When thinking about life during or after addiction treatment, it may be crucial for your recovery to find an environment that promotes 100% sober living. When looking for a safe space to live that promotes sobriety post treatment, sober living homes are a great option to pursue.
Here at Atlanta Recovery Place, we know the importance of continuing recovery after leaving addiction treatment. The more you focus on sobriety after treatment, the less likely you will relapse. Today we’ll discuss what sober living homes are, what the benefits are, and how we can help you overcome addiction at Atlanta Recovery Place.
What Is a Sober Living Home?
Sober living homes are alcohol-free and drug-free living environments that provide individuals the ability to abstain from alcohol, drugs, and other substances. These sober living homes offer no formal addiction treatment but often have rules and guidelines the residents need to follow. For example at some sober living homes, all residents must attend some sort of 12 step recovery group in order to live at the house.
Sober living homes provide important resources and support to their residents. Sober living homes are a safe, healthy, family-like, and substance-free living environment. This environment grants support from addiction within a widely structured home while promoting peer support, connection, and long-term recovery. This is reinforced through mutual support groups and recovery support services. There are numerous different standards that a sober living home should meet. These standards and best practices include (but are not limited to):
- Having a clear operational definition – This means that the sober living home should accurately describe the type and intensity of services that are offered within the home.
- Recognizes that a substance use disorder is a chronic condition that requires a range of different recovery supports.
- Understand that co-occurring disorders (mental health disorders) often accompany substance abuse disorders.
- Assesses the needs of each client/resident and comes to a conclusion on how to appropriately meet their needs.
- Promote the usage of evidence-based practices and receiving outside treatment/support.
- Residents have to follow the written policies, procedures, and expectations.
- Ensures that each client/resident has quality, integrity, and safety.
- Learn and practice cultural competency because the disease of addiction does not discriminate among racial, cultural, or socioeconomic lines.
- Maintains ongoing communication with care specialists and interest parties.
- Evaluates the programs effectiveness and the success of the residents.
What Are the Benefits of Living in a Sober House?
There are many different advantages/benefits to living in a sober home. These advantages and benefits include:
- Removes individuals from destructive living conditions/environment.
- Creates new social support systems within the residents’ recovery process.
- The strong encouragement to join a 12-step program or other self-help groups.
- There is a required compliance with house rules. This can provide each client with a form of structure. Some of the house rules consist of participating in house chores, attending house meetings, paying rent and other fees, etc.
- Residents are invited to stay within the house as long as they wish as long as they comply with house rules. This allows residents to decide when they are mentally and emotionally ready to live on their own without fear of a relapse.
- The encouragement of providing mutual support and encouragement for recovery with fellow residents inside the house.
- Provides autonomy and support with residents while granting them the ability to take personal responsibility for their recovery.
Anyone who is interested in living in a sober living home can do so during outpatient treatment or after they complete addiction treatment.
How Atlanta Recovery Place Can Help You Get Sober
Here at Atlanta Recovery Places, we want our clients to maintain long term sobriety. One of the best ways to ensure recovery for the long run is to live in a sober living home after treatment. This type of housing is also a great place to live while you complete different forms of outpatient treatment.
Our facility offers partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient, and outpatient, all with the option of living in our sober housing. It is important that our clients receive support not only during treatment but also after treatment/during aftercare. Reach out to us today to find out more information about our addiction treatment facility.
