Why Sober Living Homes Are So Important For Recovery

Anyone within South Florida’s large recovery community will tell you that sober living once you’ve completed inpatient treatment is an extremely important next step. The hardest part about sobriety isn’t actually getting sober, it’s about staying sober. Anyone who is recovering from substance abuse has a 50 percent chance of relapsing, and that’s regardless of how strong they think their will is. This is where sober living homes come into play.

Sober living homes, or sometimes referred to as “halfway homes,” or “dry houses,” are residential communities that provide a safe and sober environment for those who are just completing their inpatient treatment. By providing that continued support, it then becomes easier for the individual in recovery to reintegrate themselves back into society. What exactly makes the best sober living homes? There are some essentials that will show a sober living home is doing its role for the addicted individual and therefore proving beneficial.

3 Main Benefits of Sober Living Homes

  1. Smoother transition back into the real world. When an addict enters recovery, their life is going to be completely different when they leave. Staying clean after rehab is extremely difficult, and even though there are plenty that have done it successfully, there’s a good chance they have either had (or come close to), having a couple of stumbles along the way. With sober living homes, there’s an intermediate phase that can be explored which further helps the individual in recovery to remain on the right path and to learn new tools for staying sober.
  2. Continued discipline. Sober houses follow a well-defined set of rules that are similar to those in inpatient treatment. While these rules aren’t as strict, they still reinforce the importance of one’s recovery. Basically, if you want to stay in a sober home, you need to stay sober. There are also maintenance chores given out to residents which are done in an effort to give the recovering addict a sense of responsibility to make their home feel like a welcoming place.
  3. Preventing isolation. When an addict leaves rehab, they could feel very out of place in the real world. Its instances where they feel isolated that create old urges, and thus putting their recovery at risk. In a sober living home, they are surrounded by people who are going through the same struggles they are, and they can support each other’s sobriety. Many sober homes (specifically like us at Florida Recovery Group), add an active social element such as providing regular group meetings that reinforce the overall ideals of living a sober lifestyle.