therapy, a sober mentor, employment assistance, volunteer placement, and educational planning for residents who want to go back to school.
They offer positive social interaction and opportunities.
At half way homes, residents can participate in special group events that provide positive social interaction and opportunities to develop new friendships. Not to mention, living with a group of other like-minded sober people offers plenty of chances to make lasting, healthy relationships that aren’t centered around drug or alcohol use.
They help people prepare to re-enter the outside world after rehab.
Half way homes help newly sober people put the skills and tools they learned in rehab to the test. Instead of heading straight back home after rehab, a half way home provides a more supportive and sober living environment. That way, it’s easier to focus on recovery and practice those skills without any distractions. Additionally, to successfully re-enter society after rehab, sober individuals need to secure and maintain employment, have stable finances, and have a solid recovery support system to help prevent relapse. Half way homes help residents meet these goals by providing resources, strategies, and tools to achieve them.
They encourage people to establish healthy routines and habits.
Half way homes provide a great deal of structure. From things like daily household chores and curfew to recovery programming, recovery meetings, and group events, this structured programming is designed to help keep residents on track. Additionally, the structure encourages residents to establish healthy routines and habits like keeping their living space tidy, showing up to meetings regularly, putting their relapse prevention plan into action, and being accountable to their peers.
They help residents develop independence.
After rehab, some people may need help establishing an independent sober life, especially if they don’t have a lot of support from family and friends at home. At a half way home, residents learn how to take their life back, make responsible, healthy choices, and do things like grocery shop and cook for themselves. They’ll have the independence to fill their lives with meaningful things, instead of drugs or alcohol, all while living in a supportive environment.
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