Sober Living House: What Is Is and How It Works

John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Sober living house

Sober living houses are often recommended for folks finishing up a drug rehabilitation program.Leaving the structure of a treatment program can be jarring, sometimes triggering a relapse. As such, sober living houses serve as a space to transition into a life without addiction, developing tools and community while getting used to the demands of daily life. They are environments free of substance abuse where individuals can receive support from peers who are also in recovery. There is no time limit on how long someone can live in a sober living house. While meeting attendance and household duties may be required, there isn’t regimented treatment programming present in the home.

• Sometimes they are designed specifically for formerly incarcerated folks.
• Meetings were held both in the home and in neighboring organizations in the community.
• If you or someone you know has recently quit drinking alcohol and is now sober—congratulations, quitting alcohol can be a long and difficult process.
• Research on sober living houses also states that residents experience a higher possibility of securing employment and a lower likelihood of getting arrested.
• However, sober living houses are not covered under insurance since they do not provide treatment services and thus aren’t considered rehabilitative facilities.

Sober Living Houses vs. Halfway Houses

These are residential facilities that sober house near me provide structure and support for those healing from addiction. They are designed to be a transitional space from residential treatment to mainstream society. Something important to note is that sober living houses are not the same as halfway houses.

How to Pay for Your Stay at a Sober Living House

These types of sober livings do tend to charge higher fees, however, they are often able to provide a very affordable alternative to what would otherwise constitute high-priced inpatient treatment. By Julia Childs Heyl, MSWJulia Childs Heyl, MSW, is a clinical social worker and writer. As a writer, she focuses on mental health disparities and uses critical race theory as her preferred theoretical framework. Consider asking folks at a recovery meeting or touching base with any sober friends you may have.

Residents are often required to take drug tests and demonstrate efforts toward long-term recovery. While some may be hungry to integrate back into society after a stint in a treatment program, there is an expectation that you will remain an active participant in the home and follow its rules. Some sober living houses may be placed in neighborhoods with high crime rates. In some cases, sober living homes will contract with licensed drug rehabilitation centers and therapists as a means for providing an even greater level of care.

The History of Sober Living Houses

While they are both residences designed to support folks in maintaining sobriety and transitioning back into society, there are some key differences. Maintaining sobriety can be a difficult process, however, a sober living house may provide you with the kind of structure and support you’ll need to maintain your sobriety. If you’re having a hard https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-to-write-a-goodbye-letter-to-addiction/ time adjusting to a sober life, reach out to a mental health professional who specializes in addiction and substance use. Finances can be crucial in determining the best plan for your recovery. However, sober living houses are not covered under insurance since they do not provide treatment services and thus aren’t considered rehabilitative facilities.

Meetings were held both in the home and in neighboring organizations in the community. Some SLHs offer intensive outpatient services, including on-site medical care. These homes are often staffed in shifts by psychiatric nurses and licensed clinical social workers, who provide residents with 24-hour supervision and centralized recovery care. A great way to find a sober living house in your area is first to explore your network. Not all sober living homes are equal, so finding a place that an acquaintance has recommended could be helpful. While sober living houses have research touting their efficacy, it is also important to remember that they are still environments where you are living with others and the focus is on staying sober.

• Going to a sober living house has been proven to support sobriety efforts, with results ranging from a decreased amount of relapses to long-term sobriety.
• You can also look into Oxford Houses, which provide all recovering users the opportunity to develop comfortable sobriety without relapse.
• As such, sober living associations now make finding a residence easier.
• While some may be hungry to integrate back into society after a stint in a treatment program, there is an expectation that you will remain an active participant in the home and follow its rules.
• Maintaining sobriety can be a difficult process, however, a sober living house may provide you with the kind of structure and support you’ll need to maintain your sobriety.

Those who live in these houses rent rooms indefinitely and live a life in accordance with their responsibilities, like work and school. Suppose you’ve recently relapsed and found that the drug addiction stress of being in environments around alcohol and drugs or a lack of structure is particularly triggering. First, if you’re recently leaving a rehab stay or have just wrapped up an outpatient program, a sober living facility may provide you with the structure you need. Often the structure and routine of treatment programs help keep folks sober, and risking the loss of that when completing the program can be a threat to your recovery.